Love Reading: Printed Books vs Electronic Books

     A lot of people feel strongly about the whole electronic-devices-for-kids thing. Maybe it's just my age but I have a lot of appreciation and believe there is a lot more value in these devices than people readily give credit. At the same time, I'm a sentimental being. I have the piece of paper on which my now-husband first wrote his home address and phone number for me. The smell of an old, well-loved hardback is one of my favorite things. I just love books: old and new. Turning crisp pages in a stiff, new paperback book is a close second to that old, musty smell of an antique.
      Again, though, maybe my age is a factor in my opinion. I was a 90s kid. Sitting in front of my parent's off-white CRT PC monitor I played pinball, Reader Rabbit, and solitaire. When we'd go to my Grandma's house we'd have the pleasure of either playing Super Mario World on the super nintendo or something like Power Pete (aka Mighty Mike) on her . . . I think it was the Bondi Blue iMac G3. Good times. I have sentimentality tied in with electronics. I grew up with them. They've been an integral part of my youth from tamagotchis to chemistry courses on the computer in high school.
     Some people simply see the advances of things like the iPad and the flip-screen tablet PCs as a sci-fi-comes-to-life phase of our gadget-obsessed generation. Others stick with their good ole trusty printed products and maintain an indifference. Some just use the bare minimum digital devices to make life convenient or keep up with friends and family but refrain from diving in head-first or being consumed by them. It wasn't that long ago after all that we used a yellow phonebook instead of our phone's google maps search; our contacts were written either in a small book or on the cards of a rolodex.

     Anyway, enough babbling I've shared my general thoughts on this stuff before.



     Right now, I really want to focus in on the printed books vs. electronic books thing. These are just my experiences and opinions. Here goes nothin':

#1. How and when do you personally use ebooks? 

     I've used the  Kindle app on my iPad. One of the primary reasons I chose to fork out the dough for my iPad 2 in the first place was for the benefit of cheaper textbooks for school. I did a stupid amount of research before making that decision. It wasn't done on a whim. I compared the iPad, Nook, and Kindle. I looked up the various applications available for "etextbook" purchase or rental. This proved to be a very good decision. Renting etextbooks for my iPad through Kno and CourseSmart has actually saved us more than the cost of the iPad in just 3 semesters even if we had been able to buy the regular textbooks pre-owned or via rental.  I also have several classic novels (ie Moby Dick) that I simply didn't have on my shelf yet and some newer fiction (ie The Hunger Games) that I got for the heck of it. It was cheaper (if not totally free) than going to the store to buy it (even used) and it was simpler than searching for them (and/or waiting for a return, and/or having to return it before I'm done, and/or potentially losing it) at the library. The kids also have a few "interactive" books like this gem from Sesame Street and a couple of typical ebooks like this. It's a lot easier to carry the iPad in my bag than 2 textbooks, a novel, a notebook, a calculator, a calendar, a contact list, and so on. I can't say I use it for reading a lot outside of the college thing because I sadly don't have time to enjoy a novel for the heck of it all that often anymore. If there is something I'm researching or writing a paper for I do check the ebook stores for free or cheap material first then I go to the library. A lot of my choices for this come down to convenience, price, and simplicity.

#2. What's on your not-so-virtual shelves?

     We have more "real" books than we know what to do with. As I said in the first part of this three-part blog series, we don't even have enough [safe] shelf space for all of them. My husband collects these big, heavy hardback encyclopedias and nonfiction historical collections of everything from military history to weapons to martial arts styles. I have lots of those delicious, old, musty antiques: several classics, some I liked just because of the cover, and some old hymnals because . . . I don't know why really (but that old church smell is infused in them). The kids have more books than I would attempt to count. I started buying children's board books and all I could find of Dr. Seuss before my oldest was even born. We have most of the Dr. Seuss books now, lots of good old classics like Corduroy or Goodnight Moon, plus plenty of the Disney stories and little golden books too. That's only the gist. N (three year old) has started to notice the kid's National Geographic and the beginning readers at Target on top of all this so we're adding a whole new layer. I can't leave out the fact that I've all ready been keeping my eyes wide open for any American Girl, Nancy Drew, Judy Blume or Beverly Cleary books I can get my hands on. Did I mention all the Tolkien novels and volumes of Star Wars??

#3. Do you actually have a preference?
     I like to think we're taking advantage of the best of both worlds. I also like to think we keep things balanced around here. First of all, I'm of the opinion that there's no such thing as too many books. Nope. Can't be. Doesn't matter if it's paperback, hardback, or ebook. I just don't think you can have too many either way. I like that we have several of both and that we are able to choose from two very different formats. We regularly bring home 5 or 10 books from the library. I regularly browse amazon for free kindle ebooks. Some things I'd just prefer to go for cheap/convenient and others I value the physical ability to turn pages, feel paper between my fingers, or display it on my shelf. (I won't lie that I usually sniff pages too. I'm a booksniffer.)


#4. Would you give up or give away all of your printed books if you could have them in an ebook form?

     Um, no. Absolutely not. Sentiment, mystery, and the inherent beauty of a printed copy are overwhelming this consideration. First of all, some of my books were printed over 100 years ago. Imagine all of the different people who've read these pages that I hold in my hands now! Unless you're a germaphobe that's a fantastical thought. (And don't talk to me about where people read their books potty mouth. You'd probably clutch a $100 bill to your heart if someone handed it to you and that hypothetical green thing has probably been in much scarier places.) Ahem. I can go on an all-day trip to lalaland just trying to imagine where that carefully constructed hardback was first set on a shelf for sale, who decided to buy it and why, and so on. It's a genuine piece of history. On the other hand, some books can easily become clutter. Some books (like my husband's beloved Star Wars volumes) aren't all that pretty with their dated, over-edited cover pictures. I've given away plenty of books before when I realized I just didn't read them or didn't have any connection to them anymore. There's still something traditional and comforting about a shelf full of literature in your living room. Even a minimalist can appreciate at least a small collection. (I will have it known, I'm no minimalist and one day I swear I will have a library like the one in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. Do not doubt this.)

#5. Why would you choose an electronic book over a printed book?
  I think this boils down to the same things for everyone: convenience, price, and instance access. If I need something quick, cheap, and available to me in an easy-to-carry, simple-to-store format then I'm going to go with ebooks if I have the means to use them. Most people have a data phone, tablet, or laptop these days. It's a whole lot easier to tote around 4 or 5 college textbooks in the 1.33 pounds of my iPad 2 than individual 2-4 pound (and that's being generous) books in a large backpack. Throw in the benefit of a built-in search tool, highlighter, and reference links and there's no comparison there. When it comes to pleasure reading the decision may be driven more by personal preference but the lower price is almost always a convincing factor.

#6. Let's be economical: which is better for the economy?
     I guess it depends on how you look at it. There are a lot of variables. There's a reason hardbacks are more expensive then paperbacks and they more expensive than electronic books. There's a lot more industry involved  in the production of a "real" book which is normally an economical bonus on the macroeconomic side but when it comes to your wallet economical might mean an investment in some sort of ereader. Here's a fancy infographic I found that lays it all out (click to enlarge):

#7. What do you think of the idea that ereaders and/or ebooks are on the darkside of literature? 
     One word: audiobooks. Two words: printing press. Get used to the world of books evolving along with the rest of everything. It started happening way before our time. If you were a REAL book connoisseur you'd say that mass production itself is an abomination. Not to mention, audiobooks were available long before ebooks were a serious thought. Get a grip, friends. Join the darkside if that's what you want to call it. We have books in every format and also cookies, possibly. In the end the real value of a book, in my humblest of opinions, is NOT the format through which it is delivered but the actual content within its paper or digital pages.

First Email 1971

     Think of it like this: having a preference of hardback, paperback, ebook, or audiobook is no different than having a preference for how your mail is transported. Do you reaaaaally want to go back to the days of horsemen with saddle bags riding for weeks to deliver you a 10 word telegram? Do you even want to step back just a smidgen to the time of dial-up internet and Hotmail? I'm betting you use emails, snail mail, and cell phones without decrying any of these methods of communication as "fake" or "not as good". We have our sentimental connections with a hand-written note, sure. Let's not let our sentimentality tie us down with a curly phone cord or a library only the most privileged societal elites are allowed to enter. Just sayin'. In the end, supply and demand will determine what is or isn't available to us in the form of electronic or printed book. Be glad our society has such easy access to literature in the first place and next time you see a 3 year old poking at an iPad remember that she might be soaking in a heavy dose of phonics and not necessarily rotting her brain.

Love Reading: Teaching Kids to Respect Literature

     I'm going to do a quick series of posts on one of my favorite things: books. I love books. I love old books. I love new books. I like paperbacks, hardbacks, and electronic books. I can't have too many. No one can have too many. It's just a matter of having enough space to keep them, of course.

So it'll go something like this and I'll start this post as the first of three:

#1. Teaching Kids to Respect Literature
#2. Printed Books vs. Electronic Books
#3. Reading Resources on a Budget

Here goes nothin':

    We have shelves and boxes full of books. We actually don't have enough space in our 900 sq ft apartment to keep all of our books on display. The three year old is certainly more aware now than ever of the importance of books but the almost-2-year old is still getting used to the idea that books aren't ready-to-make confetti. Most of our favorites are in storage. We have all sorts of things on the big shelf in our bedroom though. You'll find anything from nonfiction military history encyclopedias to Tolkien paperbacks to my 100 year old, worn out hymnals. If I was going to be a hoarder I'd be a book hoarder. Seriously. One day in a wonderful world I will have a house with a room designated just as our library with nothing but shelves full of books.

   Both my girls have been "reading" from a very young age. There hasn't been a time in their short lives they've been without a book to look at or have read to them. They love to get new books too. We happen to go to the kid's book section in Target far more often than the toy section. I'm thrilled when they get a new stack of them for their birthdays instead of tons of toys.

    Unlike many children across the world, ours here in America are afforded an incredible gift: access. There are several things that I've been taught that I try to teach my kids as well. I want them (and everyone else) to respect these now mass-produced, information-filled wonders. We seem to underestimate the value of books as we've gotten so used to the swift tap into google for information. I want my kids to understand the difference between literature and garbage. I want them to know the classics. I want them to develop thinking skills so they can determine truth and fact among piles of lore and lies. I want them to be intelligent critics of new or popular writing. I want them to be able to go into a library and access vast amounts of knowledge. I want them to comprehend the blessing that books truly are. Sadly, in this modernized, developed nation we do not reach our literacy potential. This is something we can start changing by teaching our kids the great value of literature, books, and reading.

All that said, do we actually understand the definition of literature? According to Merriam-Webster:

1. archaic: literary culture
2. the production of literary work especially as an occupation
3. a: (1) : writings in prose or verse; especially : writings having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest (2) : an example of such writings <what came out, though rarely literature, was always a roaring good story; b: the body of written works produced in a particular language, country, or age; c: the body of writings on a particular subject <scientific literature>; d : printed matter (as leaflets or circulars) <campaign literature>
4. the aggregate of a usually specified type of musical compositions

     I think the applicable definition in this case is 3a. This snippet in particular is what I have in mind: having excellence of form or expression and expressing ideas of permanent or universal interest.

      So, for starters we have some house rules regarding books. I think these are important to teach all kids, especially as this new generation is given so much more access to digital media and electronic versions of the books we've had sitting on shelves for years. Respecting literature really does start with respecting books. These are things I was taught as a child by my parents, through our frequent library visits, and by various individuals (strangers or family members) who maintained a love for literature themselves. Keep in mind these are guidelines for little kids. I certainly hope older children don't need to be taught some of this but who knows.

The Basics:

#1. Be gentle. Never throw, tear, bend, or bite a book. It's not a weapon. It's not for standing or stomping on. Turn pages carefully. Close it carefully before putting it away.

#2. Put it back. (This is a rule we treat loosely as we have many spots that stacks of books end up staying.) Don't leave it open. Don't leave it on the floor. Don't smash them onto the shelf. Carefully, line them up on the shelf where they belong so they don't get ruined and it's easy to find next time.

#3. Don't color on it. Don't mark on or scribble in any book. If you want to color get a clean piece of paper. The paper in books is not ours to decorate. (I usually suggest to my 3 year old that she would be very sad if someone colored on one of her drawings or in her notebook so she shouldn't color on these.)

#4. Keep it clean and dry. Pay attention to your hands. Don't flip through pages with sticky or dirty fingers. Keep your food and drinks away from it. Don't leave it in the bathroom or outside.


The Caveats:

#1. The youngest kids are going to experiment with EVERYTHING. It's built in: "what happens when I do . . . THIS?!" Hence, things are thrown, torn, bent, and bitten. This is why some genius decided to invent teether books and board books. They are way more durable for infants and toddlers. Slowly but surely they can be taught to treat books the right way. If you start with these you'll probably save yourself some effort and some money.

#2. Infants, toddlers and preschoolers aren't all that organized or coordinated yet. Expect them to cram books on top of each other and to subsequently throw them with a frustrated scream when they don't slide into place on the shelf. It seems like most kids can get a good handle on stacking books on shelves the correct way around 2 or 3 years. Before that and even beyond that, making stacks with them from biggest to smallest or having a shelf like this is a good alternative.

#3. Kiddos are creative, messy little people. They're GONNA color on books (and walls and furniture and themselves) and they are probably sticky, drooling, or dirty 90% of the time.

In the end, if you have a treasured antique or a favorite collection PUT IT AWAY. Don't just put it up high. That is considered a challenge in toddlerland. If you really, really don't want something getting messed up in some way as your sweet babes learn to respect books then put it in a box, in another box, in another box, with a lock, in a closet, in a land far away (give or take a few of those). Just make sure your expectations meet up with reality.

The Advanced:

#1. Read the author and illustrator names. In my humblest of opinions, books are works of art. They may also be scientific or historical fact in the case of non-fiction, encyclopedias, and the like. They are mass-produced, unique works of art. I wouldn't walk through the art museum ignoring the artist's names anymore than I'd read books without acknowledging the author and illustrator. I think it's important for kids to recognize books as art or in some cases more appropriately as scientific or historical publication.

#2. Be extra careful with library or borrowed books. This is a fun one. Library books are not OURS. We have to treat them the way we'd want people treating our OWN things. Very, very carefully. We are extra careful and "kind" to anything borrowed. Also important: return them on time.

#3. Remember: books are a privilege. This is probably harder to teach but it is an all-consuming concept when it comes to the importance of all these rules. Many people will never have the pleasure of owning or borrowing books if they are even able to read in the first place. It hasn't been very long since the first printing presses were invented and it's easy for us to forget the extraordinary reality of the myriad of books that sit available for us in the store.

      As N has gotten bigger I've started going a little further with these ideas. I have every intention of sharing these with all my kids. Who knows what media and literature will be like in a constitutional sense once she's an adult. Everything may be digitized and electronically filed by then. This makes it even more important, I think, to instill these things in her mind. No doubt once she's reading on her own and ready we'll be learning the Dewey Decimal System alongside practical research methods for the internet. If we think information is powerful now, imagine the difference between now and 20 years ago then amplify that into the future another 20 years. Crazy.

I'll share my thought about printed vs electronic books in the next post!