Baker and Taylor’s Axis 360 platform is embraced by hundreds of libraries in the US and their Android offerings are tremendously woeful. They rely on Acoustik, Blio and axisReader and Axis 360 to deliver e-books and audiobooks to schools and library patrons. Needless to say with so many apps in their arsenal it is creating massive fragmentation, users simply don’t know what apps to use and many of them receive little to no updates. This will all change this July when Baker and Taylor announced they are creating a unified Android app.
In a note to libraries, Baker and Taylor sent out an email early this afternoon that said “eBooks will download and open within the Axis 360 mobile app for an enhanced reading experience. In most cases, you can begin reading instantly! The Axis 360 mobile app is all you need! Our mobile app provides a single user experience for both eBooks and eAudiobooks! With hundreds of thousands of titles available from major publishers, as well as independent authors, Axis 360 is your single source for the eBook and eAudiobook titles your users will be looking for.
In the coming weeks, the Axis 360 team will provide all the resources necessary to navigate this change. Resources will include FAQs, online webinars, app training, legacy app retirement schedules and more to make the transition seamless. As part of our transition resources, we will offer colorful Web ads, posters, shelf-talkers and more to enable awareness for your patrons via our Axis 360 Marketing Support portal. You can simply download and use the assets as needed.”
Honestly, why didn’t B&T do this sooner? Leaning on 5 different apps for different segments of the library industry is totally crazy. I guess we will have to wait until early July to see if the new Axis 360 Mobile App is viable.
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.