E books and audio books are not things that I have used so far but I can see this is going to change.
I have been aware of the Project Glutenberg site as my youngest son, (in his late 20's) enjoys reading many of the old classics on this site and has been talking about it for some time.
I enjoyed checking out the World e-Book Fair and found a few books to enjoy. I had always thought reading on the computer screen would not be pleasant but it was much easier than I had imagined.
Last week, Jennifer Byrnes conducted an interesting interview on ABC TV titled 'The Future of Books'. Although it was probably more about the future of reading in this digital age, rather than the future of books, there were some very interesting thoughts given. The observation was made that in 2009 3% of books sold in Australia were e books compared to 10% in 2010.
It was also suggested that the price of e books could determine their success. The history of books shows (according to the program) that when books become cheaper we get an explosion of of literacy and great literature. (eg printing press and the advent of paper back books).
I think there will always be a place for the beautiful feel of pages flicking through your fingers and the unique smell of a new book. To be able to linger on page and connect wth its contents is something only a real book can give.
However in this quick multi tasking world we now live in there seems to be a place for the audio book. On a long drive to work through traffic snarls and jams, the audio book is a wonderful way to soothe the self.
For those who are not fluent readers this is a fantastic way to access the written word.
As a teacher-librarian in a Primary School I pride myself on reading aloud well and bringing a book alive for the children. Oh, how often I have wished someone would read to me. Maybe this is my chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment