Audible’s new personal library turns browsing into a listening experience

This month, New Yorkers looking for their next audiobook can browse the options in person. audible She created an auditorium and community center in lower Manhattan, which she calls “a library without books.” Instead of housing paperbacks and hardcovers, the three-story store is filled with tiles used to sample books, including 1984, Frankenstein, Hot Rivalry, and The Fourth Suite.

CNET attended a press preview of Audible’s Story House, which is now open to the public. Visitors can select a box representing an audiobook from a shelf and bring it into the station to listen to excerpts alone using headphones or with others in the kiosks.

Coordinated samples provide about 5 minutes of listening, and you can keep switching to new boxes. We’ve discovered Lena Dunham’s new memoir ‘Famesick’ and the newly adapted ‘Wuthering Heights’ with over 300 audio stories to choose from.

Audible’s Story House has six unique spaces, including an upstairs listening bar. You can tap a human “Story Tender” with a passion for audiobooks to help you get set up.

Downstairs, a Dolby Atmos lounge provides an immersive listening experience in a dark, shoe-free room. The Audible Story House also includes a café and highlight space, a feature in the Audible app that lets you do just that Read and listen to a book at the same time.

“For me, what was really important was having a real community space where people can connect and share the things they love,” James Finn, senior vice president of brand and content marketing at Audible, told CNET during the preview. “We’ll have panels, and we’ll have a lot of different fan-focused days.”

While some of the Audible Story House is coming Events and programming Already have waiting lists, Finn told CNET that visitors can still find activities to participate in. If you’re interested in the funky bookstore, you can check it out Wednesday through Sunday throughout May from 11am-7pm at 260 Bowery.