January 11, 2013

Is Print is Here to Stay?

Fact: I don't like coffee. I just like saying Coffee Clutch in my best and deepest New York accent. Considering I'm a New Yorker, I'm pretty freaking good at it. So I've got my tea and I hope you have your heated beverage of choice, because it's time to gab the day away.

The other month my mom and I got into this whole big argument about print books. She keeps saying e-books are going to replace print books entirely and the only time publishers will print books is on-demand. Either because I'm stubborn or stupid, I told her she was wrong but, since my mom's just as stubborn as I am, we both just left it. Then, the other day, my mom sends me a Wall Street Journal article entitled "Don't Burn Your Books - Print is Here to Stay".

The article lists statistics about e-books sales and reader preferences and discusses all this other vaguely interesting stuff. I would link you all to it, but I think you have to have a WSJ account to read it. If you have one of those, go search the title and give it a read. It's more reassuring than me telling you to be reassured.

Anyways, I think my point here is that this is GREAT NEWS FOR GABY.

It's not that I'm against e-books or anything. In theory, I think they're brilliant. I mean, a bunch of books on one device? That makes traveling WAY easier. I'm going abroad for 3 and a half months and my iPad is my salvation (I've found a couple $0.99 books AND my library has a wonderful e-book collection).

But even though I'll have my iPad, I'm still schlepping a couple of books with me on my travels. I couldn't image EVER EVER EVER going anywhere for even a couple week without a couple of print books with me. That's because my first love is the printed book. Holding the book, smelling the pages, preening over hard copies of the gorgeous covers... I'm a weirdo, I know it and I love myself for it.

I could spend hours writing an epic love poem to printed books. But I that's really what it comes down to: emotion. E-books really are INCREDIBLY practical (space, weight, cheaper...). It's so very hard for me to make an unemotional case for the printed book, but I don't think it's really necessary. After all, this isn't a court of law. Just a court of my preferences.

But this is a blog post, so that makes YOU GUYS the jury. Are the Wall Street Journal and I WRONG? Will the print book go the way of the dinosaurs? Or will hard copy adoration (ie OBSESSION) keep the printed word in business? Sound off in the comments below!

14 comments:

  1. I definitely think print books are here to stay. I like the portability of ebook, of course, but regular books are still a thousand times better. I can loan one to a friend without hardship. I can stare at the beautiful covers and run my fingers over embossed edges. I can read in weird positions without worrying that I might drop my device and break my Nook because I didn't get a warranty. There are so many advantages, I can't even list them all.

    I love my Nook, and it has its purposes. But it will never, ever replace real books for me.

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    1. I'm so glad I'm not alone on this one. I also love the embossed edges. I'm such a cover freak I can't even handle it. And yes, the whole dropping thing, that's a GOOD POINT. Electronics are so much more dangerous than books.

      Thanks for participating in the discussion, Sharon! :)

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  2. I think e-reading might eventually take over print reading, but not any time soon--not within my lifetime or anyone else's alive right now. I think the practicality of e-readers *might* win out in the end, especially since they don't take paper, cheaper to produce, etc., but the printed book has been around for a really, really, REALLY long time, and you can't get rid of something that's been around that long within a few years. It's not like it's just another transition from cassesette tapes to CDs to iPods--none of them had been around so long. Print books are so embedded in our culture that it would be almost impossible for ebooks to just overtake them so easily. I do love my kindle, and I buy quite a few books on there because they're cheaper, but I still love my paper copies, especially the ones that have sentimental value--the ones that were gift or that I keep going back to over and over again.

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    1. I can see why ebooks would win but I just don't waaaaaant them to. :(

      I'm such a whiny little kid. But I want my books to stay with me forever and ever.

      Thanks for stopping by, Stormy! :)

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  3. I don't think you're weird for loving print books, because I love them as much as you do. While I certainly think e-readers and e-books are mighty convenient, there is NOTHING that can replace the feeling of the weight of a book in your hands, actual pages to turn and the smell of new/old books! I think I would be sad if print books ever went out of fashion - they're still the "real" sort of books to me.

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    1. SO sad, right?! I don't even know what I would do. Actually I do: I would turn into one of those older people who don't care for technology. Oh well. I'd try to be endearing, not crazy, but it probably wouldn't work.

      Thanks for stopping by, Alexa :)

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  4. Well, I don't have an e-reader. Does that say enough? No, I do read books on all kinds of e-reader apps on my phone and I'm definitely considering buying an actual e-reader, but only because I don't really feel like carrying a 500 paged book with me wherever I go. But no matter who says print books are out of fashion, I will NEVER believe them. There's nothing like a printed book and I keep on building my library until there's no more books to build it with! :)

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    1. Not having an ereader really does say a lot! But yeah, you're definitely not alone in your dedication to print books. I think us bookish people will have to lead the charge of keeping print books around.

      Thanks for commenting! :)

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  5. I love print books too. Can't imagine not being able to hold one in my hands. Thanks for the post!

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    1. Glad I'm not alone on this one!

      Thanks for stopping by, Liza :)

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  6. I feel the same about print books as you do. I like to snuggle with them and sniff them and reading from a screen is just never quite as jolly. However, I do have the Kindle app on my laptop/phone, and I like getting books when they're free, and all the free classics, and read them when I'm stuck somewhere without a book. So yes, e-books are super convenient, but I will never choose to read them all the time, and I think there are a lot of people who will never go away from print.

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    1. I sure hope there are a lot of us who never stray from print! We have to lead the charge to keep the hardcovers around.

      Thanks for stopping by, Bahnree! :)

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  7. I think ebooks are here to stay, but so are printed books. You can't lend ebooks as easily, nor can you decorate your home with them. They each have their advantages, and I think there is room for them both.

    My Saturday Situation

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    1. I like the way you put that, Alexia. It shouldn't have to be one or the other, but a nice combination!

      Thanks for contributing to the discussion :)

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