Monday, April 13, 2009

Thing 20: Books 2.0

Electronic books are a big part of our library's collection for several key reasons. The price of e-books versus print books is perhaps the most motivational reason. The level of access is a very close second.

Books that are not in paper, analog form are a big part of the future of books. They will not 100% replace printed text; that is because of the market for the printed word and the features and uses of electronic texts. These two sectors of the larger world of Book are not directly in competition with each other. They each have their place and fulfill purposes that are often quite different.

The question "Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?" is interesting and I could answer yes or no depending on how I qualify my answer. Our fast-paced online world where everything is delivered in short bursts might decrease one's attention span as far as reading a novel or textbook is concerned. Yet, tools like Twittelit can offering enticing introductions that might lead to someone reading a entire book. Other tools like What Should I Read Next? are actually creating more access to books. I don't very many Book 2.0 tools and iterations are really impeding or impinging upon the form of the Book as we know it. I believe I see it this way because I do not think that the printed, analog form of the book is sacred. Someone who does see it that why might be leery of this Book 2.0 business. I enjoy Book 2.0 technology. I think the ideas transcend the page... the screen, the lcd, etc.

As far as making any Book 2.o Tools part of your library, I would offer the same advice as I have with other Web 2.o / Library 2.0 technologies: Use it if fulfills a purpose, not because it is new or trendy. In the case of Book 2.0 specifically, I would say something more precise like: Use it if it actually increases reading.

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