Paper Books Vs. Electronic Books

Kathleen Craig

Harris

English 101

October 20 ,2016

Paper books Vs. Electronic books

        The development of the written word is a crucial invention and for centuries the power of the written word through books has proved to be incontrovertibly sublime. Books have varied from the practical to the literary and has saved lives, circulated powerful ideas, preserved traditions, memories and so much more. The history of books began with inventions such as paper, the printing press and the more contemporary advent of electronic books. With the introduction of the electronic book the debate over which is better paper or electronic books has occurred many times. Paper and electronic books make an excellent and effective way of reading, although some readers prefer the tangible aspects of paper books while others prefer the ease and convenience of electronic books.

 Some readers prefer the comforting aspects a paper book has to offer such as the look, smell and feel of a book held in the hand. Paper books can be signed by authors or gifted to someone with a special inscription inside the cover and have the potential to become treasured heirlooms in a far more tangible way than an electronic book.  Whereas, electronic books offer a level of convenience that a paper book cannot. The ease of obtaining and the variety of electronic books offered online has increased the sale of electronic books by more than 131 percent (Herther 12-54). When traveling one does not have to choose one or a few books to take hoping that they are the right or best ones; an entire electronic library can be assessable from a Kindle, iPad, iPod, or lap top.

Whether reading for entertainment or education every reader finds a favorite passage or a bit of knowledge one would like to remember or refer back to. When finding a passage in a paper book that needs attention and engagement there are a number of options for marking it up. Words or phrases can be underlined or circled with a pen, entire sentences and paragraphs can be highlighted or notes can be written in the margin. The method used is entirely up to the reader and is limited only by the readers imagination, the space on the page, and whatever level of OCD drives one to systematize notes. In this regard, electronic books offer a less time consuming way of marking important words or passages. The advancement in technology has enabled readers to view a variety of print from newspaper articles to novels which has increased the electronic book revenue to nearly ten billion dollars (Herther 12-54). Having almost instant access to wanted or necessary information at readers fingertips is a definite advantage for electronic book readers. Readers can perform a text search, look at a hyperlinked list of bookmarks in a single interface and if there is a touchscreen, a slider can be used to arrive at a random page.

 The cost of a book can vary in range from expensive to the inexpensive depending on what type of book a reader chooses. Book stores offer a wide range of used or damaged books that can be purchased for a fraction of the cost of a new book. Joining a book club where members meet monthly to share and exchange books is an inexpensive way of increasing a readers collection. Public libraries offer hundreds sometimes thousands of books from the most recent to the most obscure and all of these books are free to borrow at will. More than half of library users have checked out a book this year (Albanese 25). Libraries and book stores have trained staff on hand to offer help and advice, so no more bringing home an unwanted book. In contrast, obtaining an electronic book can be less time consuming but more expensive. Along with a relatively expensive device such as an iPod, iPad, Kindle or laptop, the annual fee to subscribe to an online lending library can be expensive and can have a limited number of books available (Herther 12-54). A reader would perhaps have to purchase books from other sources in addition to having a subscription. These types of expenses are a deterrent for some readers.