When is the last time you went to bookstore to browse the bestseller shelves? Do you still borrow books from others? Or do you find the joy of buying a new book by clicking “purchase” on your handheld device? It’s interesting that some people still love holding an actual book and the feel of turning the pages, yet others love the convenience and ease of using their tablets or e-readers. Do you turn the paper page of a book, or finger swipe a page on the screen of a Kindle?
Shopping at a bookstore is a lot different than browsing for e-books on line. There’s no personal interaction. No digging through a bin of reduced price books. And the scent of bookbinding… some love that smell and no internet connection can replace that! Yet the new way we are reading books has changed the marketplace (just ask Borders). The experience for the consumer is completely different. Browsing on line provides book summaries, reviews and numerous choices with a click of a mouse in our own home. Bookstores have had to reinvent themselves in this wireless reading age to stay competitive.
The consumer’s dilemma is whether to continue to cling to the love of an actual book and the feel of the pages, or go with the wave of the future and buy a Nook. Or a Kindle. Or a tablet. If the decision is made to use an e-reader, you then need to figure out if you just want a device for reading books, or one that gives you additional features, such as playing games, listening to music or checking your email. Decisions, decisions. The new devices are certainly convenient. When was the last time you could carry 30 or 40 books without breaking your back? Now you can do that and they’re all in the palm of one hand. Buying books on line has less waste, no killing trees, and you don’t have to worry about resale. The new devices do bring up issues never involved in purchasing a regular book however, such as battery life, screen glare, and (gasp) no internet connection.
Paper books and e-readers still have some things in common. A good paperback book will wear out over time, but so will these hand held devices. E-readers will also become obsolete when they are updated or when the next wireless invention comes along. So if you are still the one person who shows up to book club with an actual book, remember that all these new devices promote the love of reading. Paper book or Nook… either way we can continue to dive into the world of the written word, and you would never want either one to get wet by the pool.