In my research paper I will explore impact of the e-book on how we view and perform reading. Within the past year alone we have seen the proliferation of different kinds of reading technology, from innovations to Amazon's Kindle to the Vook. Although an inveterate traditionalist myself, I will consider the advantages and the disadvantages to e-reading.
Some advantages that I will discuss include:
- price: e-books are often cheaper than the traditional books, sometimes half the price of traditional books
- accessibility: e-books offer increased accessibility not only to readers in the form of cheaper texts, but to writers; more writers can now get their works published
- accommodation: e-books, in offering texts whose font size can be manipulated to suite the reader's needs, can accommodate readers with visual impairments
- aesthetic expression/innovation: e-book technology such as the Vook allow writers to push the boundaries between text and imagery. Writers can also explore ways in which reading is a dynamic, interactive exercise.
- portability: e-readers are lighter than most traditional books, and e-books don't require any storage space at all besides the e-reader. Thus we bibliokleptics are saved from ourselves; no longer will our basements be crowded with mouldering books, are kitchens invaded by texts masquerading as cook books.
- Eye strain: Is it more detrimental to the reader's eyesight to pore over computer screens than it is to read a traditional text?
- Nostalgia: As I will demonstrate in my paper, many bibliophiles are not dazzled by the new technology. Give us the musty smell, the grainy paper, the creaking spine, over gigabytes any day.
- Decline in attention spans: Some critics of the Vook complain that they are destroying our attention spans? Is it possible to read Proust and Eliot on a form of technology that encourages constant breaks?
- Less environmentally friendly: Sure, traditional texts are not kind to trees, but paper is a renewable resource. We can use recycled paper, although that may not be the most financially viable option for publishers at this point. What is the future of recycling for e-readers?
- Impact on the reading community: If we read primarily e-books on e-readers, how will we lend books to friends? Will libraries remain? What will happen to the tradition of book drives and sales at libraries? Where will the lover of used books go to breathe the smell of dusty books?
