Chasing the Media Boom.

Libraries; Library personnel; Public institutions; Librarians; Information resources management; Library finance; Federal aid to libraries; Collection development in libraries; Library science; Audiobooks

The Ramsey Free Public Library in New Jersey, the Schaumburg Township District Library in Illinois and Miami-Dade Public Library in Florida are as different from one another as any three libraries can be. From their geographic locations to facilities, from the populations they serve to their materials budgets, they span the gamut of public library service in the United States. All three libraries are seeing a large growth in audiovisual (AV) circulation. They are all increasing their budgets in an attempt to keep pace with usage. In dollars, a library serving a population of 25,000-49,999 spends on average a little over $28,000 on all AV materials. Audiobooks consume only 30 percent of the media budget, but spending on audiobooks has increased more than any other format--72 percent.