I, for one, love e-books. I've always loved the feel of regular books, so my initial thoughts on the electronic format was that I would not like them nearly as much. However, the ability to take the book with you anywhere in such an easy manner and nighttime reading has certainly led to enjoyment of the format. That said, there are some issues with e-books.
Some patrons will always prefer books. Somewhere I came across a PEW report that stated that even teens prefer print books. I'll try to find that so that I can provide the source. Another issue pertains to books that have elements in it such as maps or character charts. Those who read fantasy that include these elements might find it difficult to go back and forth from map to page instead of having a map beside you. I believe that some illustrations, at times, can also suffer as with some e-books you lose the original size and format. Children's authors and illustrators spend a lot of time with the whole package, so to speak, from everything from the cover to the endpapers, the jacket, and the size. That makes for a tough translation to the e-book format. Leonardo the Terrible Monster has awesome, large illustrations that span two pages. You lose some of that electronically. Additionally, sometimes there are people who are just intimidated by new technology and need assistance with the learning curve of e-books. For these individuals, it might be a lot easier just to seek out the print.
That said, there are any number of advantages to e-books. Carrying around a tablet with multiple books on it is obviously easier than carrying around multiple books. Those who travel or read while out and about would obviously see the advantage. Changing text size, background color, etc. can help anyone, but can particularly helpful for those with visual issues. More books might be published due to self publication (which could be good or bad).
As for audiobooks, narration is a huge appeal. I've known some people who won't listen to books from their favorite authors if they do not like the narrator. But, that can work the other way, too, as some might give certain audiobooks a chance if they like a narrator, even if they have not tried that particular author before. There are certain aspects of audiobooks that cannot be easily recreated with a print book. One item that comes to mind is the beautiful music of Neil Gaiman's Graveyard Book. The music that is included in it really adds to the experience, though there is no doubt some people will feel that music can detract from a story.
Overall, I feel the two formats can coexist and that each has a place in the literary world. I've enjoyed print books, e-books, and audiobooks in different situations through my life. Personally, I have gravitated where I am mostly reading e-books, though, for the simplicity of having it on a device that I have with me all the time.
I've noticed that the feel of a book on CD with music and sound effects and full cast is very different from simple narration. I find that interesting because generally the simple narration by a single reader includes a variety of voices. I tend to like the narration better than the full production. Likewise, I discovered that I prefer narration of a book to recorded radio broadcasts. (Some of the Doctor Who audio books are actually recorded radio broadcasts.)
ReplyDeleteI find that my taste in narration follows the same pattern as my taste for book-to-movie adaptations; if that's not the way I imagined it (or would imagine it) when I read it, I don't enjoy it. For instance, I'm still hesitant to see the new Divergent movie because the clips I've seen in the trailers don't match up with the characters I imagined as I read it. Similarly, a few audiobooks that I've listened to because I originally enjoyed the print book didn't live up to my expectations. However, I recently 'reread' a few works by CS Lewis as audiobooks, and that narrator was exactly how the voice in my head sounded when I read the book originally. It's very much a matter of personal taste, so it's all the more important to know the style of narration in audiobooks before making suggestions to patrons.
ReplyDeleteI love e-books and I love hard back books. I think there is a place and time for each. I work at a computer all day, so when I am sitting down to relax to read a great book, I want to smell the book, feel the book, turn the pages-without a light from an electronic device searing what's left of my eyes, that already sit behind a half inch of glasses. I just wonder what the eyesight of the next generation is going to be like when they hit their 50's from reading so many e-books, staring at computers for hours, playing gaming devices and watching TV? When you come right down to it- your average person is staring at a light bulb for 10 hours a day!
ReplyDeleteHowever, that said-- I think e-books are actually fabulous and I enjoy them. I just worry about the effects of the technology on our health.