A Book Is a Book Even If It Is Electronic

Ebooks: Love them or hate them they are a technological development that is here to stay. So, it was somewhat surprising to see that a bookstore in Portland, Oregon is calling ebook readers “soulless faux-literary technology” and is offering to give out “good old fashioned books” in exchange for Kindles. The Microcosm store is offering between $139 to $189 worth of books for any Kindle that is handed over to them. They argue that ebook readers are fad technology that is killing print (but at the same time do not reveal if the Kindles will be donated, resold or trashed).

The argument that ebooks supplant printed books is simply preposterous. There is a market for both ebooks and their printed counterparts. To claim that ebooks are causing the downfall of print resources is just a knee-jerk reaction to something new, something different. New and different doesn’t mean inferior or superior.

Somewhere along the line (probably with the success of the Amazon’s Kindle and their announcement that ebooks are now outselling printed books), people started pitting ebooks and printed books against each other, which is really quite silly. The intellectual content is exactly the same, only the delivery method is different. And furthermore, each format has their pros and cons, and neither format has to be used exclusively by readers. According to a Newsweek poster published on August 10, 2010, only 15-percent of ebook reader owners will actually stop purchasing printed books.

Why not embrace all formats, hardcover, paperback, audiobooks and ebooks? Just like there is a reader for every book, there is a publishing format right for every situation. There are several factors to consider when selecting a book. First of all, due to digital rights management issues not all publishers and authors are releasing books in e-formats or audio formats, so you may simply be limited by availability. Second, what is the purpose for reading the material? School assignments, leisure, or research. Your intent and purpose for reading will greatly impact format selection. Third, what type of access do you need to the book? Do you need search capabilities for research, electronic notes or space to write notes within the margins, a tangible object for gift giving or a book signing, auditory features necessary to accommodate special needs, the option to lend, donate or the sell the book, or the convenience of carrying multiple books in one lightweight device? Lastly, what format brings you the most personal joy?

In some ways, having multiple formats of books is just like having multiple types of shoes, there are times and places when one type is better than other. There are other times when just about any type of shoe would work, but you are just in the mood for strappy heels instead of the platform sandals.

So just like there is no need to toss out your pumps in favor of flats only, there is no need to ignore printed books in favor of your new Kindle and Nook. But at the same time taking your Nook to bed makes you no less of a bibliophile than the reader who is snuggled up with a ratty old copy of Tale of Two Cities.

Embrace the content over the container.

Hey Amazon, Any Plans To Play Nice With Libraries?

If you are in the market for an e-book, do not have the disposable income and/or desire to purchase all your e-books and are an avid library user, I strongly advice against purchasing any version of Amazon’s Kindle. Although I am not a technology aficionado or an expert on e-books, I am librarian who frequently disappoints enthusiastic new Kindle owners when I tell them that they cannot download our library’s e-books. The general assumption from patrons both in-person and on message boards is that somehow library technology is behind the times and needs to catch up to modern day conveniences.

This is simply not the case: Libraries are not lagging. Amazon just does not play well with others. There are two reasons why e-books from major e-content distributors for libraries will not work with the Kindle.

1. Library loaned e-books are available as EPUB books, which are not compatible with the Kindle, but can be used on Sony Reader and the Barnes & Noble Nook.

2. The Kindle does not support the Digital Rights Management software that is produced by Overdrive (one of the most commonly used e-book distributors for libraries).

Both of these issues could be resolved if Amazon was willing to corporate with outside vendors, but at this point, Amazon has no plans to fix either issue. However, Amazon has made an announcement that they will not sue libraries for purchasing Kindles and Kindle books in order to lend them to their patrons. Amazon states that this violates their Terms of Service Agreement, but they will cut libraries a break. How generous of Amazon to not sue non-profit libraries that are paying full retail price for their products because they won’t allow library e-books to work on their products. Even Apple, the most proprietary company on the planet, allows some Overdrive and NetLibrary products to operate on their devices.

When it comes down to it, consumers have many choices and there plenty of e-book gurus out there that will happily break down every make and model of every eBook reader on market. A plethora of reviews and comparisons exist to tell you about design, content, screen size, resolution, product weight, battery life and memory. If you are in the market for eBook reader, check out those reviews to find the product that best serves your needs. But if are a library user who believes that you should be able to use your tax dollars to access both print and electronic resources, please select any of the fine e-book readers out there, other than Amazon’s Kindle.