Hear and Now: Connecting Outstanding Audiobooks to Library and Classroom Instruction‪.‬

HERE WE ABE, TWO LIBRARIANS, TWO FRIENDS, TWO ADVOCATES FOR AUDIOBOOKS--ONE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AND ONE PUBLIC LIBRARIAN WORKING TOGETHER, RELYING ON EACH OTHER'S EXPERTISE, AND DEVELOPING A STRONG PROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION. IN BEGINNING, WE WANT TO SHARE OUR EXPERIENCES WITH LISTENING TO AND USING AUDIOBOOKS IN LIBRARIES, IN CLASSROOMS, AND YES, WHILE TRAVELING. It was a middle school library reading group that brought us together. Middle school students are wonderful, both challenging and invigorating For librarians, and we worked with 11- to 14-year-olds (grades 6-8) during lunchtime, discussing new young adult books. Through the planning and meetings, a bond was created between us and with the students. The students learned that we enjoyed our time together, and it strengthened their belief's that libraries, whether school or public, support their learning and reading needs.