On June 30, Random House closed its deal to buy Listening Library Inc., the Old Greenwich, Conn., publisher of award-winning unabridged audio titles for children. Listening Library will become the children's audio imprint of the Random House Audio Publishing Group, subsuming titles from Random House's existing Bantam Doubleday Dell Young Listeners line. As of July 1, Listening Library president and publisher Tim Ditlow joined Random House as v-p and publisher of the Listening Library imprint, reporting to audio group president Jenny Frost.
The first list under the Listening Library imprint will be available in spring 2000, with plans to release 50-60 titles per year. A number of backlist titles from both Listening Library and BDD Audio's Young Listeners line will eventually be reissued. The Random House children's sales group will represent Listening Library audio titles to the trade.
Founded in 1955 by Ditlow's father, Anthony Ditlow, Listening Library was a pioneer in creating unabridged audio titles for the trade, adapting classic works by Edgar Allan P , Mark Twain and others. In 1986 Tim Ditlow took the helm and began significantly expanding the company's list, focusing primarily on children's literary titles.
The Listening Library catalogue lists more than 200 titles, including adaptations of several Newbery-winning novels. In addition, Listening Library will be releasing the highly anticipated audio version of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in September.
