Are Paper Books & Bookcases Obsolete?
Some of you may well remember the fascination of bookshelves in their childhood. Visiting someone’s house with bookshelves packed with books was quite an impressive experience. Being a child it is not important what books are there, but shelving tons of books was considered smart and important. However, no one is really sure where this weird concept originated from. Now you would not come across any such beliefs that bookshelves have become outdated. Literature holders or literature displays still seem to have their worth, but the masses are more into digital libraries.
In the mid-eighties, the idea of digital libraries was gaining popularity. These days E-books are known to be the solution to expensive and heavy paper books. Turning pages of an e-book is just like the real thing. Ecologists argue it is best for our planet as chopping down of trees can be minimized in this way whereas, there are still many who support the notion of paperbound books.
The idea of storing books in an e-book reader is delightful but one wonders whether you can permanently preserve the library in this format. So far, it does not seem to take much convincing to go for this switch. First of all, the question is how many people out there own a kindle or any e-book reader. And how many still are interested in developing their own digital libraries. Actually quite a few because many prefer paper books which are stored on their book shelves.
Here is why:
There is nothing like sitting on a sofa between your young kids with a picture book opened in your lap. It was a fun-filled reading experience which is not quite possible with a kindle. The same kind of art is unimaginable with an E-book reader.
Still the important part of the query is whether you would like to keep a library in the electronic format? Many people will agree that this does not seem to be a good idea. A kindle can be a good reading option for some mystery books but only once or twice. Maintaining a digital library seems out of the question here. More than the technical reasons, it all goes down to personal preferences just like a child can have his own choice to pick up as book.
Speaking of kids, they love to choose books by their covers. Often book covers so intrigues a child that he or she picks it up to examine or even buy it but it is not only kids who have this psyche. If you have some inviting books on your bookcase or coffee table, they are just waiting to be picked up.
The acceptance of E-book readers does not prove that the paperbound books are going to be extinct. True the idea of bookcases and big libraries is getting obsolete but this does not mean that they will be gone forever. There is virtually no replacement to paperbound books. Even today, some people like to brag about their libraries and do not like the idea of giving them up for digital libraries.
According to some readers, E-books can be supplements to their book collections but not complete replacements, whereas some readers are happy to give up their bookshelves for digital libraries.
"Are Paper Books & Bookcases Obsolete?", was submitted 02/3/2012 under category Opinion.
literature holders literature displays