Library Travelogue: The Past & The Future of Reading

InterWeb , 2015

As a child of the 1980s, I can remember when libraries, bookstores & mail-order book companies were the world. In many ways, libraries have gotten better & bigger with more items & additional space for computers, public space for organizations & theatrical programs. The library & reading world has become so much more because of the internet.

I do remember the library with the card catalog & I miss this in a nostalgia sort of way. I am fortunate, I had 2 very good libraries near where I grew up, Public & College. Also, once I had a drivers' license, I was within easy enough driving distance to Chicago & Lafayette, where the bookstore culture was very vibrant; Lafayette now struggles more, there is still vibrancy for Chicago.

Whatever we do, we have to continuously work to preserve a culture of reading & self-education through libraries & through community networks. We have to ask very heavy questions. Are we providing a representative & comprehensive print archive of knowledge for future generations? Is media & publisher consolidation really a good idea? What about the monopoly power of some book sellers; is bargain pricing having a negative & far-reaching effect on the reader/writer/library/publisher ecosystem? We need to learn to wake-up way more on these issues...

Boulder Book Store , Colorado, 2015

The popular internet world is really only 15 years old, & hopefully the past will still be the future. In other words, we still have the chance to preserve the past & the best aspects of reading culture for future generations. The over-acceptance of digital is already eroding the sustainable models of quality book stores & publishers in terms of copyright & perceived value. Caveat Emptor, let us really consider if we want to buy-in & dive-in to digital waters without cautiously understanding what the digital sea monsters may do to sustainable writing & reading. In libraries, we have a responsibility to address these complex issues in the public affairs arena. We need to talk about fair use & pricing for libraries & we need to address fairness in author & publisher compensation; the issue of DRM, Copyright & the management of market models is important across all sectors; from popular books to academic information.

In my view, I believe reading will continue to increase for a variety of reasons. First, the internet is simply accepted by a broad demographic of people, including those who don't read books. We have to remember that reading a blog or webpage is still reading. Also, the 25% average of the population who are ongoing readers will simply have more access to more books, after all it is the future, where more books have had time to be written. In an evolutionary sense, I get the feeling that we will little-by-little become faster & deeper readers. I also believe we need to be cautious about over-reading, especially in the digital; too much life in the cerebral, in eye weary flicker rates, & too little outdoor life in the natural world may very well be counterproductive to living a balanced life. Reading with real books is very important to me & I think it is important for all ages & future generations. There is something timeless & special about the printed word; reading paper is closer to traditional writing & I feel resonates on a higher level of thought. Research is just now beginning to identify lower quality outcomes to digital light reading. On a daily note, it is nice to leave the computers off for a while...

In 20 Years, Book Stores will still have clever names...

InterWeb , 2015

In 20 Years, Symbiosis is Key...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/lincolnmichel/the-future-is-never#.dwQQN50ydz

5 comments:

UnknownApril 29, 2015 at 9:13 PM
I love the pictures, Jerry! And I also like the thought of leaving the computer behind - reading a book in the hammock under a canopy of leaves while the gentle breeze lightly moves through the wind chime, serenading me with soft music to read by.
jerry book readerMay 2, 2015 at 8:25 PM
Thank You Tina, very real & poetic, I was certainly thinking in your natural terms. True story, I have been thinking about buying a hammock, I have never had one. I live in the country, probably a wise idea... Wind & Books, good combo.

Thanks for all your posts...
UnknownMay 3, 2015 at 8:22 AM
Jerry - you make an excellent point that we, as librarians, have to make sure that we are involved in the conversations about fair use and pricing and DRM, etc. - as librarians, I do see it as our responsibility to advocate for the general public. I think you also make a great point in sharing that while we may not consider it traditional reading, reading a blog or webpage or other internet-generated items is still reading. And as long as people want access to this sort of reading and format, libraries will need to adapt to make sure we can provide it for them. That was a real "a-ha" moment for me in this discussion - I need to be more aware that my definition of reading doesn't override or have greater value than someone else's because I choose to read books, not online articles.

Thanks for some great thoughts!!
UnknownMay 3, 2015 at 8:22 AM
Jerry - you make an excellent point that we, as librarians, have to make sure that we are involved in the conversations about fair use and pricing and DRM, etc. - as librarians, I do see it as our responsibility to advocate for the general public. I think you also make a great point in sharing that while we may not consider it traditional reading, reading a blog or webpage or other internet-generated items is still reading. And as long as people want access to this sort of reading and format, libraries will need to adapt to make sure we can provide it for them. That was a real "a-ha" moment for me in this discussion - I need to be more aware that my definition of reading doesn't override or have greater value than someone else's because I choose to read books, not online articles.

Thanks for some great thoughts!!
Pastor Jeff ZellMay 3, 2015 at 12:06 PM
I think you make a good point that reading a blog or website is still reading. Some of us can get a bit snooty about the preference for books. We are after literacy, not on what people read.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Past & The Future of Reading

5 comments: