Paper vs. Digital

[Jennifer]

This recent article in the Wall Street Journal says that ebook use is on the rise:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001...

What do you think this means for bookstores and for libraries? Are you looking forward to the changes? What do you use now, and how do you like it?

[Jennifer]

In this podcast, http://www.atyourlibrary.org/evening-..., Neil Gaiman talks about a discussion he once had with the late, great Douglas Adams on this issue. Adams thought that paper books would never go away for the same reason that sharks are still around and still at the top of their food chain, even though they've been here since dinosaur times. Simply put, they are the best form for what they do. I tend to agree with Adams as far as pleasure reading goes, but think that textbooks and reference books are on their way out.
Of course, I'm still an all-paper girl, but that has more to do with lack of disposable income than it does with lack of interest.

[Jan]

I think the Kindle changed everything. I think it is a matter of time now until digital becomes the norm. Now I do mean a lot of time but a change is slowly coming. I am waiting on a cheaper reader that has fewer restrictions on it or at least some sort of library plan. I do covet a Kindle though.

[Allison]

I agree with Jan, I think that the ebook readers need to become more affordable and library friendly. I also covet these readers, but I don't want to have to pay ten bucks or more for every title I want to read. Especially if I am only going to read it once. I am a spoiled librarian that feels that if the ebook companies can make books that are universally available for all readers, their readership will skyrocket. Am I babbling?

[Danette]

I recently purchased a Nook and so far I think it is great--I can borrow ebooks from the library and they work fine on the Nook. I have only purchased two books and the lure for me is the instant gratification of having the book without waiting on a holds list to get the book I want to read NOW! I still also have a pile of "regular" books and I still probably read more from that pile than from the Nook. I think that paper books will always be around so I guess I agree with Douglas Adam; but I think Jan is right that we can see a gradual change in the formats people are using to read. No one ever said that audiobooks would be the demise of the paperback and I don't see digital formats taking over the reading world either. But they may become the norm. Avid readers are going to probably embrace all of the formats eventually. I do think that it may change library budget allocations and that we may see download stations in most libraries in the not too distant future.

[Jennifer]

Download stations would be awesome, for the public anyway. Maybe a hassle for staff... :-)

[Jan]

I would really like to have some sort of lending option from Amazon. I don't want to have to have to connect my reader to anything. The new reader that recently came out and is being sold by Borders does not have wireless download. It is a lot cheaper, but I want that wireless advantage.

[Jennifer]

A thought from Verlyn Klinkenborg in the NYTimes: "I already have a personal library. But most of the books I’ve ever read have come from lending libraries. Barnes & Noble has released an e-reader that allows short-term borrowing of some books. The entire impulse behind Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iBooks assumes that you cannot read a book unless you own it first — and only you can read it unless you want to pass on your device.

That goes against the social value of reading, the collective knowledge and collaborative discourse that comes from access to shared libraries. That is not a good thing for readers, authors, publishers or our culture."

[Jan]

I just think Amazon is marketing to book buyers. I always tell the folks I know who buy books regularly that they should look into it. I don't think it ever occurred to them to try to take customers away from libraries. You can share the book on, I think, up to five other devices that you register on your Kindle account. I do wish they would think about a lending option though because really, can you actually own these digital books if you can't sell them or print parts of them or anything?

[Jan]

New Kindle with just Wi-Fi for $139.00. I don't think I will be able to resist.

[Lisa]

I have a Sony, it reads PDF and epub formats which is great. I love not having a huge tower of books on my night side table and the library's website is super easy to use. Not sure what ebooks will mean for places like Barnes & Noble but I think digital is where it's headed. I'm curious how it affects authors.

[Danette]

My wonderful father just gave me an Ipad for my birthday and I am loving it so far. I can read my Barnes and Noble Nook purchases on it and it also has a Kindle app which is great. I am undecided about whether I like the e ink (Nook, Kindle,Sony etc) or the back lit Ipad better for reading. The Ipad would be perfect if only I could read Library ebooks on it. Sigh...

[Jan]

I bought a netbook and I have the Kindle app on it as well as being able to load books from the library. When I get my Kindle, I will be able to read those book on the netbook or the Kindle.

[Lahni]

Danette wrote: "My wonderful father just gave me an Ipad for my birthday and I am loving it so far. I can read my Barnes and Noble Nook purchases on it and it also has a Kindle app which is great. I am undecided a..."

I thought you could read Library ebooks on the ipad with the nook (Barnes and Noble) app. Maybe I'm wrong?

[Danette]

Lahni wrote: "Danette wrote: "My wonderful father just gave me an Ipad for my birthday and I am loving it so far. I can read my Barnes and Noble Nook purchases on it and it also has a Kindle app which is great. ..."

I haven't found a way. The Nook app only shows the books purchased--not the documents, PDF files etc which is where the library e-books show up on my Nook. Maybe I need to investigate further.

[Lahni]

Danette said:
I haven't found a way. The Nook app only shows the books purchased--not the documents, PDF files etc which is where the library e-books show up on my Nook. Maybe I need to investigate further.

Maybe you need the actual nook for that. I surely don't know. Just trying to help. I know there are other ereader apps, ereader, stanza, etc. Maybe one of them would work for you.