Considerations for Libraries Thinking About Offering Digital Audio Books

Introduction

• Overview
• Sponsors and Authors

Questions to Ask

• Community demand
• Who are the primary users?

Pricing

• Pricing models
• Additional fees
• Collection

Licensing

• Purchase and lease options
Boilerplate license agreement
• Individual library vs. consortia agreements
• Patron authentication

File Types

• How many?
• Compression ratios
• Playback venues

Administrative Module

• Usage statistics
• Accessibility for print-impaired
• MARC records

Automated Order Systems

• Ordering and content management
• Ownership of listening devices
• Seamless usage

Final Considerations

• Technical support
• Startup and ongoing costs
• Length of commitment
• Realistic start up timeframe