Will e-book readers make your library obsolete?

TadW · 02-17-2009, 10:10 AM

Bloomberg columnist David Pauly is contemplating the potential effects the Kindle might have on the future of home libraries. And the future ain't looking good (if you ask David).

Quote:

When my wife and I made our house bigger several years ago, I pampered myself and reserved one of the new rooms for books. The library cost about as much as our new kitchen, so it was an indulgence.

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With the advent of digital books, I’m afraid people will start asking me why I don’t just download everything we have on our shelves onto the Kindle -- Amazon has 230,000 digital titles available -- and convert the library into another bedroom for the grandkids?

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It’s just a bit of progress I can do without. I’m convinced I can hear Johann Gutenberg rolling over in his grave.

So I started a new poll. Do you think an e-book reader might at one point replace your library at home (or perhaps did it already)? If yes, would you be worried?

lilac_jive · 02-17-2009, 10:11 AM

Hell no. Now I have more room to display my collectible books

GlennD · 02-17-2009, 10:16 AM

Gutenberg wanted to make knowledge and information available to the masses, not to make indulgent showcase libraries for the rich. I think he'd be thrilled with e-books, not rolling in his grave.

desertgrandma · 02-17-2009, 10:21 AM

How about

"NO, e-books and paper books can co-exist beautifully"?

That would be my vote. I don't get newsprint on my fingers, so I wasn't able to vote.

pitcher23 · 02-17-2009, 10:27 AM

I rarely read the same book twice unless it is a reference or "how to book". I would rather use the extra space for something else and keep my books on the storage medium of my choice.

AJ Starr · 02-17-2009, 10:36 AM

Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of a separate room for my books. They are stuck all over the house and basement. I started transferring my favorite, well read paperbacks to electronic books about a decade ago before "readers" were even thought of.

Finally, with the settling down of formats, though there are still too many, I've even bought a couple of ebooks. (Making sure I could convert them to my format of choice, of course.)

I just don't have room for any more paperbacks. I've even boxed up ones I don't want anymore to give away, but couldn't quite let them out of my house.

I LOVE BOOKS!

PhishStyx · 02-17-2009, 10:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

How about

"NO, e-books and paper books can co-exist beautifully"?

That would be my vote. I don't get newsprint on my fingers, so I wasn't able to vote.

I agree with you. I'm just fine having both e-books and my roomful of paper books, nor am I troubled with newsprint.

Paper and electronic formats are not mutually exclusive.

zerospinboson · 02-17-2009, 10:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by desertgrandma

How about

"NO, e-books and paper books can co-exist beautifully"?

That would be my vote. I don't get newsprint on my fingers, so I wasn't able to vote.

thirded.

I'll be happy to own a few duplicates, even (like my Everyman's [pevear&volokh] translations of Dostoevsky's works), or Don Quijote, even while owning most of my stuff in pdf/whatever format.

Daithi · 02-17-2009, 10:45 AM

Will e-readers make your library obsolete?
I'd say just the opposite. I now have a library of wonderful classics (thank you, Mobileread) that I would not have if it weren't for my ereader. Even at $2 a book from used bookstores, I was not going to a mass a library of classics. With my ereader it cost me nothing for these classics.

I can now carry a library (around 1,000 books) in the palm of my hand, and that same device has access to over a quarter of a million books. I couldn't be happier if my butt was a flashlight.

Note: library of paper books or digital books makes no difference to me (actually, with a couple of exceptions, I'd prefer digital).

Abelturd · 02-17-2009, 11:00 AM

Just think of all the trees we're saving in this way. Mother Earth has got to love MobileRead and ebooks as such. Haven't you noticed how your backyard garden is thriving? Now you know what to chalk it up to.

And YES, ebooks are the future and paper will shortly be the history.

halljames · 02-17-2009, 11:08 AM

In a very crampt house, 1 less bookcase will be a bonus.

Harry001 · 02-17-2009, 11:11 AM

I have to move around a lot and sometimes it's not a good climate for books (especially south-east asia). Since i live only three to four years in one country, i have most of my books in climate controlled storage in Germany. I don't like that, because also all my family-pictures are in storage, too.
I like reding with my e-readers, but i miss my good old books.
just my 2 ct.

take care
harry

pcmedic · 02-17-2009, 11:14 AM

I don't know if my ebook reader will ever completely replace books for me (although I may change my mind after mine arrives late this week), but the advance in technology is wonderful. For a few hundred bucks, almost anyone can have an entire library at their fingertips. Not to mention all the happy trees.

David S.

kenmark · 02-17-2009, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitcher23

I rarely read the same book twice unless it is a reference or "how to book". I would rather use the extra space for something else and keep my books on the storage medium of my choice.

Except when I'm broke.

Tattncat · 02-17-2009, 11:20 AM

No, conflict here. Just more books for me to read. I was running out of bookshelf room. Now, I have donated a lot of them to my local library. I am using the shelf space for mu collectable keepers.

View Poll Results: Will e-readers make your library obsolete?
Yes, happily so. It's called progress.	178	60.14%
Yes, unfortunately. The trend is unavoidable.	23	7.77%
No, I'd always miss getting newsprint on my fingers.	95	32.09%
Voters: 296. You may not vote on this poll

02-17-2009, 10:36 AM	#6
AJ Starr Guru Posts: 815 Karma: 1029784 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Nebraska, USA Device: PEZ, Color Libre, 2@Sony T1, Onyx i62HD	No room for a library Unfortunately, I don't have the luxury of a separate room for my books. They are stuck all over the house and basement. I started transferring my favorite, well read paperbacks to electronic books about a decade ago before "readers" were even thought of. Finally, with the settling down of formats, though there are still too many, I've even bought a couple of ebooks. (Making sure I could convert them to my format of choice, of course.) I just don't have room for any more paperbacks. I've even boxed up ones I don't want anymore to give away, but couldn't quite let them out of my house. I LOVE BOOKS!

02-17-2009, 10:45 AM	#9
Daithi Publishers are evil! Posts: 2,418 Karma: 36205264 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Rhode Island Device: Various Kindles	Will e-readers make your library obsolete? I'd say just the opposite. I now have a library of wonderful classics (thank you, Mobileread) that I would not have if it weren't for my ereader. Even at $2 a book from used bookstores, I was not going to a mass a library of classics. With my ereader it cost me nothing for these classics. I can now carry a library (around 1,000 books) in the palm of my hand, and that same device has access to over a quarter of a million books. I couldn't be happier if my butt was a flashlight. Note: library of paper books or digital books makes no difference to me (actually, with a couple of exceptions, I'd prefer digital). Last edited by Daithi; 02-17-2009 at 10:58 AM.

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02-17-2009, 10:11 AM	#2
lilac_jive Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,870 Karma: 27376 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Device: PRS-505	Hell no. Now I have more room to display my collectible books

02-17-2009, 10:16 AM	#3
GlennD Wizard Posts: 2,105 Karma: 17249026 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: The Pacific NW Device: sony PRS350, iPhone, iPad	Gutenberg wanted to make knowledge and information available to the masses, not to make indulgent showcase libraries for the rich. I think he'd be thrilled with e-books, not rolling in his grave.

02-17-2009, 10:21 AM	#4
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	How about "NO, e-books and paper books can co-exist beautifully"? That would be my vote. I don't get newsprint on my fingers, so I wasn't able to vote.

02-17-2009, 10:27 AM	#5
pitcher23 Zealot Posts: 138 Karma: 12 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New York USA	I rarely read the same book twice unless it is a reference or "how to book". I would rather use the extra space for something else and keep my books on the storage medium of my choice.

02-17-2009, 11:00 AM	#10
Abelturd Little Fuzzy Soldier Posts: 580 Karma: 5711 Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Nowhere in particular. Device: cybook gen3, htc hero, ipaq 214	Just think of all the trees we're saving in this way. Mother Earth has got to love MobileRead and ebooks as such. Haven't you noticed how your backyard garden is thriving? Now you know what to chalk it up to. And YES, ebooks are the future and paper will shortly be the history.

02-17-2009, 11:08 AM	#11
halljames Zealot Posts: 116 Karma: 463 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Newcastle, UK Device: Apple iPad	In a very crampt house, 1 less bookcase will be a bonus.

02-17-2009, 11:11 AM	#12
Harry001 Addict Posts: 208 Karma: 729 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New York City, USA Device: palmone lifedrive+sonyreader 505+NookColor+HPTouchpad \32GB+NookSimple	I have to move around a lot and sometimes it's not a good climate for books (especially south-east asia). Since i live only three to four years in one country, i have most of my books in climate controlled storage in Germany. I don't like that, because also all my family-pictures are in storage, too. I like reding with my e-readers, but i miss my good old books. just my 2 ct. take care harry

02-17-2009, 11:14 AM	#13
pcmedic Enthusiast Posts: 26 Karma: 10 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Sony 505	I don't know if my ebook reader will ever completely replace books for me (although I may change my mind after mine arrives late this week), but the advance in technology is wonderful. For a few hundred bucks, almost anyone can have an entire library at their fingertips. Not to mention all the happy trees. David S.

02-17-2009, 11:20 AM	#15
Tattncat Bookworm Posts: 673 Karma: 1029391 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Device: Nook Tablet, Samsung Galaxy Tab3, Sony PRS700, Sony PRS505	No, conflict here. Just more books for me to read. I was running out of bookshelf room. Now, I have donated a lot of them to my local library. I am using the shelf space for mu collectable keepers.

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