Will the internet replace books? Not likely. I personally buy more books than ever now that I have access to Amazon.com.
I’ve always loved to browse in bookstores and libraries, but we live in a small town so our bookstore has a limited selection. And while our library is excellent for a town our size, it was a letdown from Cornell, which has one of the best university libraries in the country. When I was there I spent many a happy hour browsing the stacks, finding treasures I didn’t even know existed.
But I adjusted. Our library had a database called Books in Print which could be searched by topic. It didn’t give detailed descriptions of the books so I would generate a list of books on a topic and fill out requests for interlibrary loans. Weeks or months later I could look at the books, assuming one of the libraries in the system had it and was willing to lend it out. It was a tedious process, and presumably expensive for the library, but I was impressed that the libraries were willing to go to the trouble.
Then one day I asked for Books in Print and was told the library no longer subscribed to it. It was now hooked up to the internet and was using Amazon.com for information about books. That was how I discovered Amazon. 🙂
So now I spend many a happy hour browsing for books on Amazon as well as for information on the rest of the internet. If a book is expensive I sometimes still request an interlibrary loan so I can see for myself if it’s worth buying. But often I can get a new or used one for a reasonable price on Amazon and simply buy it. When I’m finished with it I give it to Friends of the Library. They sell it at their bookstore for a nominal price, which means I can share the books with other readers and also know I’m helping to give the library money for more items and services. It warms my heart to be a part of the book lovers’ community.
Will the new e-readers affect the sales of books? My guess is it will make them more accessible. Already some authors are publishing digitally instead of going through the discouraging business of trying to find a print publisher. In some cases the big publishing companies will buy the printing rights after the book has generated enough interest digitally. And some authors have realized that if they publish digitally they can reach more readers and make a bigger profit if they lower the selling price. That’s a new revolution that is just getting started, but it’s a healthy trend I think. Newsweek has just published an article on the subject.
What do you think? Do you think the internet will help or hurt book reading?
I think it helps. More sources to find books that are otherwise very difficult to find and more information about books that are readily available.
Where it hurts is taking time that might otherwise be used for reading books. Reading books was one of my favorite activities before I got online. For a long time after that, it was rare for me to pick up a book. In the last couple of years, though, I’ve been back to reading more and sometimes will even pick up a book before I sit down at the computer.
Mike,
What kind of books do you like to read?
Generally science fiction/fantasy, with some mystery novels.
I’ll read that article. (I’m behind in reading Newsweek.) But I learned a lot from reading your post.
Mike, my husband does both expensively. Computer & reading.
Jean, it seems to me that the answer to your question is mixed: I see plenty of kids playing games or doing Facebook and never touching a book.
When I was young, my father was a member of some book clubs so that there was a constant stream of new books showing up for his reading pile. Even though I read a lot, I still can’t compete with what my father did 50 years ago. I do much prefer choosing my own books out of a selection of all the world’s books, rather than having someone else do the choosing for me.
The other thing I fear is something like a compulsive shopper’s addiction, but to books!
I think that it will help. I think that both will survive very successfully. I would rather read a book than read it on the computer screen. Simply because I can sit more comfortably when reading a book. You must also factor in digital books into the equation.
Mike,
My husband likes science fiction/fantasy too. I always buy him some for Christmas and for his birthday. I notice that if I search for science fiction on Amazon it only finds books for kids/teens. I have to search for fantasy instead. When I mentioned it to Andy he says he thinks the market has changed…people don’t write adult science fiction anymore. Have you found this to be true?
bikehikebabe,
I’ve given up on “keeping up” with my reading. It’s hopeless so I read articles that grab my attention and recycle/toss the others. We get a lot of magazines and newsletters so there will be plenty more coming along.
Looney,
When I was growing up I knew plenty of kids who never read unless they were forced to. They just spend their non-reading time doing different things now.
Book-buying addiction. Amazon is doing its best to get us hooked. We have Amazon Prime (two-day free shipping) so between that and the instant access if you buy the Kindle version it takes will power not to buy. 🙂
Rummuser,
You must also factor in digital books into the equation.
I thought I covered that in the next-to-the-last paragraph. What more do you have in mind?
Actually, I’ve been doing a lot of going back to reading books and series that are on our bookshelves, or in tucked away in closets or in boxes. When I go into a bookstore, 80% of the time or more I leave without buying anything
Mike,
Do you have any favorite authors?
Sure, but a lot of them are no longer around. Off the top of my head, some of my favorites are: Heinlein, Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, Andre Norton, Mercedes Lackey, Elizabeth Moon, Ann McAffrey, Stephen King, Tolkien, Roger Zelazny, etc.
Mike,
The authors may not be around, but some of the books are still in print. Thanks to your input I bought a Heinlein and Zelazny today. Even if Andy has read them it will have been years ago by now. Thank you for the ideas.
I think both digital books and printed books will complement each other.
For reader they have an option whether want to seek it in a bookstore / library or on the internet. For those publishers also have an option whether to sell via internet or bookstore.
I think, what’s makes internet wonderful is the works of authors can be more easily found by readers. That’s the writer’s hope, their work looked and be read, no matter via digital or printed.
tikno,
Yes, I think it’s wonderful that authors can connect with readers instead of having to go through over-worked editors. And that if they’re successful publishers will flock to them. That warms my heart.
http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/
Jean, this is new buzz place for books…I know that it’s free delivery to NZ/Aussie but I don’t know about other places. I keep hearing from book-lovers that it’s a great place to buy books.
currently, my reading material is research for Uni assignments…sometimes I get carried away with chapters but mostly I don’t. Sometimes they are articles in Journals that I read fully because they are interesting but then somehow I don’t use them in my assignments!
most Summer recess…I have book titles that I saw when researching something else and I end up reading them then. I don’t know what this is on my agenda for this Summer though.
the University Book shop has it’s Big Annual Sale on right now…I am trying to keep away from the shop but I notice there is 60% of many of them! I might have to check it out next week 🙂 – they bring in lots of books from places!!
Cathy,
What a great link! Thank you. They say they have free shipping to the U.S., but I didn’t see anything I want right now. I do plan to try again soon.
What I meant was that the internet will not replace books whether in print form or digital form.