Print and eBooks Co-exist

Picture from wikiHow.com 

I opened up the newspaper this morning only to find that there was a very relevant article about books.  It looks like printed, paper, dead-tree books are not going anywhere despite the existence of ebooks available on every phone and tablet.

The article from the New York Times Media desk is "No, the Internet Has Not Killed the Print Book. Most People Still Prefer Them." by Daniel Victor.

None of this news is surprising to me because as a librarian for children I see a big future for printed material.  There is nothing quite like sitting down with an oversize picture book spread across your lap and immersing yourself in a story told through pictures and words.  I don't mind an ebook and I am more than grateful to have a few with me at all times thanks to the fact that my phone is with me at all times, but when I am sharing a book with a child I still want that printed paper experience in full color, in a variety of sizes that we can touch and turn and examine carefully together.

Picture from paintermommy.com "How to Spark a Child's Interest in Reading"

I have ebooks in the library.  Ebooks certainly have their place.  Which is exactly what the study by the Pew Research Center that this article was based on found out.  Ebooks have features print books will never have - like allowing you to easily search the text when the index fails you.  The thing is, printed books also have features that ebooks will never have and it is those seemingly simple, analog aspects of printed books that makes them an essential part of every reader's life.

Read On!
-Ms. J.