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The objects we consume increasingly exist in digital form, from audiobooks and digital photographs to social media profiles and avatars. Digital objects are often argued to be less valued, personally meaningful, and self-relevant than their physical counterparts and are consequently dismissed as poor candidates for possession. Yet, studies have identified highly meaningful, even irreplaceable, digital possessions. In this article, we account for these contradictory narratives surrounding digital possessions, arguing that digital objects are not inherently unsuited to possession, but rather their affordances may not align with consumers' imagined affordances (i.e. the object affordances that consumers anticipate). Drawing from a qualitative study of 25 consumers and their digital possessions, we identify three recurring types of affordance misalignment— missing affordances, covert affordances, and deficient affordances—that mediate how consumers and digital objects interact (pragmatic mediation) and, consequently, consumers' experiences of, and beliefs surrounding, digital objects as possessions (hermeneutic mediation). We demonstrate that these affordance misalignments can create obstacles to consumers' desired experiences of possession and document consumers' attempts to overcome these obstacles by employing alignment strategies , with varied behavioral outcomes. This article advances debates surrounding digital possessions and presents an enriched affordance theory lens that provides new insights into possession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciência da Informação is the property of Revista Ibero-Americana de Ciencia da Informacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article explores in English language arts (ELA) classrooms, technology not only has fostered new ways of communicating, but also has shaped new ways of being known. From remixed TikTok videos to Twitch livestreams , digital media is a ripe resource for forwarding innovative digital writing across genres.

This work aims to analyze, compare and characterize the supply of digital audiobooks for children and young adults through the analysis of sales and distribution platforms and library loan platforms available in Spain, in order to point out their strengths and weaknesses. To this end, data relating to collections and search and organization interfaces have been collected directly from distribution and sale platforms (Storytel, 24Simbols, Odilo and Audioteca), both subscription and unit sale, and national (eBiblio) and regional library loan (eLiburutegia and Galiciale), as well as a selection of 250 selected titles randomly in each of them. The methodology used is descriptive and has allowed us to analyze the offer of digital audiobooks for children and young adults, languages and date of publication, most significant publishers, as well as to evaluate the search systems, the ordering of the contents in the interfaces and the information provided by the descriptions of the different platforms. Based on the data collected, it is concluded that, despite the increase in consumption and publishing of this type of format, titles for children and young adults have a scarce and secondary presence in catalogs, both from publishers and platforms. It is also necessary to adapt the interfaces and adequate classification to improve their visibility and location, and a standardization in the introduction of metadata and expansion of the information provided for each product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The media landscape, including book publishing, is undergoing rapid development and profound change due to the digitization of content, and its respective sales and marketing channels. It is now possible to consume all kinds of narrative content (from fictional to informative) in more and more formats, which enables it to keep reaching new target groups. We wanted to know how eBooks, digital audiobooks and podcasts fit into the "battle for attention". To find out, we surveyed 2335 people aged between 16 and 65 years, across Germany, about their media use during the past six months, and also asked 1000 users of eBooks, digital audiobooks or podcasts more detailed questions about their usage behaviour. We conducted the surveys during August and September 2020, in association with GIM Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbH. The surveys yielded twelve highly topical and illuminating insights that we will present in the following report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, audiobooks have become more popular in the book industry despite the common misconception that listening is less beneficial than reading a physical book. Marketers used technology as a channel to target consumers and convince them to listen to the audiobook for multitasking and productivity purposes. Through transmedia, author branding and influence culture, the audiobook market has proven its elasticity in response to the coronavirus pandemic. It was assumed that audiobooks would not perform as planned in 2020 since COVID-19 seized most travel; therefore, consumers stopped listening to audiobooks as part of their travel routine. Instead, digital audiobooks continued their upgrowth trajectory and thrived as a method of relaxation during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In slightly over a decade, audiobooks have come a long way from their infancy as recorded books, to the point that we must question whether audiobooks should be regarded as books at all. The essence of audiobooks By the common definitions of a book, audiobooks are not books. [Extracted from the article]

The article discusses modes of reading that emerge from reading situations that involve literary digital interfaces and digital audiobooks. Building on analyses of sensorial characteristics of the act of reading a digital audiobook and a literary digital app, respectively, the article presents and defines the concept of multisensory reading. This concept emphasizes the literary work's material and performative features, as well as the experienced reading situation. The authors explore how the digital literary interface changes reading situations and argue that new reading habits create a need to renegotiate what it means to read in a digital age. In particular, sensory aspects can be understood as integrally involved in what they term the digital reading condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to clarify issues related to the contemporary study of audiobook practices, in order to aid subsequent research on topics related to reading, digital audiobooks and streaming subscription services. Design/methodology/approach: Using the concept of remediation, this paper covers four messy issues for audiobook researchers, primarily by developing the concept of reading by listening and then exploring the different remediations of the audiobook, clarifying the audiobook as a book and exploring the context of streaming subscription services. Findings: Reading is here conceptualised according to the human sense used when making meaning from text, with reading by listening suggested for reading done with the help of the ears. Three different forms of remediation can be seen in subscription-based audiobooks, related to format, content and sense. Audiobooks simultaneously follow traditions of reading aloud, remediates the printed book and previous audiobook formats. It is suggested that the content is what makes an audiobook a book. The concepts library model and bookshop model are introduced to understand different audiobook subscription service models. Originality/value: This is a research area on the rise with several messy issues and the concepts and clarifications in this paper may benefit future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital Internet-distributed audiobooks are a surprising game changer in digital publishing. In recent years, audiobooks have moved from being a peripheral by-product of the printed book into the centre of digital publishing and reading, but are typically still ignored in publishing studies. This article raises the voice of the audiobook by giving it a privileged status in the current transformations of book publishing caused by digitization. We present an original model of the digital audiobook circuit, which is based on interviews and knowledge from the Danish market as part of a global industry, which makes it possible to reflect and adjust according to national variations. The model is framed by theoretical discussions of values and dynamics within the digital audiobook circuit in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With remediation of the printed book into audiobook subscription services, reading by listening is becoming a popular alternative to reading by seeing. This article explores when people read by listening and whether there may be a shift regarding the places and times people read by listening rather than by seeing. Based on a considerable dataset from a Swedish subscription service for digital books, this article reveals that audiobook reading takes place at somewhat different times than expected and that subscribers read significant amounts each day. The findings indicate that the remediation into reading by listening using digital audiobooks may close the gender gap common in reading, as the reading practices of men and women are very similar, with men even reading slightly more than women. The reading practices of young adults are also similar to the larger population. Furthermore, the concepts stationary reading, mobile reading and stationary/mobile reading are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a 'boom' in audiobook consumption, recent years have seen the emergence of born-audio literature: narratives written specifically for the audiobook format. The article focuses on the content and usage of born-audio serial narratives produced by the Swedish audiobook subscription service, Storytel. As these so-called Storytel Originals are produced specifically for the audiobook format, they make a good case for studying how the format influences the narrative content as well as the usage of literary texts. The serial publishing format becomes especially relevant within the subscription-based context because it, ideally, encourages users' long-term commitment to the story - and to the service. Accordingly, it becomes relevant to investigate how Storytel uses the serial narrative format to attract and maintain the users' attention. By combining literary analyses of selected Originals stories with quantitative analyses of statistical data on listening behaviour in relation to these series, we examine the connection between the narrative content of series in different genres and the users' loyalty towards the series. Thus, we focus on the following research questions: How does the born-audio serial format shape the narrative content and usage of the Originals series, and to what extent does it promote user loyalty?. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the vital role of school librarians in assisting library listeners and promoting the use of audiobook. It cites that audiobook listening has grown more slowly while the availability of audiobooks has increased dramatically over the past decade. It notes that school librarians can connect students, teachers, and their parents with audio-rich reading experiences by focusing on specific interests and needs.

In the last 12 years, the publishing industry has passed through both feared and welcome changes. The article describes the timing and degree to which these changes have been and are acting in different American regions and how those translate into profitable or potentially profitable enterprises in South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article notes which features are available in the player function of audiobook subscription service apps and highlights four reading practices afforded by these features and how these were used by young audiobook listeners, in order to identify affordances of the features. It highlights that several of the app features afford users more control over their interaction with the audiobook, compared with previous audiobook formats.

While it is hypothesized that providing instruction based on individuals' preferred learning styles improves learning (i.e., reading for visual learners and listening for auditory learners, also referred to as the meshing hypothesis), after a critical review of the literature Pashler, McDaniel, Rohrer, and Bjork (2008) concluded that this hypothesis lacks empirical evidence and subsequently described the experimental design needed to evaluate the meshing hypothesis. Following the design of Pashler et al., we empirically investigated the effect of learning style preference with college-educated adults, specifically as applied to (a) verbal comprehension aptitude (listening or reading) and (b) learning based on mode of instruction (digital audiobook or e-text). First, participants' auditory and visual learning style preferences were established based on a standardized adult learning style inventory. Participants were then given a verbal comprehension aptitude test in both oral and written forms. Results failed to show a statistically significant relationship between learning style preference (auditory, visual word) and learning aptitude (listening comprehension, reading comprehension). Second, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups that received the same instructional material from a nonfiction book, but each in a different instructional mode (digital audiobook, e-text), and then completed a written comprehension test immediately and after 2 weeks. Results demonstrated no statistically significant relationship between learning style preference (auditory, visual word) and instructional method (audiobook, e-text) for either immediate or delayed comprehension tests. Taken together, the results of our investigation failed to statistically support the meshing hypothesis either for verbal comprehension aptitude or learning based on mode of instruction (digital audiobook, e-text). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A reprint of the opinion "Ebook Legal Restrictions are Screwing Over Blind People" by Kyle Wiens, co-founder of California based internationally renowned online repair community and parts retailing company iFixit, which appeared on December 15, 2014, on "WIRED.com" is presented.