I thought the term "format agnostic" was cute, but also very representative of the way many people have changed the way they access their information. While I don't think physical books are going anywhere for a while, there are so many other format options, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. I think it is short-sighted when people insist that traditional books are the best way to access content, but I also think it is nostalgia talking in some cases-- book lovers will often remark on the feel and smell of the physical book. But our new formats can solve so many problems when used simultaneously, at least! Think of the Kindle or the Sony reader. Both of them have limited ability to enlarge text. I can't wait for this to become more available and popular-- have you ever seen how limited the large print sections are, whether bookstores or libraries? This would be great for people who can only read large print, and that's just one example.
Ebooks still aren't growing as quickly as some hoped or expected, but part of that is ease of use and availability. As I understand it, cheaper ereaders have had issues, and the Sony Reader and Kindle have some as well, and are out of most people's price range. We're still in the early adoption phase. Publishers aren't making a wide selection of ebooks available yet, and it's still largely limited to small presses who can't afford the expense of print publishing.
Regarding blogs and libraries, I have noticed that more and more libraries are using blogger, whether for their children and teens pages, or just for general information. So far, though, I have not seen much in the way of comments, even when it's obvious the blog is being read. Still largely a one-way distribution of information.
The Lied Library article related some things that were very familiar, particularly the problem of community users monopolizing the computers intended for students for hours and hours. And the value of the equipment poses its own problems as noted in the article. As libraries acquire more and more expensive pieces of technology, the risk of losing them grows. DVD theft can be limited by keeping the discs locked up, but how do you stop someone from walking off with headphones, a mouse, or even larger items? Security measures can be taken, but at what expense? I definitely agree that libraries will need to continue to evolve and keep up with technology, and also be open to adjusting methods as needed and as the needs of the libraries and the patrons continue to change.
3 comments:
Hi Rachel,
I'm what you call a "book lover," and some of it has to do with nostalgia, but my reasons for turning to the physical book have more to do with accessibility than the touch and smell. For example, I find it much easier and faster to get to the page I want and to highlight/make comments in the margins. You can do the latter, usually, in ebooks, but I think familiarity has quite a bit to do with reasons why ebooks haven't caught on quite as fast...and I also think this is why books and magazines aren't going anywhere for a long time, if ever.
While I think ebooks are a great tool and are accessible right in the home, the comments I listed above, I think, are why books are still the preferred mode of obtaining information.
I'm not really old (27), but I do wonder what the next generation (those under 20) will prefer. My sense is that books by their nature will still be the preferred option - but familiarity with computers may cause a spike in usage of ebooks...and may someday surpass books.
I think... mainly I just don't like some of the attitudes I've seen... the looking down on some of "those kids today" who prefer to do their reading on a screen because it's what they're used to.
Heck, I could probably be won over by a fun, gadgety ereader, though I do love my books and have way too many-- though digitizing them would make moving easier!
Rachel,
I like the idea you mentioned about security with technology and to what cost should be spent on security. I had some thoughts about this, but do not know how effective they could be. I thought in order for smaller electronic things not to go missing that a library could put bar codes on them like they do with books. Another thought I had on this is taking some sort of collatoral from a person, i.e. ID or keys like places do if you are playing a game of pool or shuffle board. Something that a person is going to want back no matter what. It does not fix the problem per say but it definitely could be effective and possibly not a large cost to the institution.
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