ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 14 MI-Border.com-MP3s
ANN ARBOR, Mich., July 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Borders Audiobook
Downloads -- a new audiobook download service -- debuts today on Borders.com,
offering an initial 15,000 titles, including fiction and non-fiction
bestsellers, classics, self-help and children's books, among other categories.
Each week, hundreds of new titles will be added to the online catalog of
audiobook titles, augmenting the vast selection of audiobooks on CD that are
available in Borders stores and online. At launch, more than 5,000 of the
listed titles are available in MP3 format, a digital format that is
universally compatible with all MP3 players, including iPods. Leading digital
audiobook distributor OverDrive provides both the inventory and the underlying
technology for the new Borders.com service.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060208/BORDERSGRPLOGO )
To introduce the service, beginning tomorrow July 15 and continuing
through July 19, customers can download free of charge Jon Krakauer's "Into
the Wild" in MP3 format. In addition, the 15 popular titles listed below are
being offered at the discounted price of $9.95 through
July 22.
-- "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding
-- "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
-- "Beloved" by Toni Morrison
-- "The Logic of Life" by Tim Harford
-- "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
-- "The Martian Chronicles" by Ray Bradbury
-- "The Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" by Lisa See
-- "The Eight" by Katherine Neville
-- "Fortress of Solitude" by Jonathan Lethem
-- "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer (available free July 15 through July
19 and then for the promotional price of $9.95 until July 22)
-- "The Traveler" by John Twelve Hawks
-- "The Appeal" by John Grisham
-- "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams
-- "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
-- "The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream" by
Barack Obama
In addition to offering the new audiobook download service on Borders.com,
a similar service is available in Borders' new concept stores where the
audiobook download service is provided via self-serve computer stations within
specially designated Digital Centers in the stores. Borders will have 14
concept stores nationwide by the end of 2008 and has 10 of the new stores in
operation now.
"With the launch of Borders Audiobook Downloads on Borders.com, the
availability of the download service in our concept stores, and the option to
buy audiobooks on CD, we are giving customers what no other book retailer
does-the ability to enjoy this great form of entertainment in a variety of
formats including the universally compatible MP3 format," said Kevin Ertell,
senior vice president of e-business for Borders Group. "We look forward to
growing our audiobook catalog so that customers always have access to the best
selection of audiobooks available."
"Borders is redefining the retail experience for booklovers with their new
audiobook download service," said Steve Potash, president and CEO of
OverDrive. "We're proud to team with this industry leader to provide a cutting
edge service that allows anytime, anywhere access to thousands of bestselling
titles for use with iPods and other MP3 players."
About Borders Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., Borders Group, Inc. (NYSE: BGP), is a
leading retailer of books, music and movies with more than 28,000 employees.
Through its subsidiaries, the company operates more than 1,100 stores
primarily under the Borders(R) and Waldenbooks(R) brand names and recently
launched Borders.com for online shopping. For more information, visit
www.borders.com/aboutus .
SOURCE Borders Group
