Thursday, December 02, 2010

Traditional vs. Electronic Reading

Selecting the format we do our reading in - paper or electronic - is relatively easy nowadays. It is possible, for example, to get your daily dose of readable news either in the traditional newspaper format, as an e-newspaper online, as an e-mail feed, or as an e-reader subscription. There are of course also audiovisual news in multiple formats available from multiple sources, and the selection of e-books grows every day.

Selecting a format often simply comes down to your preferences and the demands of the task at hand. Do you need to make notes? If so, are you able to make them electronically, or do you prefer scribbling in the margins? Is it possible to move your electronic notes between applications? Do you hate ink smears on your fingers? Are you in an area outside a network? Is word search necessary for your current reading need? Is electricity available? Do you love the feel of paper on your fingers? Is your gadget out of power? Does paper dust dry your skin? Are you perhaps too lazy to turn your e-reader on?

Here is a video that cleverly demonstrates the differences between traditional print materials and e-text. In the words of our Technical Theatre Director, Mr. Repczynski, it's "obviously a marketing tool selling a product, but I still found it humorous."



There are as many ways to work as there are people, and increasingly, as many ways to read. What are your reading preferences, and why?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I simply go with the following statement regarding electronic vs. analogue books……….“Reading is good”

I know that everyone has their own likes and dislikes. Anecdotally, I’m interested to know if people move away from a person who read a book electronically scared of the “coooodies” associated? When discussing the merits of Shakespeare’s Othello do people actually ask, ”Did you read this electronically?” and scoff when it was? Does it count as reading if it was read on an electronic reader?

For me, the fact that someone is sitting down to read is the best part and, between you and me, there is a small stack of paperbacks on my nightstand. Who knows, with my prescription lenses getting stronger each year, that pile may someday be replaced by a single electronic reader. Only time will tell.

Thanks for the posting.

Pesky Librarians said...

Anonymous, I agree. The point should always be that people do read.

I am a book person at the moment. When DRM will be removed from e-books, I will add a reader to my stack.

Mrs. J.