411: Audio-Go

Car-sharing companies, such as Chicago’s I-Go, by nature are fairly forward thinking. It makes sense, then, that Random House would ask I-GO to partner up for their new audiobook promotion. “What they wanted, initially, was if we could put something on our web site,” says I-GO representative Craig Keller. “I thought it could be a little more than that.” Now, I-GO is in the process of supplying all of their rental cars with sampler CDs filled with excerpts of Random House book releases. “The average trip is maybe a couple hours. Even within that short period of time they could be listening to an audiobook,” says Keller. Along with the sampler CDs, I-GO members will be able to download select Random House audiobooks for free and receive discounts on most other titles. To help jump-start the promotion, I-GO and local author Elizabeth Berg will be hosting an event at the Barnes & Noble at DePaul University on Wednesday, April 28 at 7:30pm. Berg will be reading from her newest release, “The Last Time I Saw You,” and members from I-GO will be on hand to talk about the promotion. “It’s going to be an ongoing thing, and I hope it develops,” says Keller. “It’s a different way to push reading.” (Peter Cavanaugh)