Summer Sounds like Saving on Audiobooks

Summer is just around the corner (and is finally starting to feel like it after this remarkably chilly springtime in Ohio), which means that I’ll be tearing through my audiobook listen-list during my summer travel plans, home renovations, and yardwork. Since having kids, time to sit with a print or ebook has been hard to get, so I’ve been consuming the majority of my media through audio. What I didn’t realize until recently is that I don’t seem to be the only one!

According to a survey conducted by Library Journal and School Library Journal in September 2024, digital audio continues to out-circulate physical audio in both youth and adult collections. 90% of adult collection selectors reported a significant or moderate increase in digital audio circulation, while 70% reported a significant or moderate decrease in physical audio circulation. Participating libraries in surveys such as this over the last few years have reported reducing their print collections in favor of shifting more towards digital materials, and have been conducting a similar cull on their physical audiobook materials.

Refreshing your audiobook collections

OverDrive recently kicked off its infamous Audiobook Month Sale, which means you can save big on thousands of audiobooks from now until June 30th. This year, we’re featuring the largest collection of discounted audiobook content to date, and as a dedicated library patron myself, I’m hoping that my local library picks up some extra copies of the books that I’ve been waiting for. That leads nicely to our next question – how do you go about selecting which titles to add to your collection?

The aforementioned study also included a question about what factors to library staff take into account when selecting audiobook content for their collections, the top three being “patron request”, “positive reviews”, and “award winners”. While lower on the list, “narrator” was still a surprisingly important factor with 34% of libraries taking storyteller’s talent or notoriety into consideration when making purchases.

If you’d like more audiobook recommendations, then you’ve come to the right place. Below are some of the top titles and collections to jumpstart your cart building.

All Titles

2025 Releases

Audiobooks $20 or Less

Other Offerings in June

If you like subscriptions or simultaneous use…

OverDrive is also offering special discounts for OD Max content, and even have a few top publisher Simultaneous Use packages on sale until the end of the month, including Blackstone Publishing and Tantor Media.

If you want to help your patrons Stream Smarter…

Flagship Pay-Per-Use program: If you come on board with our PPU program during this time frame, and receive your launch email with live link on or before July 31, you will receive your first full month of usage for free! Kanopy’s Pay-Per-Use service provides your patrons access to over 31,000 films and tv shows & series, and you only pay for what is checked out. No additional fees or costs are associated with the program. We are adding hundreds of offerings each month from such content providers as MGM, Warner Bros, BBC, A24, Kino Lorber, PBS, The History Channel, MHz, and over 1000 more!

Kanopy PLUS Unlimited Access Subscriptions:

Add 2 or more PLUS Packs and get a 20% discount
Add 4 or more PLUS Packs and get a 25% discount
Add all of the PLUS Packs and get a 30% discount!

Kanopy PLUS Packs are a great way to come on board with Kanopy with a yearly fixed cost, unlimited access for patrons, and no tickets required! Each pack has between 100-300 titles taken from the PPU collection, and about 25% of the titles rotate each quarter.

If you are interested in this offer please complete the form here.

Resources for Librarians

With summer programming ramping up, the OverDrive team continues to put together easy access materials for your library staff to utilize during the busy season.

Marketing & Outreach: Get the word out about your OverDrive collection with our free resources to print, distribute, or share digitally.
Library Staff Training: Access on-demand training modules, downloadable PDFs, upcoming webinars, and tools to educate your staff and end users any time of day or night.
Library Blog: Stay connected with OverDrive news, content suggestions, and best practices.

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