Some people may simply agree with this post's title without pause, others may be horrified at the idea but, in any case, it is a point worth discussing or libraries face missing the wave.
The article that made me consider this in more depth here:
http://feeds.paidcontent.org/~r/pcorg/~3/zCRaLaydHsI/
Amongst many interesting (but not personally verified yet) points is the question; "Did you know that the two most common ways people get books today is borrowing them from a friend or getting them from the library?" This is a US article but that idea certainly made me pause.
How may public libraries in WA offer books in digital form? We here at Gosnells have a small range of 'Playaways', which are,essentially, pre-packaged digital books but that seems half a solution, in my personal opinion.
I am sure I heard that there are libraries in Perth (or was it WA?) that can provide downloadable e-books but I'm not sure which libraries do, if any.
I appreciate that Amazon took forever to offer the Kindle in Australia but there are now a good number of e-book readers available and the iPad and a couple of the new tablet phones make fine readers themselves. If this is, as advertised, a burgeoning market, are we all prepared for it?
Personally, despite my tech-head leanings, I have never used an e-book but very recently a librarian friend of mine noted that his partner, who is also in the industry, recently said that she would now never consider giving up her Kindle to return to traditional paper-and-board books. Is that simply the first splash from an oncoming tsunami?
I generally love technology. You know I do. I mean, I would never go back to my old CD player now I have an iPod and a dock to play it in.
ReplyDeleteBut as we discussed today (at work), I also like an immersive experience. Now this is going to sound a tad lame and old-fashioned, heck, maybe even a little melodramatic, but I think a little part of me will die inside if (when?) paper books become obsolete.
I love the feel of a book in my hands, the weight of the words that someone has worked hard to share with me, the smell of the paper, even it's discolouration with age.
I can definitely see many benefits to digital books - the ability to download stories at the touch of a button, being able to make the text bigger or smaller, not having to carry around your own personal library in your handbag; and I can see myself acquiring one down the track (even if it's just to see what it's all about).
But personally, I am not quite ready for them yet, which is fine, because I don't think many public libraries are, either.
I have had an e-reader for a number of years. I also have an ipad with at least four different reader apps on it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read a book, I lose myself in the story, I lose sight of the words and the physical act of turning the pages as the story unfolds like a movie in my mind.
This *still happens* when I read ebooks!
I don't care about the pages or the smell because I literally block out the physical environment when immersed in the story.
I adore having to only pack one slimline pece of equipment instead of hefty paperbacks through the airport when visiting family in NSW. I also don't get "stuck" reading the books in my sister's bookcase because I've finished my own. I don't have to lament the local library being closed over the holidays when I need something new to read!
Sitting at the doctor's the other day, I couldn't concentrate on the novel I had open, so I clicked on an online bookstore, perused the freebie section and was reading something new in less than a minute.
Many libraries in Victoria and Queensland have ebooks available for their borrowers to download. At Swan we are investing this technology to start using in the next 12 months or so.
Ebooks are just another format, just like when we started stocking audio books and DVDs :)
First, I am not a reader of books but I am extremely interested in the technology and trends behind eBooks.
ReplyDeleteI am interested to know what distribution and content protection measures will be implemented when libraries adopt ebooks?
There will have to be a Digital Rights Management system which will delete or lock the ebook after a set period of time. I assume there will also be a limited number of licences available to loan per ebook. I can't imagine publishers would be happy if libraries were able to loan out more than a handful of copies to customers at the same time.
Either way, I agree with Info that eBooks are just another format. I believe that the format opens books up to the current and future generation of children who will be raised in a digital world.
The bigger impact I would like to see would be in schools and universites as a replacement to expensive textbooks. It really is technology which can open up education to a wider range of people who previously could not afford it.
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ReplyDeleteHey Andrew (and Gozzie Hoon)
ReplyDeleteYou might find this URL interesting - particularly Andrew who mentioned eBooks in schools and universities:
http://www.utsa.edu/today/2010/09/aetlibrary.html
After reading this article, I'm starting to like the idea of eBooks - especially if it means no more shelving! ;)