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Triad residents looking for audio books or e-books have their pick of local stores and libraries

Both are seeing an increase in the demand for audio books, mostly in compact disc form.

The Greensboro Public Library uses a consortium, called the North Carolina Digital Library, and N.C. Live, a collection of databases available to all state libraries, universities and colleges, to provide audio and e-book access to patrons.

Sherrie Antonowicz, collection development manager at the Greensboro Public Library, said 8,111 audio books were checked out last year, up from 5,495 the year before.

Most people are interested in the most popular titles, by such authors as James Patterson, she said.

Stephen Culkin, reference librarian at the Greensboro Public Library, said patrons normally use e-books for manuals or other nonfiction work. "Generally, people get caught in a pinch and need a resource and put up with an audio book," he said. Those resources could be anything from a GRE study guide or manual about Photoshop to a classic that a student may need to read but discovers it's already checked out.

Although most local book stores don't offer e-books, Borders has Sony Readers and gift cards for Sony's Web site, where e-books can be downloaded.

"A lot more people are traveling to their jobs, so they want audio books to listen to," said Heather Massie, a training manager at Borders in Greensboro. She said the store has seen a 5 to 7 percent increase in audio book sales in the past year.

Audio book sales have grown by leaps and bounds over the past three to four years, said Becky Carignan, communications relations manager at Barnes & Noble's Friendly Center store.

The store's audio books customers aren't limited in their tastes. "It's all across the board," said Carignan, an avid listener herself.

E-books are available on the company's Web site. Barnes & Noble will release its own reader in 2010 or 2011, Carignan said.

Edward McKay Used Books & More has seen a slight dip in audio book sales, said Randy Martin, night manager at the store in Greensboro. He believes some of that can be attributed to audio book clubs. One such service, called BookSwim, is similar to the popular movie rental company Netflix, and allows customers to receive and return audio books via snail mail.

Martin said most people seeking audio books at Edward McKay tend to pick fiction, especially mysteries and thrillers. "I think, in general, a mystery or thriller lends itself to holding interest more," he said. "They like to listen to a story but not something that is so detailed or deep where they can't listen to it when they're driving."

But no one seems to think digital formats will replace traditional books.

"Everybody likes to experience (new technology), but so much of the time, people tend to go back to CDs or back to books," Martin said. "I don't think people will get away from that tactile experience a person has with an actual book."

Contact E.A. Seagraves at 883-4422, Ext. 241, or elizabeth.seagraves @news-record.com