Jo's Views will be a series of short articles on any aspects of books, writing or language. Replies and arguments are always welcome jo@clitheroebooks.co.uk
THE FUTURE OF BOOKS
I think there is a place for ebooks (though I wish they didn’t have the word books in their description. They are not books but a means of reading texts). They are particularly useful for people who travel (including holidays - which may explain why most books downloaded are either free or could be classed as holiday reading) and for replacing large books (reference books and for people who have to refer to them at work - doctors, lawyers and so on). Ebooks allow more people to publish at a reasonable cost. Except that this is both good and bad. Good because it allows more people to be heard but bad because the world is already flooded with titles. Far too many are published: too many are of doubtful merit or duplicate titles and areas already covered and will be read by few.
But will they replace books? Not in my lifetime. Apart from the well known arguments in favour of books (the concept and the sensual aspects) there is research showing that reading from a book uses more parts of the brain that reading an ebook or on a computer. I am not sure why but this may explain other research which shows that people learn better when reading a book than when reading the same information in an electronic medium. University students in New York still apparently prefer books.
Books, for the hours of enjoyment they give, are still relatively cheap - though I do not like putting monetary value to aspects of life such as reading (or education or health) - are easily replaced, can be lent or even thrown.
Books have been part of us for nearly 500 years. They will not last another 500. They will, however, last longer than most people seem to think. The numbers of users may be smaller, the number of titles published in book form fewer but they will be here. And valued.
Jo Harding 9 June 2011