Appomattox Regional Library System discussion

One topic that has been on our mind recently is the eBook versus print issue.

He Says:
Chris: As a person who grew up with print books, I still have a marked preference for paper and ink. In fact, I have only read a couple of ebooks so far- both of them were advance copies that I could not yet access in paper. But as a librarian, I am also concerned with the long term issue of staying relevant to our community of readers, because I know how convenient ebooks can be. ARLS is wrestling with the problem of how to provide our readers access to ebooks without pulling too much $ out of our print budget lines- and so far the publishing world is just not cooperating with us! We hope that something will change to permit us to offer something with a broader book selection than our experiment with “Freading” currently does.

She Says:
Jen: I find that as a reader I am much more enthralled with eBooks than I am as a librarian. Libraries are not getting a very good deal with eBooks, as Chris suggested. But I do not worry that this will be our downfall. I love eBooks. Why? Because I love BOOKS. I don’t go so far as the repair shop down the street for a 15 minute oil change without them. Because of this need to have my books with me at all times, an eReader has become the vehicle of my reading salvation. Now I can take 100 books with me in less space than 1 print book takes up in my purse. eBooks and eReaders are a convenience. A format which allows us to take our most valued possessions with us wherever we go. Does this mean I’ve stopped buying print books? Heck no. Because I love books. I love the smell, the crisp new pages, the colors, the ability to lend them to my friends, to display them in my home on my brand new shiny bookshelves from Crate and Barrel, to organize them (and then reorganize them), and to buy them...thus supporting my favorite authors. eBooks cannot yet provide the same rich experience we get from print. This is why we don’t have to worry about libraries. Because even people who love eBooks...nay, especially people who love eBooks...started out loving BOOKS. I don’t believe that will change.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

My home is full of books. I also am fortunate enough to have an e-reader. I read books in both print and electronic format. I love the smell of books. E-readers are great, I'll give you that, for convenience with "lugging" around a large book and for easy access for getting contents for a recipe. If you come to my home, you will find that for every e-book I have, I most likely will have it in book form also. Electronics change, sometimes contents get erased, but your book is still here for you.

Some people I've talked to have said that ebooks don't really seem like a book in physical form. They perfer a physical book. Personally both are very convienent.

I like them both. I'm also listening to a book on Hoopla while typing this.

I love them both, I especially love ebooks when I am traveling because I can have several books at my fingertips.

I also have books and an ebook at home and read on both. My hope is that the new generation who was born in screens and touchscreens...will read more. I can see kids who do not like to read printed books, starting to read on an ebook because it's a touchscreen and that's what they like to use! I was also reading about a company who created, for middle schoolers and high schoolers, a program that they could use in class to read Shakespeare, that had pieces of plays that they could watch at the same time, to try to understand it better, and if it helps you read SHAKESPEARE, why not? and you can't do that with a book!!

I agree with Jen having an actual book is nice in addition most physican's waiting rooms don't always have good magazines to look at. With ebooks you can read them anywhere even on a long trip while traveling. Even better you have the ability to use the kindle App on a tablet. All you have to is sign in and you're able to read using the app as well. I love using the app on the Surface.

I love paperbacks and if a book is still out in hard back I will get it on my iPad instead. It also depends on price and if I have any iTunes gift cards! My kids still read paperbacks. I don't know what we would do without scholastic book flyers from school. It makes them excited to read a book. I love the smell of a library or book store.

When I`m reading a book for my personal entertainment I would prefer an eBook, but when I`m reading for educational purposes I like to use an actual print issue. I can better understand the material I am reading verse staring a screen that also allows me to access the Internet and get side-tracked from my work.

I personally love both. I love the feel and smell of a new printed book. Turning pages as you read is an enjoyment. However, there are times when an eBook comes in handy. Like at the beach, you don't have to worry about the wind turning your pages before your ready! You can add/store many eBooks on your tablet for your vacation. It's convenient to put in your purse, so when your in the waiting room at your doctor's office you have something to read. So, yes I love both hardcover and eBooks. I will always remain loyal to both.

I have enjoyed the print version for so long I am having a hard time getting use to the the e readers. Something about holding a real book and turning a page makes me feel like i am doing something and I don't have to make sure it is charged when the power goes out just pick it up. Instant Entertainment.

I just love to read so either format is fine by me. If I can't get to a physical book, I always have some books downloaded on my Kindle. As long as I can read something the format doesn't matter to me.

The problem with ebooks is that the price structure doesn't make them more attractive over print. I don't care how "convenient" it is to carry my entire library around with me in one handy little device. If I'm paying way more for a digital copy than the physical print book in some cases, then exactly what's the incentive for me to make the switch exclusively to ebooks? The other issue I've ran into with ebooks is the formatting is sometimes a bit of a mess. You would think that all the publisher has to do is scan the pages, condense them into epub form and voila, you have a digital book. However, I've learned that's apparently not the case and you end up with lots of formatting problems with the conversion which, again, doesn't endear me to the ebook movement.

Consider my age, being old fashion and I will stick with the regular format book instead of the ebook.

Kimberly wrote: "The problem with ebooks is that the price structure doesn't make them more attractive over print. I don't care how "convenient" it is to carry my entire library around with me in one handy little d..."

This is interesting, Kim...where do you generally buy eBooks? I have a Kindle so I'm getting mine through Amazon and I have to say that (in my experience at least) I have never paid more for an eBook than a print book. In fact, generally the eBook price is lower even than the paperback price, not to mention the hardbound which can be upwards of $25 or more. I would be interested in seeing what platform is selling eBooks for a higher cost than paperback or hardbound.

For me it really depends on what I am reading. If I am reading a novel I prefer an eBook it takes no space and my children can’t easily destroy it, seriously the new amazon fire can take a pounding. Nonfiction I prefer the feel of an actual book in my hands it keeps me focused on what I am reading and keeps me from being distracted. With photography and crafting books it really does change how you perceive it depending on the media. Print really makes the pictures pop and it’s much easier to look at a book while trying a new crafting technique vs staring at a screen.

I have recently started using eBooks and find that I enjoy them much more than I thought I would. I still like having a book in my hand when reading but I see that eBooks are being used by more and more people.

I find that I like the ebooks better. You don't have to worry about where the book you rented has been.

I was listening to NPR's Morning Edition and found this story very interesting since it applies to libraries and librarians.

The Technology Of Books Has Changed, But Bookstores Are Hanging In-http://www.npr.org/2015/05/28/4087870...

My personal preference would still be a printed book over an ebook because I'm not very good with the ebooks yet...and there's something about having a hard-back copy that an ebook doesn't have.

I love the feel of a book in my hands and the feeling of the paper when I turn the pages and the smell of a new book. But, also I have found that having e-books when I travel is more convenient.

I love printed books and read them mostly. But I do enjoy e-books when traveling as I can download more than one book on my kindle and not have to carry so many books with me.

I like the concept of ebooks, but there's just something about having to flip the next page (instead of swiping your finger across a screen).

I also had a bad experience in that I bought an ebook for my nook, read it, and then accidentally deleted it from my account. So I essentially paid $15 to check out a book. That wasn't fun.

I work in a school library and have seen the destruction of a beloved book. Not because it was vandalized it was read over and over by several people. We have to replace books every year because they are popular titles. If we were to replace the books with kindle or other device we could not afford them. We have over a thousand students and would not have enough money to replace or books with them. I love audio books and print the best. I guess that makes me old.

I prefer printed copies of books. Its hard to get comfortable with a phone or tablet. I've had way too many instances of laying down while reading on my galaxy tab and accidently dropping it on my face.