Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Audio Book Store Finds Earful of Readers

SANTA CLARITA —  You can practically hear Jeffrey Hollis’ bookstore growing.

Best-sellers and nonfiction are in the front of the store. A booming horror section, westerns, intermittent romances and science fiction dominated by “Star Trek” tales fill the shelves. Self-help, motivational and management subjects are on the second-floor loft.

Nearly 1,500 titles in all, with plans by Hollis to double that number, and not a single hardcover or paperback book in the building.

The bookstore that opened last month west of Santa Clarita is devoted entirely to the sale and rental of audio books, a reflection of their rising popularity nationwide.

“It’s the new wheel,” said Jim Brannigan, president of the Audio Publishers Assn., which includes 70 suppliers and retailers nationwide. “I think the people are finding the experience enjoyable. More important, they are finding the format” accessible.

There are about 100 stores nationwide that, like Whitfield Audiobooks opened by Hollis, sell only books on tape, said Brannigan. He said it is difficult to get an exact count because more open daily.

“Everybody’s lives are busy these days. There’s less leisure time,” said Paula Allen, merchandise manager for B. Dalton Books.

Audio books have been the fastest growing product for the nationwide chain in the 1990s, according to Paula Allen, B. Dalton Book’s merchandise manager.

“It’s a hot category and it has been for the last few years,” Allen said.

Five years ago, B. Dalton stores carried 400 to 500 audio titles. Now, 800 to 1,100 of a standard store’s 17,000 to 22,000 titles are books on tape. The much larger super stores carry 100,000 titles, with 1,100 to 1,800 books on tape.

Audio books hit stores during the 1980s and interest blossomed among commuters.

“You’d be surprised. I have everybody (as customers),” said Hollis, an Acton resident who decided to open his store west of Santa Clarita because of its proximity to the Golden State Freeway and the city’s high-income residents.

Recording quality has improved in recent years and celebrities are more apt to become involved--from ensemble casts performing “The Godfather” on tape to Leonard Nimoy and James Doohan narrating “Star Trek” adventures.

“Virtually everything is being put on audio by someone now,” Brannigan said.

Hollis believes that the accessibility of books on tape also helps.

“It isn’t an ordeal to get through a book,” Hollis said, noting his most popular seller is Stephen Hawking’s “A Brief History Of Time.” For many, the combination of science fact and science fiction is easier to listen to than read.

The popularity of audio books is expected to continue its sharp rise for the next few years.

“If I want something literary, I’m going to go home and read a book,” said Hollis. “This isn’t for that. What this does is allow me to double my time.”