elegantlion Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Check this out. A prep school is getting rid of their books in exchange for a virtual library. I'm all for new technology but this feels wrong on so many levels. We're reading Fahrenheit 451 right now and I'm feeling very protective of well loved books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twinmom Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 How sad. Nothing can replace real books, IMO. I'm all for new technology as well, but to do away with books seems drastic and unnecessary. I can think of several problems this would create, without even delving into the issue too deeply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoPlaceLikeHome Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 How terrible. I can see adding a kindle library to their existing library. However, to get rid of 20,000 books is inexcusable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Wonder how I could get in line to pick up some of their rejects.:tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Wow. We just had a big meeting last Thursday about doing a major library renovation on campus. A couple of men on the leadership team were suggesting something similar. The librarian and myself were both appalled at the thought! I own a kindle and I love it but I still packed TONS of books and brought them with me here. I can't imagine a world without books! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhonda in TX Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 This is emotionally painful for me to read!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommaduck Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 You both may want to bring up the fact that there is developmental issue here. The brain responds differently when reading a book with pages vs reading something on a computer or kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I do think that this is the future and I don't expect to be using "pulp-based technology" :lol: in 20 years, but I also think this school is jumping the gun a bit. None of the reader technologies is very robust yet and it's still not as comfortable to read long works on a screen as on paper. OTOH, I can't believe that less than 50 books were checked out! I guess I'm getting old and technologically out of touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crafty Mathy Mom Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Ouch! This is so very, very wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.S. Burrow Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Check this out. A prep school is getting rid of their books in exchange for a virtual library. I'm all for new technology but this feels wrong on so many levels. We're reading Fahrenheit 451 right now and I'm feeling very protective of well loved books. No books to hold?! :svengo::svengo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DragonflyAcademy Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 that's really awful.. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MamaBearTeacher Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Very sad! Dumb move by this school. Can anyone really read a 300-page book in electronic form and absorb it as deeply as if they were reading a paper book? I don't think a lot of libraries will be doing this for the time being but do you think there will come a time when there are no more books, except in museum? I was at the store yesterday and on the front rack they had bestsellers/new releases/and some classics like To Kill a Mockingbird. They were all paperbacks but the covers felt really nice and silky and the pages were thick thick cream-colored paper stock with jagged edges like you see in old books. Ooh, I wanted to buy them all and read them, they felt so good to touch! Very different from that cheap thin newsprint-quality paper that most paperbacks have and that goes kind of moldy after about 5 years. This must be how the publishing industry is addressing Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 I've been pondering this since I posted and one of the issues that bothers me is the removal of the wonder of perusing the books aisles. I read many books that I would never have been interested in because they were shelved by the book I was looking for. I get a certain peace from wandering the bookstore or our library doing the same thing as an adult. I'm the kid that read encyclopedias for fun. I loved to see what else was interesting in the volume where I needed to research. I don't have that same sense with online encyclopedias. I can get the info, get out, and never think twice about anything else interesting that might be cataloged beside it. It removes some of the connection to the piece, imo. I love music but I still have a hard time feeling connected the an artist if all I do is download their song. I loved album covers, I love have the lyrics and inserts in a CD case. It adds a depth. Books, the physical book in your hand, does that same thing. Sadly I do believe technology is headed in that direction but I'll be holding onto my books, thank you. And, yes, any of those rejects they'd like to send my way I'd be happy to add a few more bookcases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 Very sad! Dumb move by this school. Can anyone really read a 300-page book in electronic form and absorb it as deeply as if they were reading a paper book? I don't think a lot of libraries will be doing this for the time being but do you think there will come a time when there are no more books, except in museum? I was at the store yesterday and on the front rack they had bestsellers/new releases/and some classics like To Kill a Mockingbird. They were all paperbacks but the covers felt really nice and silky and the pages were thick thick cream-colored paper stock with jagged edges like you see in old books. Ooh, I wanted to buy them all and read them, they felt so good to touch! Very different from that cheap thin newsprint-quality paper that most paperbacks have and that goes kind of moldy after about 5 years. This must be how the publishing industry is addressing Kindle. We were posting at the same time. :D Yes, the paper, how about the paper. I recently ordered a copy of The Aeneid and the paper is like that, thick with the jagged edges. I left it on my desk all day just to admire it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unsinkable Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I knew a kid (a million years ago, in the 80s) that went there to play hockey. Maybe they are a big sports school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 They think people don't read b/c books are cumbersome or expensive.... that technology will be more flexible (as in music). Sorry, but my CD or album didn't have the feel & smell of good music.... it was in a gadget & coming out a speaker.... MY BOOK Is in my hand and it is just different. To me reading on a screen is tougher. IT is harder to get pulled into it... it is not as comfortable. (not done Kindle) and it is expensive for nothing to show for it..... It is sad. I read the other day that publishers are afraid Amazon & others are going to push them out of business by promoting the $9.99 books for Kindle or other books on technology. Cutting out their ability to sell REAL books at a competitive price... they can't print them for $9.99, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kalanamak Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I do think that this is the future and I don't expect to be using "pulp-based technology" :lol: in 20 years, . Well, I hope they put great works, many copies of it, on papyrus and bury it in Egypt.:) I was reading something about Auden and came across a line about how Art is how we break bread with people from the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I'm not easily given to conspiracy theories, usually I consider them fodder for my amusement. That being the case, it's so easy to "change" electronic media. What if I don't have a hard copy to check quotes against? What if "banned books" are changed to be more palatable? Who is to know? Aaaagh! I can imagine reading a book for 8 hours a day. I can't imagine hooking my brain to an electronic device for the same period of time. It's a 2-D experience not a 3-D one. I'm picturing an ignorant, malleable society with enormous butts and cross-eyed stares. There is something rather obscene about the idea of taking a favorite hike and whipping out en electronic reading device and Robert Frost. I think I am going to go pet my books, give them a fond whisk with the feather duster and clear away the silverfish. I need to calm down.:tongue_smilie: Oh, are Kindles in the bathtub safe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Very sad! Dumb move by this school. Can anyone really read a 300-page book in electronic form and absorb it as deeply as if they were reading a paper bookYes, you can. I've read a few books on DH's Sony reader and don't feel that the format affected my absorption. That said, I love books; we have a house full of books, and they won't be going away any time soon. I'll need a lot more from an e-reader before I'm willing to make the leap. However, for a school library, the incorporation of e-readers does make a certain amount of sense -- no more hold recalls, no more waiting for a book already checked out. A child won't have to carry home 20 books or photocopy dozens of pages from periodicals to do a research project. The question becomes one of resources for implementation, and I suspect that neither the school nor most of the students' families are lacking in this department. It is unfortunate that this library is getting rid of all its books; I would have added the e-resources to the existing library rather than obliterating it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Yes, you can. I've read a few books on DH's Sony reader and don't feel that the format affected my absorption. That said, I love books; we have a house full of books, and they won't be going away any time soon. I'll need a lot more from an e-reader before I'm willing to make the leap. However, for a school library, the incorporation of e-readers does make a certain amount of sense -- no more hold recalls, no more waiting for a book already checked out. A child won't have to carry home 20 books or photocopy dozens of pages from periodicals to do a research project. The question becomes one of resources for implementation, and I suspect that neither the school nor most of the students' families are lacking in this department. It is unfortunate that this library is getting rid of all its books; I would have added the e-resources to the existing library rather than obliterating it. Actually, I can understand about removing some of the stacks. What I found disturbing was the portion of the budget that was going towards literary materials for the students. Perhaps I misread the information. I picture an IT/research area. Will this move encourage students to read more? Or is that a losing battle and this administrator is the first to admit defeat. My cynicism is really keeping me from looking at this objectively. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn in OH Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I'm a person that likes to take a book to bed with me. In fact, I will go to bed early if I have a really good book to read. When I'm sick I like to lay in bed or on the couch and read. When I have a new baby I like to lay on the couch and read, usually with the baby sleeping in my arms or on my chest. I also like to lay on a blanket outside and read a book. Not having a book to hold would be very upsetting for me. People spend more than enough time on the computer. Sitting at the computer and reading is not the same as sitting down with a good book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabrett Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Yes, you can. I've read a few books on DH's Sony reader and don't feel that the format affected my absorption. That said, I love books; we have a house full of books, and they won't be going away any time soon. I'll need a lot more from an e-reader before I'm willing to make the leap. However, for a school library, the incorporation of e-readers does make a certain amount of sense -- no more hold recalls, no more waiting for a book already checked out. A child won't have to carry home 20 books or photocopy dozens of pages from periodicals to do a research project. The question becomes one of resources for implementation, and I suspect that neither the school nor most of the students' families are lacking in this department. It is unfortunate that this library is getting rid of all its books; I would have added the e-resources to the existing library rather than obliterating it. How do you think this will effect a book's profit margin? I think a library would have to purchase a certain amount of copies of an ebook to loan out or other wise people would never buy the book. If the library had unlimited access to ebooks, a dc could go to the library and check out the ebook of Harry Potter or Twilight, immediately after it became available, and never buy the book. My dd has bought books many time because she didn't want to be put on the long waiting list for a new book at the library. On the other hand, my dh will buy ebooks to read on his itouch because they are only $9.99. Dh used to not buy books because they were too expensive to just be read once and a pain to carry around(most of the books he wants are new and not available at the library). But he is becoming an avid reader because his itouch is very portable, serves many purposes and is always on hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teamturner Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 This is wrong on so many levels! I thought that looking at a computer screen for long period of times was bad for our eyes?? I agree w/the poster that said that children will be too distracted by other digital activities to spend very much time reading on the computer. My dc read books that are lying around the house and pick them up when it attracts them. It scares me to think of a world w/o real books! :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AuntieM Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I'm not easily given to conspiracy theories, usually I consider them fodder for my amusement. That being the case, it's so easy to "change" electronic media. What if I don't have a hard copy to check quotes against? What if "banned books" are changed to be more palatable? Who is to know? Aaaagh! I can imagine reading a book for 8 hours a day. I can't imagine hooking my brain to an electronic device for the same period of time. It's a 2-D experience not a 3-D one. I'm picturing an ignorant, malleable society with enormous butts and cross-eyed stares. There is something rather obscene about the idea of taking a favorite hike and whipping out en electronic reading device and Robert Frost. I think I am going to go pet my books, give them a fond whisk with the feather duster and clear away the silverfish. I need to calm down.:tongue_smilie: My concerns exactly. With a few easy keystrokes..... I also love the feel of a good book. My husband loves a car with a big engine and lots of shiny chrome, and I tell him my equivalent is a leather bound, gold embossed volume of a classic! Heck, even on Star Trek some of the luxuries crew members download from their replicators are genuine, leather bound books! If beloved by Picard and Janeway, then I am in good company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 Yes, you can. I've read a few books on DH's Sony reader and don't feel that the format affected my absorption. That said, I love books; we have a house full of books, and they won't be going away any time soon. I'll need a lot more from an e-reader before I'm willing to make the leap. However, for a school library, the incorporation of e-readers does make a certain amount of sense -- no more hold recalls, no more waiting for a book already checked out. A child won't have to carry home 20 books or photocopy dozens of pages from periodicals to do a research project. The question becomes one of resources for implementation, and I suspect that neither the school nor most of the students' families are lacking in this department. It is unfortunate that this library is getting rid of all its books; I would have added the e-resources to the existing library rather than obliterating it. Every time a paid educator tells me that they don't need to teach card catalog searches because you can just use a key word search on the computer, I am reminded of spending hours in the non-heated card catalog room of the Library of Congress, searching for books for dh's thesis. Many were in Russian or had been translated with a variety of transliteration systems for names of people, places and organizations. The vast majority of these holdings weren't in the LOC computer catalog at all at that point. When I wrote an article a couple of years ago about Yoemanettes in WWI, dh was able to pull a biography of Josephus Daniels right off of our shelf. This isn't the sort of resource that folks are in much of a hurry to digitize. One would think that an expensive private school would recognize that just because some (maybe even many) things of value are on electronic format, does not mean that everything of value is. Or that the key documents will be digitized. I think that we are rapidly approaching the point where if something isn't available from the simplest of internet searches, then it is considered not to have happened. There are skills of sleuthing and connection making that occur when handling documents that do not occur when paging through electronic text. On another research trip to the National Archive for the same thesis, I was able to page through the actual telegrams received log of a certain Russian war committee stationed in the US. I was able to read the telegram assuring them that the protests in Russia were no concern, the later telegram telling them that a provisional government had been established but that they should continue on in there work. And the telegrams still later that told them that there had been yet another revolution and that a new ambassador was inbound and that the work of the committee would be under review. There might be one researcher every few years who even looks at this set of documents. And if I'd searched for key words or names in a digital version, I would have missed the back and forth of squabbling between other committee members or the drama that occured when there while there were two ambassadors, each considering himself the legitimate representative. These were impressions that I only got because I took the time to read the whole file of telegrams, looking for what might be of interest without having already decided what that would be. Having said all that, I'd love to have electronic field guides to take on hikes. Carrying all of the books I might want to consult can get darn heavy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted September 5, 2009 Share Posted September 5, 2009 I won't ever like virtual books more than paper books. It makes me want to start hoarding, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted September 5, 2009 Author Share Posted September 5, 2009 I won't ever like virtual books more than paper books. It makes me want to start hoarding, really. Start? :lol: In my case it would be continue. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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