This is so true but so sad. I buy the odd book online but nothing compares to driving to the book shop to browse and the pleasure of finding a really good book.
Print books face an uncertain future. Once all of us who grew up loving them—reveling in their intoxicating ink and paper smells, enjoying their textures, rejoicing in the feel of a book in our hands—are gone, will the next generations embrace them as well, or will print go down the same path as 78 RPM records? If the latter, I’m happy that I won’t be here to see it.
We lost Duthie’s. Family owned. Wonderful books. Their downtown location had a spiral staircase that took you to their basement and fiction stacks. And I mean STACKS! It was wonderful. So many paperbacks from everywhere in the world.
I think one of the last types of books to disappear will be Children’s Books, particularly the oversized “early reader” books with lots of pictures. Kindles and computers can’t replicate the experience of holding a three-year-old on your lap, reading aloud, pointing, and turning pages.
E-readers so far are insufficient for anything that’s more than simply the text; illustrations, charts, maps, and so on. Books per se may become a niche within the publishing industry, and the market will have to adapt, but I’m a bit more sanguine about their continued viability than are many others.
Project Gutenberg and my e-reader have finally given me a chance to find all of the Frank L. Baum Oz books. I could never find them at a bookstore or in a library. I would have loved to read them in paper but alas this is just not going to happen.
Mozza54 over 12 years ago
Even second hand bookshops are on the way out. You buy it all on line today
Maureen Crothall over 12 years ago
This is so true but so sad. I buy the odd book online but nothing compares to driving to the book shop to browse and the pleasure of finding a really good book.
Happy, happy, happy!!! Premium Member over 12 years ago
sometimes i think that the only thing keeping my local book store afloat is senior citizens and the coffee shop in it.
Linda Solomon over 12 years ago
I sometimes think that I am Amazons largest contributor to it’s bottom line. So many books, so little time…and NO I do not own nor want a kindle.
Goblinopolis over 12 years ago
Print books face an uncertain future. Once all of us who grew up loving them—reveling in their intoxicating ink and paper smells, enjoying their textures, rejoicing in the feel of a book in our hands—are gone, will the next generations embrace them as well, or will print go down the same path as 78 RPM records? If the latter, I’m happy that I won’t be here to see it.
Hunter7 over 12 years ago
We lost Duthie’s. Family owned. Wonderful books. Their downtown location had a spiral staircase that took you to their basement and fiction stacks. And I mean STACKS! It was wonderful. So many paperbacks from everywhere in the world.
fritzoid Premium Member over 12 years ago
I think one of the last types of books to disappear will be Children’s Books, particularly the oversized “early reader” books with lots of pictures. Kindles and computers can’t replicate the experience of holding a three-year-old on your lap, reading aloud, pointing, and turning pages.
E-readers so far are insufficient for anything that’s more than simply the text; illustrations, charts, maps, and so on. Books per se may become a niche within the publishing industry, and the market will have to adapt, but I’m a bit more sanguine about their continued viability than are many others.
ez173 over 12 years ago
Project Gutenberg and my e-reader have finally given me a chance to find all of the Frank L. Baum Oz books. I could never find them at a bookstore or in a library. I would have loved to read them in paper but alas this is just not going to happen.
LiviaBay over 12 years ago
The brave new world of Ebooks & their devices are only as good,if there’s power. Otherwise your out of luck…