A new agreement in a $125 million lawsuit by the Author’s Guild against Google would expand online access to millions of in-copyright books and other written materials via Google’s Book Search. This, along with several other new developments, raises a persistent question about the future of the book in the digital era. With the recent endorsement by pop culture icon Oprah of the Kindle, has prompted some to suggest that the e-book reader may go mainstream. Whether or not people want to read books delivered via electronic delivery devices remains to be seen, as there is still considerable resistance to the format. In his article, “The Battle to Define the Future of the Book in the Digital World,” Clifford Lynch argues that the literal translation of entire books to digital devices is less likely than the emergence of new genres of texts created specifically for digital devices. I doubt that the book will go the way of the card catalog, but this is certainly a moment for contemplating the place of the book in the digital era.
Comments 7
amy — October 28, 2008
Everyone said newspapers would go the way of the dodo because of the Internet and that hasn't happened (they're going the way of the dodo for other reasons). I imagine books will be just the same. I still love to hold newspapers and books in my hands, and physically turn the pages. So do others.
amy — October 28, 2008
UPDATE: Looks like I wrote too soon:
Christian Science Monitor to Publish Online Only
By STEPHANIE CLIFFORD 1:35 PM ET
The cost-cutting measure makes The Monitor the first national newspaper to essentially give up on print.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/business/media/29paper.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
Jon Smajda — October 28, 2008
I think the problem with daily newspapers is that their specialty---short, accessible, up-to-date dissemination of news---is simply done better by the internet. It's cheaper, faster, more up-to-date, etc. The bigger crisis in news is simply the money available for good, in-depth reporting. This, IMO, is the bigger casualty of the failure of the newspaper business model than print newspapers themselves.
However, I think weekly/biweekly/monthly publications that focus more on long-form writing will remain relevant. It wouldn't surprise me to see traditional newspapers morph into these kinds of publications over time. Long, in-depth writing simply doesn't translate very well to the web. I try to do everything possible online, but even I've given up on reading long pieces on a bright LCD screen. My eyes can't take it, and I've even gone so far as to devise a way to create audio podcasts out of long written pieces online because a) it's unrealistic to print everything and b) I have way more time in my day to listen to things than I do to sit down and read.
Jessie — October 29, 2008
Hey Amy, Jon ~ I'm decidedly mixed about the whole "migration" to digital publishing from paper publishing. In my own life, I've completely stopped any paper subscriptions to newspapers or magazines. I could be high-minded and say that it's an environmental move on my part, but that's only partially true. The fact is, I live in a 4th floor walk-up in a town with pretty strict recycling rules, so getting paper publications into and out of the apartment is a big disincentive getting content that way. Books are another story and I remain addicted to them. But I wonder sometimes if there were a better way to get some books digitally if I wouldn't prefer that for a few titles. I think you may be on to something Jon, with converting them to podcasts. The thing is, there are just a lot of things I'd like to "read" that I don't want to own forever on paper.
Jon Smajda — October 30, 2008
"But I wonder sometimes if there were a better way to get some books digitally if I wouldn’t prefer that for a few titles"
Ever tried a Kindle? I haven't, but I hear the screen is actually designed to be easy on the eyes in comparison to the bright computer monitors that assault our eye balls all day long. Every actual review (and not just second-hand review) I've read of them raves about how good the reading experience is. Personally, I want to wait a few generations for the price to go down a bit, but I'm very intrigued by it. Think of it for educational uses only, actually: all students get a Kindle & every textbook is made available electronically through the Kindle. An added bonus of this: I think it might single-handedly improve the health of student backs everywhere.
Jessie — October 30, 2008
Nope, I've yet to get my hands on a Kindle but am looking forward to it soon (maybe at the holidays?). Call it a mid-semester funk, but I'm deeply skeptical of getting students to use the Kindle (or similar e-device) to do actual reading. I do see a bonanza for the enterprising ed-tech entrpreneurs that figure out how to marry Kindle and the textbook market. And, of course, for student back health. ;-)
Jon Smajda — October 31, 2008
@Jessie:
"I’m deeply skeptical of getting students to use the Kindle (or similar e-device) to do actual reading"
Well, since we're being skeptical, let me just shorten that statement for you:
"I'm deeply skeptical of getting students...to do actual reading"