(NOTE: I apologize for the lateness of this post. I had technology problems all weekend that could not be resolved, so I had to wait until I could come to the library.)
The appeal of ebooks and audiobooks cannot be denied; our modern world’s demands on time and attention place strain on free time for recreational reading. Ebooks give people of all ages the ability to take thousands of books anywhere. Commuters can make traffic and public transportation more productive.
The appeal of ebooks and audiobooks cannot be denied; our modern world’s demands on time and attention place strain on free time for recreational reading. Ebooks give people of all ages the ability to take thousands of books anywhere. Commuters can make traffic and public transportation more productive.
However, the change in physical medium in books may reduce the value of the written word. The recording industry has seen the value of music decrease dramatically over the past decade. iTunes and the Play Store have allowed people to purchase songs they like on the go and be able to stream on nearly any device imaginable. As physical album sales have dwindled and been replaced by digital purchase of single songs, music has a smaller mindshare in popular culture. People now place less value on music, both economic and personal. As ebooks reduce in price to their printed counterpart and a new generation of authors is selling ebooks on Amazon for mere pennies, books may become less valuable to readers.
With the ability to change fonts, even the intended tone of books can change with the preferences of the reader. Serif fonts, like Times, give the reader a more classical print, placing an almost subconscious heft to words. Sans serif fonts, like Helvetica, are cleaner and are not common in printed books for adults. There are several books that use fonts to indicate a character’s tone, mindset, or internal voice vs. dialogue. And with the changing in line spacing, pagination may change with the preferences of the reader. As such, revelations and important occurrences that may take place at the beginning or end of a page may be tucked into the middle of a page as determined by the spacing, font type, and font size dictated by the reader. This can change a revelatory moment in a book into a minor moment that may be lost. Audiobooks can also change the impact and meaning of words. The moment the written word becomes the spoken word, whether the speaker is the author or not, readers become listeners and what was once imagined and interpreted is now disseminated from audio effects, tonal shifts, and music.
The appeals of ebooks are incredibly numerous. It provides readers even more relief in protecting the privacy of their readings as they do not have to be embarrassed by book jackets or book topics. This is one reason books like Fifty Shades of Grey became mega popular with the increased proliferation of ereaders and tablets. Along with Goodreads, reading has become even more social with Buy It Now features through Amazon. The appeal of audiobooks are also numerous. Through steaming options like Hoopla and Audible, audiobooks make sense in this era of streamable media through personal devices.
Ebooks and audiobooks are now part of the literary landscape whether we like it or not.
Personally, I will not replace my books with either option because I wholeheartedly value the books on my personal bookshelf and those in my library and I see my digital books as less valuable due to the space they take up in my home. But we can and should completely understand the multitude of reasons readers who enjoy the convenience of either format.
There is something about having the tangible page to turn that makes a book a physical part of a person. However, when I am desperate for something to read, the snow is blowing and it is REALLLY cold outside--I LOVE the benefit of ebooks out of the library with e-checkout from home.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the value of a personal physical book collection. I think people are always going to want to collect books that are somehow meaningful or important to them. I am finding that a lot of people, myself included, might read a book first in digital format, but then if it was a "good" book, they will go out to purchase a print copy to keep and/or share with others. In fact, that is one argument for publishers to reevaluate the role of the library in the book market. The digital formats are handy for people to sample and try things outside comfort zones, especially because people can borrow them so easily (once technological barriers are overcome), without even needing to walk into the library and lug stacks around, not to mention no concerns about late fees.
ReplyDeleteI agree that books are becoming, as music has in the past decade, undervalued as they have transferred into the digital age. For example, one of my friends can find almost any book or album that she wants and has not paid for either medium in many years. She has no problem with the fact that she lifts these items from the Internet and the author or the artists never see a dime. This has been especially devastating to the music industry and is beginning to have the same impact on authors. I am also not a fan or e-books, audiobooks, or digital music either. I still like to have a book in front of me and I also like to have a CD in front of me to enjoy an entire album rather than just a song. These mediums are not going away though and it is important to offer both options to patrons. I just hope that we will continue to have the option and that we will not be forced to go only digital one day.
ReplyDeleteI understand that the capability of changing fonts and size changes the pacing and reading of a book. I personally do not believe books are going away. I love collecting books and have them in every room of my house. A friend once stopped by, and seeing my stacks of books, said, you must be a librarian or something! But I enjoy an eBook now and then and pass my long drive to work much more quickly when I can listen to an audiobook.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post, sorry I didn't reply earlier. The idea of the digital decreasing the value of work is very real. I am still mourning the fade away of the music industry. There are many bands & writers that simply don't exist now, that would have before the digital revolution took off. Writers & musicians need to have some protection & compensation for their works; otherwise music & writing is a hobby, many of these artists are no doubt in a very different day job. Good writing & music is difficult to produce. I do everything I can to support my favorite writers & musicians by purchasing real copies of their work, I wish people would do the same. Many people with adequate means have adopted this free digital idea, without considering the bigger picture.
ReplyDelete