With the surge of e-book marketing that took place in the early 2000s, it’s a wonder why paper books are still around. Past predictions of e-books sweeping paperbacks off the market were a source of fear and astonishment for book lovers worldwide. So, what happened? Why are e-book sales down in 2015, as print continues to live on?
E-books certainly have their advantages over print: they’re lightweight— you can fit a library of 100+ books onto a single device. They make reading more inconspicuous— if you want to read that new 50 Shades of Grey novel, Grey
, in public without people knowing, go for it, because with e-books, no one can see the cover. The act of buying books is much easier: rather than driving to the nearest Barnes and Noble, simply open up the digital store and download whatever it is you would like to read. Finally, e-books save paper and saving paper is better for the environment. Hurrah for e-books!
But, there are disadvantages that perhaps we didn’t think of at the beginning of the e-book craze. First off, the LCD screen makes it difficult to read an e-book in the sunlight— the glare is unbearable at times. Secondly, you can’t lend an e-book to a friend unless you want to give them your whole device or your e-book account information. Third, you have to worry about your e-reader losing battery life while you’re away from the charger. These problems might seem trivial, but what about the way we take in information? Studies have found that when students read either for work or pleasure, most found it easiest to concentrate while reading print. Visually tracking your progress through a book by turning the pages may help with recalling plot information.
When oral stories first made their way to print hundreds of years ago, early methods of writing them down varied greatly. Parchment and papyrus were two of the first mediums used to create books. Parchment, which is made from animal skin, was bound similarly to the way that we bind books today. Papyrus, which is created from the pith of the papyrus plant, was kept in scrolls. Papyrus was overtaken by parchment as time went on for a multitude of reasons: money, effort, etc. However, one reason parchment may have appealed to more readers is to the fact that it is easier to flip between pages to find a passage rather than search an entire scroll. Do we see some parallels here between papyrus and parchment with e-books and printed books? Scrolling vs flipping? Hmm…
What is a bookshelf compared to an e-book, anyway? A display of interests sitting right in the living room, a conversation starter for guests, something to organize, something to admire… When it comes down to it, there’s something about a well-stocked bookshelf that just completes a home, you know?
So while paper books may seem outdated and antiquated, they’re most likely here to stay.
