By Penny P. Lee
Physical books are gradually being phased out in favor of ebooks,
which are downloaded onto and read from thin electronic tablets. While
it is great that people are reading at all, it is a shame that paper
books are no longer fashionable. Many people in the field of literature
are working to bring physical books to the forefront once again.
Tablets
have become popular because they appear to be convenient. People love
the idea of having a whole library that is accessible with the touch of a
finger. However, building this sort of library requires a significant
upfront cost. Tablets are not cheap. Electronic books are slightly less
expensive than physical ones, but one would have to buy hundreds of
ebooks before the money saved would fully absorb the initial cost of the
tablet. Savvy readers who buy physical books online often find books
that are cheaper than ebooks. One cannot make the switch to ebooks with
the goal of saving money.
Another problem with tablets is that
they break. Like smart phones, ebook tablets are notorious for having
screens that shatter easily. It is very common to see someone reading an
ebook around cracks in the tablet's screen. Some models have glossy
screens that create huge glares, disrupting the reading process, though
some companies have begun to use a matte finish on their screens.
Whatever minor inconveniences physical books were perceived to pose have
now been replaced with a whole new set of annoyances.
Academics
dislike ebooks for several reasons. First of all, one cannot highlight
phrases or write in an ebook. It is impossible to quickly flip to an
appendix or skip to footnotes. Tablets eliminate the fluidity of the
reading process as it has been taught up to this point. Turning pages
and feeling paper is part of the experience of reading a book. Everyone
knows what it is like to make creases in a book's spine for the first
time. A small sense of pride comes from having made it through a book
and left one's mark on it.
Books become heirlooms that are passed
down through generations. As new editions are published and different
cover art is printed, an old book increases in value. It also becomes an
object of curiosity. Old books have a certain mystique about them. It
is fascinating to look through a book that someone else has owned and
look for notations or drawings. These little messages from a book's past
owner contribute to a book's character. An ebook cannot be shared with
others in the same way.
It is unclear how ebooks will factor into
early childhood education. Children who use tablets are receiving a kind
of education that their parents did not, but they are missing out on
the tactile experience of turning a book's pages. Books for children are
manufactured to contain different textures and pop-up features that
cannot be mimicked in an ebook. Time will tell whether children suffer
for not having this particular experience.
The main argument
against ebooks is similar to the larger argument against people's
growing dependence on technology. A book is not something that can only
be enjoyed through an expensive electronic device. Some things should be
left in their purest forms, and a book is one of those things.
