E-books in libraries: A positive or a negative?

There is a very popular website called LibraryThing that just opened an interesting discussion on the future of E-books in libraries. Here is that link:

www.librarything.com...

At this time, libraries are starting to confront cost increases, not cost decreases, in order to take advantages of that new technology. So, what's your take on how this will all play out?

I just returned from a trip to Berkeley, California, where there are a number of non-franchise, non-corporate small computer businesses offering used e-book readers. Pretty interesting market developing there. Have you seen any such services developing around where you live?

It is both, E-books are fine as long as they aren't all E-books, because what happens when the systems crash, power failure so on and so forth.... or someone just decides to delete them.... sure forensically you can recover it, but that's a SOB to do... IMO Hard Copies are a MUST also, a good hacker can re-write a PDF so I mean, would you really want to trust getting your information from an E-book, unless it was a completely secure terminal, with very restrictive user privelidges.....

I have to agree with clever. Books are great in digital format, but we NEED hardcopies. Like that thread a while back about the University that got rid of a 1/2million books or something? BAD IDEA.

But as to the technology itself? I think its great. I love reading and I've been wanting one for a while. Hubby and I just went on a 2 week honeymoon and I took 3 paperbacks. I would have loved to have had a few more books for variety, but didn't want to carry them. An ebook reader would have been fantastic.

I also think maybe having "cheaper" versions for our kids might be a good idea. Do you remember having to carry like 4 huge books - history, math, science, literature? It ruined my back. (But at the same time, I wouldn't trust ANY kid with a $500 ebook reader.)

Just my $0.02

reply to post by clever024


That's my opinion, too. I'm all for ebooks, due to cheaper costs and easier accessibility (at least in some cases), but hard copies are more reliable and a lot nicer to read. I think the market will have both for a long time to come.

I still prefer having hard copies myself, though, but particularly for rarer or out of print books, ebooks are far easier to get ahold of.

Until they come up with e-readers that are super cheap, fairly small, and with long battery life, there is a place for both I think.

Even after this, there are some of us who just like having the hard copy....

After all, when civilization bites it, I'd really hate for all of our knowledge to require batteries to access....

I just tried the Sony reader and, checked out the kindle yesterday. I have to say that the Sony one is easier to use, but amazon's kindle has something that I'd say gives me more appeal. It is white and so is the background, so it just looks more like a book, also, I found it to be easier on my eyes, in terms of font aesthetics, just nicer. The Sony e-reader was used by just clicking with your finger on the screen to select a title. There were ten titles on one reader! Anyways, the kindle did too. But the kindle had a built in 'keyboard' where you could type with your thumbs or fingers- if you have little fingers.

I noticed that an old guy at the library commented to me as I was browsing the digital stacks, that he wanted to get one of those for his wall street journal, so that he didn't have to wait at the end of his driveway at five in the morning to get his news. Ugg, some people just want the print, right, why download it to one of these at five am when you just get the paper copy.

A big "thank you" to all participants on this thread. And here is a link to today's update on e-book readers, the release of the Apple iPad:

www.pcmag.com...

reply to post by Uphill


Here is a link to a story posted 1 hour ago on a technology website, on today's Wall Street Journal announcement that Google Editions online bookstore will go live by the end of this month.

www.techieinsider.com...

If I can download books to my new netbook, I'd be interested in trying it out. Most of this month's online press reports about Google Editions is geared toward profit-oriented impacts, but since Google Editions is expected to be "open source" in its design, I should also be able to download e-books from my local libraries as well. That's cool.

Ok. I have a book coming out in the UK for world-wide release. When it was written...no thought was given to the fact it could be released JUST digitally...and maybe never come out in a physical form.

It is a rapidly changing format that will revitalize and change forever the way we all read. Im afraid someday, some child will ask "Mommy? Whats a BOOK?"

I think it serves a purpose and satisfies a niche. I hope that it does not become the norm though. I go to the library for books and reading is a way for me to get away from tech. (too much time on the computer gives me a headache anyway) but a good book can't be beat, I don't think.

reply to post by LadySkadi


I agree, reading on a device, as apposed to a real book, is a huge shift. What really concerns me about e-books is that, according to a recent group discussion I saw on LibraryThing website, the economics of e-books exclude public libraries...that is Not Good.

www.librarything.com...

That is the site to watch for significant discussions on this topic, because all the site moderators and the majority of users are professional library folk.

I can't stand this idea. I also do NOT support kindles and other things like it.

What are they gonna do when the power is out or there is no electricity? How are they gonna read their books then?? I think books are needed and can be passed down. How do you pass down something electronically? I love all my old books and the salutations inside from previous owners. It shows a history! I am a total book nut and I have already seen my local Barnes and Noble cut down on their book selection because of their stupid kindle reader. When they try and shove that in my face I tell them I hope they enjoy their job cause if they keep pushing those their job will be irrelevant and they will be unemployed!

We need books!!!

I don't mind ebooks when i can't find the actual book which is often in many cases esp with some of the subjects I read. I wanted this one book on hidden history and it was 400 bucks online but I found a PDF for free and just printed that out. If I could afford the 400 I would have bought it no problem. The only time I use ebooks is in situations where I can't find a book or it's priced too high.