Will Kindle Kill the Book ? eReader = Book RIP ?
Will Kindle Kill the Book ? ~ Will e-Readers Cause Printed Books to Expire ?
The advent of the book in electronic downloadable form happened a little while ago and responses to it varied from ‘the sky is falling in’ to ‘it’ll never take off’
So, how does it stand now it’s settled a bit ?
Books are very important, I love them, as a Book Dealer I’ve bought and sold them - as a reader and collector I’ve read, cherished and lusted after them.
I’ve pondered the question before Are Books a Thing of the Past but frighteningly that was nearly 4 years ago and was more about the idea of reading - this is more about the medium.
Here’s two very salient points I’ve read recently:
 Amazon now sell more Kindle Download e-books than they do hardbacks !For 100 hardback books sold by Amazon, 143 Kindle books have been bought 
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The next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary may never appear in book form ! A team of 80 lexicographers have been working for 21 years on this revised edition and the OED have said it may never actually be printed in book form
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That’s certainly food for thought for those who said ‘It’ll Never Take Off’
It’s also worth considering the point that e-Books are still relatively expensive, that is to say similarly priced as actual books. Obviously, using downloads as a delivery format offers the opportunity to massively reduce the price of books - so as the price comes down it’s reasonable to expect an even greater surge in their popularity.
I suppose it’s easy to have romantic attachments to books and all they engender - perhaps some of us look at them through Rose-Tinted Reading Glasses.
Possibly it is time to move on - few people send letters anymore yet we communicate more than ever thanks to the ease of technology.
Does it matter what format somebody uses ? Should we be encouraged about the Kindle sales figures from Amazon ? After all, if it say one thing for sure it say people are still reading !
I don’t see myself buying a Kindle or e-Reader, not because I’m a dinosaur or because I have a vested interest in books, but because I don’t want to look at a screen to relax. I often read in order to take a break from looking at this infernal thing !
I would say one thing though - I do believe non-fiction books will gradually die out !
They will become a specialist field, most people will simply look on the internet for the information they want - we are creating, despite the Problems and Pitfalls, a Wikipedia generation . . .
Interested in World War II ? Then here’s what happened on one page !
I could write considerably more on this but I am well aware of the word count most internet readers find acceptable 
Anyway I’ve had enough of staring at a screen - I’m off to read a book to relax !
What do you think ? Do you read ? Do you use Kindle or a e-Reader - does the book have a future as a physical thing ?
Are you Books or Bytes ?
Bibliographically yours
Rod
Amiguru said,
August 30, 2010 @ 2:06 pm
Rod,
It depends entirely on the point of view being taken, as to whether it is a good thing or not. If you are a second-hand book dealer or collector for aesthetic reasons, then obviously it is a bad thing. If you just want to use ‘books’ as an information or entertainment resource, then it might be considered a good thing as the books are certainly more portable, ( I should know, having recently lowered single-handed my entire Lincolnshire library out of the loft!); and they don’t deteriorate with time due to the ravages of varying humidity, insect attack, foxing and handling.
The case for real books is made by their being easier to read, easier to search and in some cases cherished objects both as objects of beauty and on a personal level, can have sentimental value. Something that is of importance to me in relation to old books is their smell! My favourite ’smelly old book’ is my copy of ‘Kings and Queens of England’ by Sir Richard Baker, 1696. Sniff that and you are THERE!
My Lincolnshire library in physical books consists of 106 volumes plus various periodicals pamphlets and other documents. My digital Lincolnshire library currently stands at 134 volumes to which can be added a further 174 which might be considered General English/British history books but which overlap to some degree as they contain material and references to Lincolnshire to varying extents.
Finally, just for the record, my current map library is approaching 650 of which 243 are of Lincolnshire.
One thing is for certain, there will always be room for physical books, until they wear out and then they will probably all be conserved in national libraries. As with most thing the bulk will have to move with ‘ ?progress? ‘.
Regards,
Neville the Bookworm
Rod said,
August 30, 2010 @ 5:47 pm
Neville,
interesting you mention “easier to search” I actually use downloaded versions of some books I physically have here because of the search facility.
The speed for example that I can search 4 or 5 entire books for something like ‘Helby’ is a massive bonus.
I think we’ll see non-fiction fade, other than autobographies of 19 year old celebrities and the like, fiction I hope and believe will still hang in there albeit less popular.
It will be interesting to see what a new generation of people think aboput collectable first editions in the future - that’s the area that really interests me personally.
You still can’t beat a nice book such as your 1696 vol
Cheers
Rod
Craig Knighton said,
August 30, 2010 @ 7:01 pm
I think eBook readers of one form or another (whether dedicated like the Kindle, or multi-purpose handhelds like the iPad) will replace the majority of hardback books. Hardbacks will become the special editions, probably all signed and limited, and therefore still collectable. Paperbacks will sell more digital editions and the publishers will push them more and more, simply because they cannot be shared or traded, so therefore the publisher maintains control of supply.
I think they’ll always be people who collect paper books, just as there are collectors of vinyl, simply because digital versions don’t have the same ambiance.
Rod said,
August 30, 2010 @ 7:12 pm
Craig,
some very interesting points there, I particularly like the one about not being able to share or pass the product on as you would a book - never thought of that aspect - that could be a huge money spinner for publishers.
That said how long before they’re pirated and available free ?
After all I remember the security protected DVDs for movi9ies and software that nobody would be able to copy
I’m sure some people will still maintain an interest Craig but I wonder whether that will be enough to sustain thinigs like local bookshops ?
Cheers
Rod
Amiguru said,
August 30, 2010 @ 8:07 pm
Rod,
Yes, perhaps I didn’t elaborate enough on that point. Searching for a single word is quick but looking for images or a topic, chapter-wise, and depending on the format, going to a page via the search box can be a bit erratic as sometimes the preface and introduction pages are included in the search.
In a physical book pages can be flicked through quite rapidly and the human brain is pretty good at narrowing a search to a specific. Swings and roundabouts really
Regards,
Neville
Rod said,
August 31, 2010 @ 8:44 am
Neville,
there’s also the point of how much else you see and learn when looking through a book.
When you search digitally you get to see only what you asked for, which by definition must mean it’s something you are already aware of - think how much ‘new stuff’ has been learnt just by flicking through the pages of a book !
Best
Rod
Beth said,
May 26, 2011 @ 1:02 am
Hi Rod,
I stumbled on your site after looking for a first edition Harry Potter on eBay. Very interesting reading and I learned a lot, thankfully before purchasing a “First Edition” reprint! So thank you.
I thought I’d ask this since it appears you are very familiar with books. My nephew is graduating high school next week and is enthralled with Beowulf (the Gummere translation) and Nordic mythology. He’s mentioned he’d like to start collecting the Eddas, beginning with the Poetic. He also mentioned he’d love a copy of Beowulf that has the old English on one side and the translation on the other. I did some google work but not sure the best Edda translation to buy and didn’t immediately find the duel translation option. Do you happen to know about these and could provide any suggestions as to where to purchase and which translations?
I appreciate your insight.
Rod said,
May 26, 2011 @ 7:30 am
Hi Beth,
pleased the article was of some use. I’m not familiar enough with specific Beowulf translations to offer advice on specifics I’m afraid.
Should you wish to buy or look at the options then try here
Regards
Rod
Beth said,
May 26, 2011 @ 5:00 pm
Thank you for the recommendation!