June is Audiobook Appreciation Month—a perfect excuse to hit play, pop in your earbuds and celebrate one of the most flexible, accessible formats for storytelling and learning. Whether you’re already a daily listener or just audiobook-curious, this month is all about recognizing how powerful (and underrated) audiobooks really are.
Is Listening Considered “Reading”?
Is listening to a book really reading? Of course it is! The basic concept of an audiobook likely emerged at the same time as the first recording. The National Museum of American History notes that Thomas Edison recited a nursery rhyme in his first recording on the phonograph he invented in 1877 — creating the first ever spoken-word audio. In fact, “Spoken Word” is the GRAMMY awards category that now includes audiobooks.
Audiobooks used to be treated like a niche format: something for long road trips or people who “didn’t really like reading.” That’s changed dramatically. Today, audiobooks are:
• A booming part of the publishing industry
• A lifeline for people with visual impairments, dyslexia or other print disabilities
• A favorite medium for multitaskers who want books in their lives but don’t always have time to sit and read
Ways to Celebrate Audiobook Appreciation Month
Here are a few simple ideas:
• Try one new audiobook this month in a genre you don’t usually read.
• Revisit a favorite book in audio form and see how the experience changes.
• Start an “audio-only” TBR list for titles you specifically want to listen to rather than read.
• Join a friend in a “buddy listen”—you both listen and discuss as you go.
• Explore Fairfax County Public Library’s 27,000+ digital offerings on Libby.
Audiobook Appreciation Month is ultimately about broadening what we think of as “real reading.” Whether your eyes are on a page or a screen, or your ears are tuned to a narrator, you’re engaging with ideas, stories, language and imagination. That’s what reading is. So this June, give yourself permission to press play without guilt. Let a voice carry you into a story, teach you something new or keep you company while you go about your day.
Need Help Picking Out Your Next Audiobook?
FCPL's friendly staff are always willing to help! Stop by your local library or connect with a My Perfect Read advisor.