This week I found an interesting artcile on integrating ebooks into libraries. This of course poses many challenges. How will the public respond to ebooks in the library? There are many hurdles that libraries will have to deal with. It would be interesting to find how many public libraries have integrated ebooks into their collections and how big their collections are. In my opinion, I would think most libraries would be opposed to ebooks. Please share your thoughts.
http://www.emeraldinsight.com.libezproxy2.syr.edu/10.1108/02640470510582790
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3 comments:
Hi Janine,
Reading the article posted about the implications of ebooks with respect to libraries, I too believe there will be resistance to this although the article states that ebooks have advantages over hard copies (price, durability, accessibility by the homebound, etc.). New technology, as the article indicates, now permits one to download ebooks to a mobile device and avoid being tied to a desktop. Considering the impact of technology on the culture of youth in our society, perhaps ebooks will promote higher literacy rates. Perhaps not. I think this technology and its impact on literacy will have to be closely studied in the coming years to determine its effectiveness in this area. For younger children, however, and those with reading difficulties, I hold to traditional reading materials. The tactile experience of holding a book, turning pages back and forth, sharing a story with one's parents/teachers and developing eye-hand coordination skills cannot be matched by ebooks.
Thank you Melody for your insightful comments. I agree that this technology will have to be closely watched to see which directions it goes in. I feel confident in saying that ebooks will never replace print books. Just based on all the research and our group's thoughts, there is a deep appreciate for actually being able to curl up with a good (print) book.
Janine,
It is clear from this article that ebooks still have a way to go. The issues with selection, circulation, the fact that there is no central repository for ebooks, among other things must be addressed if ebooks are to become commonplace in our society.
I took note of the places on the Internet where one can get free ebooks. I will look at them later, but I must admit that in an effort to get a feel for ebooks I tried to read that whole article online without printing it out as I usually would. I must say that I did not like it. But, I will try to read a book at one of these free sites--maybe I'll get the hang of it.
I saw that in the introduction the author made some monetary projections for ebooks in the marketplace. I wonder if ebooks have lived up to these projections? It seems unlikely, but I do not know how many are in use or how many people actually use them. That would be interesting to know now in 2007.
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