Comments on: Electronic readers offer exciting possibilites for future

By: John Heintz

John Heintz — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:14:01 +0000

This is largely a generational thing. Younger folks in general will be more receptive to and appreciative of this option. But it doesn’t have to be an either/or proposition. In their private purchases, folks will have the option to obtain printed books for the foreseeable future. those that want to try Kindles can, and the electronic viewing capabilities & user experience is only going to improve over time. The Libraries aren’t going to exclusively purchase electronic content, even though vendor options, usage, and cost effectiveness all indicate that larger portions of the content we provide access to will be electronic.

By: Michael Blissenbach

Michael Blissenbach — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:21:58 +0000

Very well put, Maddie, and I completely agree

By: Maddie Coulter

Maddie Coulter — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:04:21 +0000

It’s a bit naive to say that the only thing going for paper books is the “feel of the pages” etc. An electronic reader poses different problems; the way web pages and the internet are designed now is to divert our attention from one thing to the other to the other, the goal being that we will surf for longer and hit more sites. (Moving advertisements, etc.) This has created a culture of online reading being only that of short, digestible pieces; it has lowered attention spans on the screen and discourages reading deeply and slowly. This is the difference between electronic readers and books–the Kindle is similar enough to a computer screen that it too encourages short attention span and skittish reading. It takes focus and concentration to withstand the stillness and silence of a traditional book–the inky smell can be there or not, for all I care.

By: Rick Hendrickson

Rick Hendrickson — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:43:21 +0000

I have a couple of questions:
Can you share an e-book with a friend who has an e-reader like you can a paperback or hardcover? Is there a restriction on how long you can keep the e-book on your reader? What if you fill up your reader and want to ‘archive’ a book?

As for textbooks, you can already ‘purchase’ a digital version of many of them. They come with restrictions, of course. You can only print so many pages and you aren’t allowed to copy and paste text. It appears digital rights management trumps ease of use for research or paper writing. And don’t expect the price to be ‘cheaper’ as the objective of publishers is to maximize profits. E-material makes it more cost efficient to keep content updated and reduces printing costs but don’t expect those savings to be passed along.

Publishers would like to do just what the RIAA wants to do, each reader (listener) pays for each use (time they listen to a song.)

By: Michael Blissenbach

Michael Blissenbach — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:07:50 +0000

I vehemently disagree with Ms. Broadwell. It is impossible to snuggle up with an electronic reader by the fire, and turning the page with a key on a screen is not even close to the feel of the paper between your hands as you turn the page of a book. Moreover, staring at a screen for hours on end can ruin your eyes and causes headaches.
E-Books and their readers will never replace books. Electronic gadgets break down easily and, due to planned obselence, frequently must be replaced, whereas books can last for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
I used to work for the OSF Library, and we have books there that are over one hundred years old. I highly doubt that an e-book reader can last that long.
I have no problem with legitimate technological improvements, but I don’t see anything progressive about e-books and I pods and social networking sites. As a child I used to run around outside and use my imagination and make up games with my younger siblings. I spent hours reading novels and got sucked into the stories I read. All this electronic stuff is adding to the obesity crisis and destroying the imaginations and childhoods of many people worldwide. Other than the internet, I don’t see why all this electronic stuff is better than what we had before.