Amazon’s Audible is holding audiobooks for Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale and Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime hostage during the pandemic. They are among more than 40,000 audiobook titles that are unavailable to libraries and independent bookstores due to Amazon’s stranglehold.

Audiobooks are an essential accessible format for reading, both during the pandemic and beyond. Many libraries have had to close during COVID-19 lockdowns, offering only e-lending services. Even under ideal circumstances, the time and transportation requirements to visit a library in person can be inaccessible to low income people, and prohibitive for disabled people and people in rural communities.

Accessible books are an important part of the future of libraries and independent bookstores alike. We must not stand by and allow Amazon to restrict the flow of human knowledge and information to serve only those who can pay for or cut a deal with Audible.

Amazon’s hard line stance against libraries is starting to crack, but thus far they have made no moves to change their aggressive hoarding of audiobook titles, or their embargoes that hurt libraries and independent bookstores alike. Sign the petition to tell Amazon to treat audiobooks like paper books, and make them accessible to those most in need.

LETTER TEXT:

Amazon,

Enough is enough. I refuse to stand by and allow you to lock away the joy of reading accessible books for public library patrons. Libraries and independent bookstores are essential parts of my community, and you have already done enough damage to them.

Our demand is simple: sell your books to libraries. All of your books. It’s that simple. Accessible books should be treated the same as paper books. Let libraries buy them from you, and let independent booksellers sell them on your behalf.

Your past conduct has been damning, but the future is up to you.