Week 7: Reading in Print and On Screen

As I have probably stated time and again, I am definitely not opposed to using e-readers or computers to read digital texts. When considering the blogging question this week, I was certain I knew what my answers would be and my reasons why. I had a busy week - and I'm fighting a cold that has been going strong for three weeks - hence why this post isn't going up until Friday morning. (Oops.) But giving myself a little time to think about the question, I realized my answer isn't as cut and dry as I thought. 

Reading in Print

I have been an avid reader since I was four years old. By the time I started kindergarten, I could read some basic kiddie books. My love, dependency, and ever-enduring need to keep occupied has remained for over twenty years. At one point, I had a book collection of over 500 print books. I move around a lot, and when I was moving from Ottawa to Toronto to start this program in 2014, I cut that number almost in half. Since then, I have bought even more books, adding to my 'Must Read' pile. (Graduate school has a habit of getting in the way of my reading.) Fiction and non-fiction books are generally what I purchase to read in print. I can immerse myself in a physical book more completely than an e-reader. Frequently, I'm caught off-guard when reading on campus when sometimes says hi or hear a commotion in the background.

In print, I also read textbooks, newspapers, and magazines. I also read my readings for class in print. I have tried to read them on the computer but I'm never particularly successful. Spending hours on the computer strains my already imperfect eyes, and the glare makes my eyes twitch and water. I've tried, but failed. Instead, I have taken to doing something that is exspensive, but works for me. I print out all of the articles I need for a particular class early in the year, put them in order of when we are scheduled to read them, and get them bound together. Since institutions are no longer permitted to create and distribute course packs, I've taken it upon myself to make my own. They're heavy. They're bulky. They take up room on my small desk. But it forces me to read them. They're already printed, and I paid an arm and a leg to print them off, so I may as well highlight and annotate them. 

Reading On Screen

At the beginning of the week when I was thinking about what I read on devices, I thought I had a lot of materials. But a scanning of what I read, and how often I pick up a device, I came to realize that I don't use my Kindle or other e-readers very often.

Right now, I tend to use my devices to buy books that are out of print, can't be found in stores, or are unavailable for ordering online. In addition, I also use my e-reader to buy the first book of a new series to get a taste for the story and the author. I've been burned too much in the past by buying a book series, and disliking the first book. Now, if there is a series that I'm interesting in trying, I just buy the first book and give that a try. Doing that has definitely saved me from buying several series that would have gone unread. 

As for school work, I generally tend to read and edit my assignments on my computer. I used to print them out, edit by hand, and make changes into the document. I went through a ton of ink and paper in my first year. However, I do not have a printer with me for this year, so if I want to print out a draft to edit, I need to do it on campus. I have done this several times, but I generally find it easier to directly edit and change my assignments on the computer.

Both in print and on screen, I don't annotate or highlight (unless it's in my course packs). It shouldn't matter what format the work comes, but I suppose it does. The experience between reading a print book and an e-book varies, despite the fact that the work most likely remains the same, but the format is presented differently.