LibriVox has come a long way since August 10, 2005 when Hugh McGuire recruited some friends to help him record an audiobook. From his first call for help through the one-year anniversary, LibriVox has welcomed 1939 people to the forums, cataloged 263 completed works in nine languages, and has over one hundred more recording projects underway.

LibriVox met the press more than 20 times in its first year, with articles and mentions in: Globe & Mail; USA Today; Sydney Morning Herald; BBC’s The World, Ouch, & In Touch; Wikinews; Red Hat Magazine; CBC Radio; NPR; Radio Canada; Command N; Digital Duo; The Writing Show; Wired.com; Chicago Sun-Times; Boing Boing, Australia Radio; playlist.mag & numerous other websites; plus it’s been featured twice by iTunes.

Here we celebrate this achievement and the international community of volunteer readers, listeners and administrators who’ve made LibriVox a resounding success.

Have a listen to our special Anniversary Podcast, which includes:

    Interview with Hugh (interviewed by Paula Berenstein);
    Commentary by Librivox Volunteers;
    Bloopers & Noises Reel;
    “Art and Heart” by Ella Wheeler Wilcox read by Betsie Bush;
    Sampler of LibriVox recordings;
    Birthday Wishes

You can listen to it, and see more detail here.

In addition, a special poetry collection was assembled to celebrate the first anniversary of the creation of LibriVox. LibriVox volunteers bring you 38 different recordings of Art and Heart, by Ella Wheeler Wilcox. This poem, originally suggested by Betsie Bush, was chosen for this special collection due to a general concensus that the message of the poem corresponds with the spirit of LibriVox.

The poem asserts that, “It is not art, but heart, that wins the wide world over.” And so it is with LibriVox: it is not only the books, the poetry, the literature that make LibriVox what it is; but it is also the people, the diversity of voices, and all of the different lives and experiences that affect the way a person reads a piece of text. The art is the foundation of LibriVox, but the many hearts behind it are the true essence and spirit of LibriVox.

You can listen to all 38 versions of this poem here.

Thanks to everyone who has volunteered their time, talent, voices and ears to LibriVox and an extra thanks to the folks who put together the Anniversary special: Hugh, MermaidMaddie, Starlite, Cloudmountain, johng, & a.r.dobbs and everyone who contributed to it.