Tuesday 1 March 2016
Week 7: Not a convert...yet
There are obvious benefits to e-books such as the use of less paper, the ability to readily have several books available through an e-reader, saved storage space, etc. but despite all of these benefits, I am still not entirely sold on the idea of e-books. When reading a novel for pleasure, I definitely prefer to read from a physical book. A physical book for the purpose of leisurely reading is more ideal for curling up in a blanket with a hot cup of tea; when reading for fun, I prefer to be disconnected from any sort of technology, which is why an e-reader is not the format of choice for me. Additionally, I tend to highlight my favorite verses/passages/sentences, etc. in physical novels I own, so when people borrow any of my novels they get see which parts of the writing I liked the most - something I wouldn't be able to do with an e-book.
That being said, there are of course instances when I read digital texts. I read digital texts often for academic purposes; journal articles tend to be shorter texts (usually under 20 pgs.) and since I read far more scholarly articles for school than I do novels, having physical copies of all of these readings is not cost-effective, nor is it an effective use of paper, ink, or storage space. Lastly, I usually don't revisit scholarly journals as much as I revisit novels, so I prefer to have a physical copy of a novel as I will most likely read the same book multiple times over a long period of time. I have probably read my favourite novel about ten times in the past two years. I also prefer to read the news online for the same reason because I don't revisit the same article over and over again over an extended period of time and because I read dozens of newspaper articles within a given day.
Maxwell mentions that the invention of the e-reader was based on market experiments rather than a demand for such a device (2013). However, I can definitely see how this "experiment" has led to market demands as e-readers are being used more widely - just take a look around when on the TTC, several people are reading from e-readers. As mentioned, I understand the benefits of e-readers, but I am not a covert just yet...but maybe sometime in the future?
References
Maxwell, John W. "E-Book Logic: We Can Do Better." Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada 51, no. 1 (2013): 29-47
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Natasha, I really appreciate your point about the importance of print books as objects that you personalize, and share, and come back to again over the years. I think there's something pretty special about that materiality. While you could add notes or 'highlight' passages of an e-book, it's not really the same as leaving distinct notes over time (in different pens, with a changing handwriting, etc). You saw my Jane Eyre scarf today - that book has enough significance for me that I own two copies of the book. They are part of a collection. Since the book is out of copyright, I could easily get a free e-book or read it online but there's something about having it on my bookshelf and being able to lend it to people and reread it that feels really meaningful.
ReplyDeleteHaha yes, exactly! LOVED YOUR SCARF!
DeleteI definitely agree with you about reading scholarly texts on-screen. At one point during my undergrad, I had a professor who could easily assign 150 pages of readings a week from various sources. I tried printing off the articles and book excerpts, but it was laughably inefficient, especially since I obsess about double-siding and wasting paper. Instead I did the readings on my laptop and took a few (hand-written) notes so I could keep track of all the main points. And that was the end of my weekly article-print-off parties.
ReplyDeleteI definitely take hand-written notes when I read off the screen but then I get into the vicious cycle of wanting to write every point down, which is unfortunate and also insanely time-consuming...
DeleteI also liked your point about personalizing physical books with notes and markings, particularly when it comes to sharing books with others. It's not something that came to my mind immediately when considering this question, but is something that I also enjoy when borrowing books from a friend - marginalia offers such an interesting glimpse into the mind and process of other readers!
ReplyDeleteMarginalia is ever better when you know the person who wrote it and can actively discuss it with them! My friends have borrowed so many of my books and then later on wanted to have a discussion with me about one of the notes I made. It is especially effective for having a deeper discussion about the text to gain a more holistic understanding.
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