Classic paper books - Time to retire?

[Azurablue]

As much as I can see the benefits to having an eReader device, such as amazing storage, I think they're a mistake. There have been horror stories about frozen, stolen, cancelled accounts ever since they first came on the market. They are just as susceptible to hackers as any other electronic device that's hooked up to the Internet. Just try and hack a book. Sure, you can't easily carry thirty or a hundred or more books with you... but why on Earth would you need to? Also, you only own the rights to read an electronic version of it. You don't own a copy and it can be taken away at any time by the provider. Can't do that with a book. (Yes, disasters like fire and flood can ruin your book. The same can be said for the eReader.)

 

As an aspiring novelist, I would like to be able to walk into a book store (or anywhere that sells books) and be able to pick up a copy of my book off the shelf. I could hold this little miracle of paper and ink in my hand and say "I wrote this". What about book signings? That will become a thing of the past. Imagine not being able to go to a meet and greet event for your favourite author and be able to have a first edition copy of a book signed personally. This is something that could be worth a lot to you, to your children or to theirs and so on. Just think how much a copy of the first edition of The Lord of the Rings signed by JRR Tolkein would be worth now? Sometimes, it's not the money, but the memories associated with it. There is nothing like the kind of experience you can have with a book. A Kindle just doesn't cut it. There is no personality in it, no soul. It's just another machine. A book, be it paperback or hardcover, has weight and depth. (It also doesn't need batteries.)

 

My opinion, of course. To those who can't live without your electronic devices, don't get me wrong. I would be lost without my laptop and game systems. Books, however, are special little portals to far off lands and alien worlds. (Except the boring ones. *hahaha*) To those who might be thinking of saving trees by not using paper to make books, think of what your little handhelds are doing to the earth. Do you have any idea what rare earth minerals are being squeezed out of the planet to make your gizmo? How much plastic is being made out of oil to make the case for it? Trees, when managed properly, are a renewable resource. Once you use up all the minerals and oil, it's gone forever. I'll take trees, thanks.

 

(Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I'm preaching or ranting. Just giving my two cents' worth. Oops... no pennies in Canada. It's now a nickel.) :)

[.Brianna.]

I'm on both sides of this debate for sure! I was an English major so I probably read more than most...

 

I agree with Angelo, there is definitely something to be said for grabbing a physical book and turning the pages, enjoying the smell, etc. The hubby got me a giant stack of books for my birthday this year :D I also love seeing books lined up on shelves. Future goal: have an awesome in-home library with at least one first edition :)

 

However, I love my Nook too. Because I read so much it is definitely convenient to download books and it's great to only take one item when traveling instead of loading half my suitcase with books haha.

[pixyperson]

For me physical books, there's just a feeling of accomplishment in getting through a book that's 3 inches thick that you can only get with the physical copy. It's like proof that you're doing something with your time.

[decchild]

Paper books hands down. A lot of the books that I read are thick history books that don't have e-copies since they're not mainstream enough or source books. Plus I like being able to make notes in them and write thoughts and reminders, like remembering to read another source book or check out a reference in another book. (Life of a grad student, lol.)

 

I just can't bring myself to get into e-books. I'll read them if I'm bored enough and don't have a physical copy on hand, but I've discovered I don't remember what happens if I read the e-book equivalent instead of the paper one. I'll use e-books for research guides, ie if I can't remember where I put a sticky note, I'll hit Ctrl+F to find something on a e-book and then go back into my physical copy to find my notes on the subject. But most of the time, I just love the feel of paper, and if I'm lucky enough and get access to old manuscripts, vellum and papyri!!!!

[Naamah D.]

I love regular books, but I do fear that they will become obsolete and will eventually all convert to Kindle or whatever. I just bought a book that's out of print according to Amazon. I've loved that book since I was in Middle School. Part of me wonders if electronic books would save good books from going out of print.

[Snowbell]

I think that paper books are immortal, but ebooks and storing books on tablets, ipads, etc. are more convient. I keep lots of classic books on paper and use my ipad for long and newer books.

[Shelley]

I'm a BIG reader so I've actually ran out of room on my shelves for real books, yet I continue to buy them. I really love flipping through the pages. And just like CD's I still buy them if they're by a favorite artist or they're really good. I do buy e-books and I love my kindle. I have mostly classic literature on it as well as some biographies and other non-fiction that I've read for class projects and papers.

 

e-books aren't that much cheaper...but I like that there's some for free (like a lot of the classics I have on my kindle)

 

I have an addiction to book sales as well...probably why my shelves are filled up! lol

[Lucid]

E-books are better for the environment, plus you can get some public domain ones for free, while paper ones cost money. I have a few e-books and a bookshelf full of paper. While the paper ones may not be phased out entirely, like CD's, e-books will become the favored platform. I dont really care for the feel of paper books, as e-books don't tear and stain. I also like that you can change font size in e-book, so really, I like e-books better, but will happly pick up a paper book, I really have no preference, and none will ruin the experience for me.

[WhiteWolf]

I love the feel of a book in my hands. I have nine shelves with almost every genre of book under the sun. I'm proud of my book collection. I have my favorite authors, and anxiously await their next book. It sounds like I'm not alone in that sentiment.

 

Who are your favorite authors? One of my faves is J. F. Lewis. The Void City novels are excellent.

[AJ11]

at the moment Im happy with my paper copy books

 

I can see how the kindles must be handy .. everything in one place etc but I move around a lot with my job and often my book is thrown in my car or left in public places

 

I cant put things in my pockets due to the nature of my job, so a kindle might get stolen, no one is going to break into my car to steal a paperback with a crumpled cover ...

 

if I go to the beech for a swim I can leave a book with my towel and not worry that it might get wet or stolen .. if it gets wet ..never mind its just an old paperback ... couldnt say that for a kindle

[tomeander]

I've been reading e-books on my laptop lately but I personally love paper books. I also love going to the library and those books are always free. Besides my laptop, I'm really lazy about charging electronics so I would not like charging e-readers. Aren't there some issues with lighting for some e-readers? I'm on my laptop a lot and I like to give my eyes a break from the bright screen. Also, it's easier to put a paper book down and get some sleep because you have to switch off the room light to stop reading (assuming an e-reader has backlight). Last but not least, you don't have to be as careful handling a paper book than an e-reader, especially if it falls on the ground.

 

I do love the convenience of searching the text in e-books though and the space you save on a bookshelf. Maybe in the future, e-readers can store all the books we want and still materialize in paper book form when we want them to. :)

[quisquose]

Classic paper books should never go extinct, but I suppose they will someday. Hopefully not until after my lifetime. I have an iPad and I read on it from time to time, but I still prefer the feel of having a book in my hands and seeing words on paper. Like others have mentioned, the negative thing about books is that they can take up too much space. So... that's why I have a library card. :) I will buy a book on occasion if I can't borrow it anywhere or if it has extra special meaning to me in terms of content and/or beauty.

[erato_]

I hope paper books will never stop being produced. I like to see my collections on my shelves, you can't do that with a kindle. And I just love the feel of paper, the smell of the ink and actually being able to turn the page.
Paper all the way.
This topic also reminds me of this video:

Yep. Paper ftw.

[blackberrypatch]

I love my paperbacks but they are getting quite old looking and I'm not particularly rough on my things. I don't like hardcover books for some reason. I do have an ereader but only for bedtime reading. I suppose my opinion is that there's a time and a place for both paper and electronic books.

[CookieGoo]

I think that e-books are more convenient but paper-backs are great. E-books are usually cheaper, they are easier to carry around (Would you rather carry around a bunch of giant books or would you rather carry a small tablet or phone?), and saving your page is easier. A paper-back can cost from $12 to $30, E-books are around $7. Though, there are many benefits to paper-backs. They add "decoration" to book shelves and tables without doing much. They are better for people whose eyes are sensitive to light. And, in my opinion, readers get more attached to paper-backs. They both have a place and neither should stop existing.

[neopets98]

I don't think books should ever be retired. Books never run out of battery

[slavecrown]

I prefer e-books, personally. I don't lose my place after I put it down, and if I finish my book while I'm waiting for an appointment I still have the rest of my library to choose from. I've seen a lot of concerns about backlight and charge problems, but I use my kindle quite a bit, and I only need to charge it for a few hours every month and a half, and maybe it's because mine is an older model, but it doesn't have a backlight (in fact, I think they only started including it with kindles instead of selling it as a separate accessory two years ago. I can't speak for other e-readers, though). Also, frankly it's really nice to not have to worry about not getting the book you paid for back from someone who decided to permanently borrow it, or have it come back with damages or reeking of smoke.

[TheOutsider]

To OP: With the way things are going now E-Books will not replace the real ones anytime soon. Paper books dont have accounts linked with them or personal information in them. They don't have any street value either. Paper books straight up can't be compromised . You are way more likely to get your E-Reader jacked or an account with your books hacked. Than somebody stealing your book (Unless said book is old and valuable those two things go together with books appearently) But that's just my take on it. I-Pads and Nooks don't go up in flames as easily either. But ya know....

 

Postscript: They also have sentimental value to people.

[tk421beth]

I'm old (almost 46!), and I do love "real" books. I guess I'm old school. But I do adore reading on the iPad as well. I read books and magazines on there (I use the iBooks and Kindle app, but I prefer the iBooks over Kindle, I have no idea why, LOL)...

 

I am more of a fan of paper books, since I can lend them out, give them away and most important...trade them into my favorite used bookstore in the Phoenix and Flagstaff area and get credit for more books! :)

 

i do find books on Amazon and my favorite used bookstore are sometimes cheaper than the iBook/Kindle books.

 

I travel a bit, and it is nice to read books/magazines on the iPad, and not have to carry them, especially traveling on a plane.

 

On the other hand...Nora Roberts has a new trilogy out (first book "Dark Witch" of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy), and that "real" book is just beautiful. Paper books should NOT END! MY 13 year old prefers paper books over his iPad Mini or Kindle. He's what you call 'retro' ;)

 

I LOVE BOOKS IN GENERAL, NO MATTER WHAT FORM, AS LONG AS I CAN READ ♥

[010_pipsy_010]

Personally, I don't really like electronic books. I like the feel and experience of reading a paper book. When I've finished with a book, I donate it to charity for someone else to read or to be recycled.

 

Also, as I'm currently studying Law, I use a lot of textbooks and I like the fact that I can make notes and highlight in my paper books, which is very hard, if not impossible to do on an electronic version (if an e-book is available at all).

[Venus0523]

I have you beat Beth, I'm 50 - LOL

 

I too like both types:

• Electronic because I can carry them anywhere and have so many
• Paper because I can share them with others - There have been several recently that both hubby and I wanted to read and we either had to buy them twice, get paper or pass over our electronic devices :(

[slavecrown]

 

• Paper because I can share them with others - There have been several recently that both hubby and I wanted to read and we either had to buy them twice, get paper or pass over our electronic devices :(

Yeah, this is a problem I ran into recently when my friend got a kindle. Unfortunately, you can't register a kindle to multiple accounts. I've only found one possible solution to this, but it's a little convoluted and I haven't had a chance to see if it even works yet. However, in my case it's still less of a problem than lending paper books because this particular friend is just terrible about misplacing the books that he's borrowed from me, to the point where there must be at least a dozen books of mine floating around in some crazy pocket of space that he apparently doesn't have access to. :rolleyes_anim: I've heard that the restriction isn't so bad with Nooks, but I don't know if that's true.

[teeniem55]

It's usually more convenient for me to carry around a paper book. I do have an iPad Air and it really doesn't leave my house all that much. I'm more concerned that it will be stolen than just a paper book. I have a few ebooks on the kindle app. I can also read on my iPhone, but it's too small. Where reading comes in handy on my iPad is when I'm in the car and it's night time. I can at least read in the dark. I love to check out books from the library, too. Guess I should go pay my fine. HAHA. Books will never go out of style in my opinion.

 

Plus nothing beats the smell of a new, fresh book.

[lizzyjane101]

I like the easy access of ebooks. Especially short stories and poetry and whatnot, however paper books will never ever go out. I'm a huge advocate for scientific advancements, but there is a difference between forward and backwards. The human body is designed for tactile interaction with our environment (I recently did a thesis on this very topic). Two secondary reasons are a) sentiment and b) health.

 

I went to the book launches for Harry Potter books 4-7. Some of them are signed by 'Dumbledore' and the sixth one I read ten times in a few months. Its spine has come off completely and I've been using it as a bookmark. My books have stories. I still have all the picture books from my childhood with a lifetime of chocolate smudges and tears where I've turned a page slightly too eagerly. You don't get that with ebooks.

 

As far as nigh time reading goes, the human brain is wired to perceive light in a certain way. We rely on darkness to keep time and screens mess with that. Being on a computer late at night is a completely different experience from reading a novel by the light of a bedside lamp. I have a rule that I don't go on my computer and expect to fall asleep straight away. When I've decided to 'go to bed', that obviously means the telly's switched off, so why should it not be the same for computer screens?

 

Books aren't archaic. They're necessary. Without them, our society would simply not function. It sounds somewhat melodramatic, but I honestly believe that if we no longer had books we would loose a vital part of what makes us human.

[twilight790]

I just love classic paper books because I get a feeling of accomplishment when I finally close it without a bookmark in it. I also love to see my progress. I also love CDS so that is similar because I love having a physical copy of something that I can keep forever.