Are E-Books Replacing Print?

View from the inside of Borders in 

Holyoke, MA which closed last year.

Books are going digital. In today’s world, technology is on the rise – improving itself every day, and now it has moved into our libraries. Megan King, a Best Buy customer specialist, reported that the most popular item out there is the e-reader. The devices allow the owner to download thousands of electronic books (e-books) and store them conveniently in a palm sized library. These books can even be read straight from a computer screen. The many benefits e-books have over print is creating an astounding effect on book sales, as well as influencing schools to join in this new fad. As technology is paving its way into our literature, a question of the long term effects arises – are hard copy books going to be replaced?

It is no secret that college textbooks are not cheap. Ashley Reale, Assistant Manager at the Westfield State University bookstore, stated that the store is starting to see an increase in e-textbook purchases. The reason being; they are far cheaper than printed texts. For each textbook available, there is generally the option to purchase an e-book file instead. Reale goes on to say, “In the next ten years I believe that the traditional text-book will be less common or be superseded by the E-Book.” College leaders have even taken notice of the popularity of e-books, according to Jeffrey R. Young from The Chronicle, and are proposing that they make e-textbooks required reading to control the skyrocketing costs.

As popular and cost savvy as e-books are, there can be some downsides as well. According to Diane Prusank, a professor at WSU, recent experiments done at campuses across the country have found that many students do not like the e-reader experience.  Professor Prusank explains that e-books, as well as e-textbooks, are still in a state of evolution. Issues such as note taking, highlighting, and compatibility still need to be worked out. Not only that, technology is far from indestructible. A problem with your computer or e-reader can trigger loss of files. According to Megan King, as the e-readers were the most popular item to buy this season, they were also the item most returned. The devices would glitch, overheat, and screens would break. On a matter of opinion King stated, “Books are always reliable, e-readers are not.”

Andy Rooney, from CBS’s 60 Minutes, told his viewers all about e-books last Sunday. He revealed that e-books are now selling better then paperback. As e-books may not be for everyone, there is no doubt that they are gaining momentum in today’s society. With e-books now outselling print, what does this mean for the future of books? A Borders bookstore employee tells us that since books are now available through another source, “the number of people that will actually buy a hard copy is going to continue to decrease.”  Borders is set to close in the next couple weeks. The employee goes on to say, "I would attribute this store closing to the simple fact that people don't have to buy books from a bookstore, they are available to order online, and available to read online."