I thought of this while reading comments a while back about Borders' recent downfall here in Australia. The company is currently under voluntary administration, not making many people happy. And I wondered if the sale of electronic books was a contributing factor.
(Another big contributing factor would be the accessibility of ordering books online at a cheaper cost - something which I have no problem with whatsoever. Borders are a rip off, anyway.)
Back to the idea of electronic books ...
I am simply not a fan. I love holding books, having them in my hands. I love the smell of new textbooks, the feel of old books, and having a colourful collection on my shelf.
I am not a fan of reading the scriptures on an iPhone, either. I much prefer holding the scriptures, seeing what I have written in the margins, being able to cross reference and colour code.
Isn't technology, while trying to make a buck, making more things impersonal?
and THAT is why I have taken the pledge ... the pledge to read the printed word ...
see?
you'll see the link on my blog. pledge yourself.
[discovered thanks to Ami-Lee and her new blog, dedicated to reading]
I completely agree with you and the funny thing is that I just had this discussion with my co-workers. They all have kindles and other reading devices and I told them I LOVE BOOKS the idea of books, the thought of books, the smell, the feel... just EVERYTHING about books! I Love books and therefor could never trade in REAL books for e-books.
ReplyDeleteI also love writing in my scriptures, cross referencing and seeing what I learned and when I learned it. Therefor I pledge to read the printed word :)
I also promised not to read ebooks, I love reading books ;)
ReplyDeleteI feel the same BUT I read so much that I can't afford that many and I end up with them all over the house, so I am in favour of the ebook AND people thought the video was the end of theatres and computers were going to be the end of paper but it is just using technology to your own advantage......I also looove audio books but I still will never be able to pass a book shop without having to have a look.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever tried a Kindle or e-reader? I wasn't sure how much I would like it until I tried my mom's two weeks ago. I absolutely love it! I probably can't afford one at the moment especially since I would want to buy MORE books rather than just popping round the library. However, I think they are great! I have loved having it while I nurse my baby in the early hours of the morning. I don't think I'd be able to read a printed book while nursing because it would be too tricky to hold and turn the pages- with the Kindle I can hold it and turn the page with just one hand. The other thing I love about it is I can change the font size, which makes it much more easy to read in the dim light!
ReplyDeleteI also happen to love having my scriptures (and manuals) on my ipod. At first I didn't like using them at church for fear that others would think I was actually playing games rather than following along in Sunday School. Now I don't care because I know I'm following along and the advantages for me have far outweighed any possible disadvantages. I use my ipod all the time when teaching my Sunday School lesson and it was easy for me to read it on the bus while commuting to work. I was able to highlight paragraphs and click the 'links' to the specified scriptures. It really helped me use my time more effectively. I also use it for my scripture study and can bookmark where I left off so it's easy to find again, I can have multiple windows open so it makes it easy to cross reference or flip back and forth between books in lessons etc. I realise it might not work for everyone, but for me it's great. Especially now with the baby as it means I can slip my ipod into the diaper bag and don't have to worry about a manual and so on.
Weird to comment on your blog (this is the only time I've read it so far...i'm not too creepy) but I just wanted to mention that while I do love to have and hold most paper books, I do love having my scrips and manuals on my iPhone. I used to forget to bring my scriptures and especially my manual (and Ensign on 4th Sunday) with me to church ALL the time, but now I have access to scriptures, all the manuals, and pretty much any ensign/conference ALL the time. I don't want paper books to die, but I do embrace the ease that ebooks bring to readers and anything that gets people interested in reading/literacy, even if it's Oprah or gimmicky electronics.
ReplyDeleteComing down on the other side of this issue, big time. I LOVE my Kindle! I LOVE books! One format does not exclude the other, but my Kindle certainly does make reading more convenient, especially when I am traveling. I downloaded six books before my trip to England and Anna-Liisa and I are both enjoying the library of 80 books (and counting) on my device, she while she is feeding her newborn. Not as easy to read a 'real' book while you are doing that!
ReplyDeleteHaving recently moved into a much smaller home, it has also become apparent to me that maintaining a large physical library is becoming something of a luxury. The cost of real estate precludes having the space for many, many book shelves and many, many books. Of course, there are books I can't part with, but my collection mentality is shifting.
As for the scriptures, I'm all for downsizing the bag I lug to church. Personal study might be a different matter, but there are advantages to having scriptures on electronic devices. Handy for reading on public transport, on airplanes AND in church, as well as for ease of carrying.
I am finding that format isn't as important to me as READING. Literature tops the list of my passions; I am an avid reader. The first time I truly got lost in a book on my Kindle I knew that format didn't matter. I WON'T take a pledge to read exclusively printed content and I sing the praises of e-readers every chance I get. I embrace any technology that makes books and other reading content accessible.
Roxann Rowberry
I PLEDGE! You won't see me snuggling on the couch with my children holding some electronic media device, we will be turning tatted pages together, pages that have been turned by a hundred hands before. We will stop and look and turn back again. Tactility is part of the pleasure, the rough or shiny smoothness of the page, the smell of the spine, the little notes in the corner.
ReplyDeletei'm with you there - just added it to my blog too.... thanks
ReplyDelete