And Another Thing

What is “the library” now and what is it it going to become as the market for the e-reader grows?

Right now, the Oxford English Dictionary describes a library as this: “A building or room containing collections of books, periodicals, and sometimes films and recorded music for people to read, borrow, or refer to.”

At my house, where live two avid readers, my father and I have combined our book collections in order to fill up a single room in the house with our literature. This, we call our “library,” and it is a source of great pride for us. First of all, the mere fact that we have it, that there is a room in our house dedicated just to the holding of books, serve as some testament to our love of literature. Second, it is a great feeling to be able to survey the vast number of books we have collected and to note the number of “classics” we have acquired. There are a fair number of these,The Great Gatsby being one, which we own in triplicate or quadruplicate between the two of us. Our library has become somewhat of a biography; books my dad got in college stand next to ones I purchased with my allowance as a little girl, books from our short-lived religious phase stand in one corner, books about war from my father’s first days in the Marine Corps stand in another. The library is something we like to show off, let guests peruse, perhaps even pull a book or two off the shelf that they would like to read. We like the way the books stand on the shelf and we have arranged them to be visually appealing. The library being the first room one sees upon entering the house, it has become a representation for our entire family.

Will the personal library be the first thing to go with the e-reader? How many people will still desire to keep physical copies of their books when their collections don’t take up even a shelf, much less an entire room?

It seems sort of like a problem akin to the “books without covers” dilemma discussed in the New York Times article posted here. With book collections stored in a computer, how will we show off what we have collected? How will we let others see the things we have discovered in literature?

Maybe, as others here have suggested, books will become a collectible item, and the personal library will not die out but will instead become like any other collection of old and vintage things -- things not to be touched or read but admired and handled delicately, valuable because of their age and irrelevancy.

And what of the bookstore? The bookstore, while not on the “free” level of the public level, certainly fits the dictionary definition of one. It’s been addressed before how the convenience of the e-bookstore is going to be game-changing. And Amazon has been doing it digitally for years; difference is, until recently when you purchased a book online, it was actually mailed to you in all its papery glory. Once the book is an entirely digital format (and I don’t have much doubt that soon it will happen across the board), are mega-bookstore chains like Barnes & Noble and Borders going to go out of business? Or will they make the switch and go into competition against Amazon and the Kindle? Barnes & Noble has already taken steps with the Nook, which they are trying to sell by appealing to our sense of brand loyalty. (A tactic that will probably work; for many, including myself, Barnes & Noble is a source of many childhood memories.)

Shopping for books will undoubtedly become much simpler with the e-reader, it has that to be said for it. Instead of going to the bookstore and picking out a book almost at random, people will be able to see personalized recommendations based on what they have purchased before. There will be no kneeling, pacing, or cranking of the head to read spines necessary; the books on the bottom shelf will get purchased just as much as those at eye level. Not only that, but the distinguishing between hard- and soft-cover books will be gone; each individual book, except special editions and the like, will be sold at equal price no matter which copy you buy. It might be a nice change, though admittedly I will personally be a little frustrated as an avid collector of hardcovers.

People keep talking about how books won’t go as easily as our other dead media has, but think of the letter. The letter went out with an enormous fight because people simply didn’t see email as a personal or meaningful method of communicating with loved ones. It was years before personal emailings came into wide use. But still, they did, and now the only mail we get are bills and magazines.

I guess what I’m really asking is this: how long is it going to be before the Oxford English Dictionary removes the words “building” and “room” from their definition of “library”? Will we ever move completely from the physical into the digital?

The Death of the Bookstore slash Coffeeshop

There’s been a good deal of discussion here about the nostalgic comfort of the paper book, and how many won’t want to do away with them because of fondness for the thick weight and smell of a good book, memories attached to them, the way favorites copies get worn and thin, the notes lining the margins. I’ll agree and say that those things are going to be had to let go of. But as far as comforts go, have we considered basic physical comforts when comparing the old paper books and the new, streamlined e-readers?

Consider how one usually approaches reading a book. We like to get comfortable, wrap ourselves in blankets, recline on the couch or in bed. We light the pages with a lamp or candles.

One’s book can be read, for the most part, single-handedly, and one can hold a warm cup of coffee or eat an apple while one reads if one wishes. One can hold the book steady with just one’s thumb if one needs to reposition one’s self, and there’s no need to worry much if the pages get ruffled or bent a little; it will still read just the same. If one needs to get up, the book can pretty much be tossed to the side. Though it’s made of paper, the book is pretty durable and made for a good bit of wear.

From the very beginning, though, the very act of reading with the e-reader is completely different. It is an expensive piece of technology and must be handled delicately. Holding it one-handed is a little too wobbly for the cautious user’s taste. And perish the thought of getting coffee near it! And the e-reader can’t be held up for too long before wrists will get tired. We’ll have to prop up our knees or put the reader on a table and bend over it. The adjustments necessary to simply hold it will prevent the same level of curling up and relaxing as with a paper book. And instead of the cozy yellow light of lamp, we’ll be faced with the same glaring white that tires our eyes day in and day out with our computer screens. Though purportedly the e-reader screens are designed to be less harsh on the eyes, there’s no doubt that the white light can never be as soft as the yellow light of a bulb. Not just because of the brightness but also because it’ll be shining right into our eyes, as opposed to reflecting on the page from above or behind.

The way we use and think about books is going to have to change, too, obviously. It’s been discussed before in this blog that reading is supposed to serve as an escape of sorts from the modern world of nonstop communication and technological interaction. With the e-reader, your book is just going to be another window open on your computer -- useful when wanting to google a word, perhaps, but also a distraction when the action in the story is slowing and all you have to do is flick your finger to see what’s happening on Facebook. I have a feeling the e-reader is going to do much to help with the problem of our ever-shortening attention spans.

Alongside that are the conflicting emotions that are probably going to make a good-sized division between paper and electronic books. When you spend the day reading a book, you feel accomplished, like you’ve been feeding your intellectualism, doing something worthwhile. No matter how you swing it, though, a day in front of a screen can tend to feel like a waste. You get that sick, dizzy feeling, like you just need to go outside and get something done and not feel like such a slob. Although the feeling might be lessened if you’ve actually enjoyed a good novel on said screen, I have a hard time believing that the negative associations we have with computer screens are going to disappear completely with the advent of the e-reader. Not many people are keen to feel like the deadened, technology-dependent citizens of the future (á la Brave New World), but I guess anything can change.

Apparently we already know how to use it?

It was in between an intense episode of 'Dancing With the Stars' (Yes, I'm forced to watch it with the parental unit now that I have landed home for summer...) when an ipad commercial appeared before me on the television screen. At first, I was slightly perturbed with this commercial because it was trying to sell me this magnified itouch for those who may be technologically challenged, not to mention they threw Winnie the Pooh in there to make it seem kid/user friendly-er which slightly ruined my childhood bliss! The most insulting thing about the commercial was the slogan of "you already know how to use it." I DO?! Well Mr. Mac, I must have been sick that day when the entire world found out how to use an ipad, because I'm still trying to catch up with how to use the itouch! I'm not great with change...

Alas, I immediately decided to vent some of my frustration and anxiety of this "device" to Miss. Cait Smith, with whom I was simultaneously skype-ing. Panic stricken with the foreseen future and master plan of the ipad to take over real books, close down book stores, ignore the accomplishment of highlighting, and ultimately change literature as we know it, Miss. Smith had but one thing to say.

"Yeah, but look at how important technology plays into our sphere of communication and being able to stay in touch! I mean we're talking to each other and we're on two sides of the country!"


Miss. Smith has a very, very good point. Not only has communication amongst individuals transformed so greatly over the past few years, but it has allowed us to come into contact with other parts of the world more realistically via web cams, video chats etc., (chatroulette anyone?) 

Sometimes when I have just finished a book and am looking for a new one to read I think about finding a story that makes me feel more connected, as an individual, to a community, a country, a world or perhaps simply just another individual in another world. Anything that helps me to feel connected. I started to think of the ipad slogan of already knowing how as meaning to present the ipad as a device not terribly complex. So, maybe a lot of other people around the world know how to use it to? And maybe with this 'simple,' more compact, digital way of sharing a lot of things, books being one of them, we will be able to more freely connect with other readers, authors and casual writers around the world? I like that...


When I think about it in terms of Miss. Smith's phrase-ology, I wouldn't trade in skype for the first version of AIM just like I would never like to permanently delete e-mail to go back to snail mail. In some way all these technological advances, that we have seen develop throughout our culture in the past decade, have allowed us opportunities for connection with others everywhere, for better or worse.  Could the ipad help me feel more easily connected when searching for that next book to read? I'm sure it would be more time efficient (I tend to get lost in bookstores - literally). Having millions of books at one touch of our fingertips is a little exciting! Being able to see others 'virtual' bookshelves is an interesting thought too, and I think experiencing electronic reading is something that has to be done in order to be genuinely critiqued. 

If I haven't tried it yet, I guess I don't really have much of a reason to hate it...yet.

Hamburger Automatenverlag

Gizmodo had this brief blurb about re-purposed cigarette machines. They are modified to dispense books. I'm not sure what or if this has a bearing on the digital human but this is the most likely place I thought of to share it.

Some Strange Things Been Happenin' to Me: The iPad and the Compartments of Our Lives

Isn't it interesting, how the iPad added the whole multi-functionality factor? Before the iPad, we were pretty bedazzled by just reading lots of books in one square thing. With the iPad, we do that and lots of other stuff. We work, we play, we lounge, we YouTube, we blog... I remember the first commercial I ever saw for the iPhone. It featured a woman walking down the street, listening to a poppy tune and enjoying it, when suddenly the tune stopped and she got a call from a friend. Boom. The iPhone: An iPod … AND a cell phone! My response was twofold: I thought it was ridiculous (since when were “Pimp My Ride” maneuvers—so now your car is transportation AND a keg AND a crib AND et cetera— viable for iPods?) and I thought it was horrifying because I didn’t want Simon and Garfunkel to be interrupted by some guy who wants me to answer a survey or even one of my best friends. Simon and Garfunkel were much more important. Little did I know that I would end up owning an iPhone (a gift), and that I would have to face those unwelcome interruptions many times.

[Woody thought technology was stupid, too. He was in for a 90-minute, two-sequel surprise.]

So we seem to love when we can cram so many compartments of our lives into one single object. At least that’s what Steve Jobs has catered to with the iPa,d, and all his other iProducts (iCreations).

But wasn’t the computer itself the beginning of this trend? Haruki Murakami, the Japanese writer (and runner) makes a remark about this in his book What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, stating why, even now, he prefers to use MD players to iPods when jogging:

“A lot of runners now use iPods, but I prefer the MD player I’m used to. It’s a little bigger than an iPod and can’t hold nearly as much data, but it works for me. At this point I don’t want to mix music and computers. Just like it’s not good to mix friends and work, and sex.” (14)

At this point I don’t want to mix music and computers. Hmm. Must be some of that Oriental meditational subconscious.

I think this has already been mentioned before, so I will reiterate: what was so great about the book in the first place was that it was separated from life. You could breathe from it. With the e-readers we still had that. But now the iPad wants to integrate the book with everything. Is this bad, or is this good? To use a phrase from Thomas Merton, how much of our “compartmentalized being” is further compartmentalized when we add all our little compartments to one object—and how much is it integrated? Is there such a thing as the fully integrated human being? …

Ok, I don’t know how I got there.

I just know that when I sit down to read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, I sit down to read What I Talk About When I Talk About Running—and not do that while I work on my English paper on “Pages” and on an economics spreadsheet on “Numbers” (I do not take an economics class, thank you). And I don’t want those things to be a click away. I want to be with Murakami and his words. I’m not saying that the iPad or any of the others destroy this. I’m just… blogging.

***

This was originally a response to Chris Langer's previous post. It was when it kept expanding that I decided to make it a new entry of its own. But as it is, I still consider it an adjunct to his "initiation" post.

initiation

So since I've come back home for the summer I've come into contact with two of the e-readers: the Kindle and the Ipad. My best friends dad had the Kindle and took me on a walkthrough on the cool features and even showed me how to download a book. It literally took like twenty seconds which is so amazing. He loves it; he even bought a little cover so it looks like a real book. My friend remarked when he saw this that he could bring it to church and just read because it looked so much like a song book. I was very impressed by the Kindle; easy to read on, doesn't hurt your eyes at all like computers sometimes do and just the speed of downloading a book and the organization of it was impressive.

But, the second I started playing around with the Ipad at the Apple Store the Kindle looked like ancient technology, just as one of the previous posts talked about the gameboys looking older and older. The Kindle had no color; the Ipad was vibrant inviting and extremely user friendly. I saw a commercial on the Ipad earlier and it said "you already know how to use it." It's true. With the technology of touch screen all around us, we all already know how to use the Ipad. It's just so simple, Apple's trademark. The Apple Genius taught me how to download a book and highlight and bookmark and all the things I love about reading a book.

The Kindle was a great start to the e-reader craze, but I think the Ipad and possibly others that I haven't encountered yet have surpassed it. Kindle is popular for it's originality, but these other types are taking that success and running away with it. After finally using the Ipad, I cannot wait till next year to explore the ins and outs with all of you.

Nook Commercial: "My Story"

Saw this commercial on TV yesterday, on NBC:

Note that there are two "progressions" at play here: the girl's eventual maturing into adulthood paralleled with the book's eventual "maturing" into the e-reader (Nook). The transition from book to nook, though, occurs abruptly: we are expected to take it at face value ("of course I'll read a nook at the beach after reading Pride and Prejudice in the library!"). Also, the commercial uses the girl’s (and viewers’) sense of “nostalgia” for the book to “seduce you” into the Nook—(the witch opens the treasure cove to reveal to Hansel and Gretel a beautiful Nook, and Hansel and Gretel step into the cove, without realizing that it is an oven…).

I have yet to do further thinking on this subject, but suffice to say, I think there is more at play here than mere ad rhetoric. Any comments?

Robot Babies

I was recently reading a book with many, many end notes. Wouldnt it be great if instead of interrupting your reading by flipping to the back of the book, you could simply click the end note that was conveniently fashioned as a link? Then, if you wished, the end note information could appear as a new window on your screen. Do any e-readers already do this?

Also, Ive been thinking more about computers and people merging into some artificial intelligence singularity. I think if this happens, we should just embrace this new human/robot state and love these super-smart humanoids. Of course if we are open to loving them as humans, we also have to be open to hating them or being annoyed with them or any of the human emotions that can accompany a relationship. Also if we were are prepared to treat artificial intellingence with human standards, then we must be fully prepared to treat one another with robot standards too (whatever they may be) to ensure equal reciprocation. This, at this point, may be something wholly removed from acceptance and love. And since this version of "tolerance" has yet to be negotiated or acheived as far as I've seen, I don't feel optimistic for the (near?) future of "human/intuitional products" that the dawn of e-readers seems (to me) to be promising. So I guess that sort of leaves me where I started: slightly confused.

Updating the MLA?

Here's a question: I'm working on an article, and I'm reading Wilkie Collins' The Frozen Deep on my Kindle--it was a free download! So... how do I cite my textual evidence from a Kindle? Who gets credit for editing? publishing? date of publication? page number? site? Does the publication belong to amazon? What do I put for the intertextual citation? And how would someone locate my evidence if they didn't own a Kindle (versus being able to go to the library or jstor or the like). Has MLA, APA, or other citation styles caught up w/ this potential loophole... er, I mean, new source option?

Fresh Air interview: Can The iPad Or The Kindle Save Book Publishers?

Reading with an e-reader, some pros.

So, several years ago I hacked my PSP so that I could read books on it. I would hold it sideways in my hand and advance the page with my pinky, an awkward position that I quickly got used to. It had a small screen and you'd have to change the text to white on a black background or it would give you a headache focusing, but there were several advantages to this. First, access to books. As much as everybody loves their local bookstore it has to contend with the physical problem of space. Even large chains like B&N can only accommodate a small percentage of all the books written in their gigantic, warehouse like stores. However, in the digital medium you can fit thousand and thousands of books on a microSD smaller than your thumb. Thus, with access to the internet and its endless storage capacity you can find and read any book you could ever want in less than an hour. For example, finding a copy of William S. Burroughs' Junkie in rural Alabama is impossible and it would have taken me a week or more to order it. But, with the possibility of an e-reader I was halfway through it by that evening. The next positive is space, since you can only carry so many books on you at once; even a normal sized hardcover becomes awkward to carry around with you all day if you don't have some type of bag. But, I could slip my PSP in my pant's pocket and have 200 books available to me at anytime. Third, you can search through all of the text automatically with a single keyword or phrase. How many times have you remember something mentioned in a book and then spent 20 minutes trying to track it down because you didn't underline it? Lastly, it does free up where you can read. You don't need a light source and it's small and light, making it perfect for reading during long car trips at night or when you don't want to disturb your roommate.
Anyways, these were a few of the benefits that I noticed while using an e-reader. Of course, there were also serious problems with it but that's a different story.

iPad Does it All!!!

To prove the iPad can do almost anything:

New iPad Test - Will It Shred? from FUEL TV on Vimeo.

I can't wait until I've finally got the time....

Hello!

First off, I'm sure it's obvious that I am new to this blogging group and even more so, the 'bloger lifestyle.' This should be interesting....

As I was sitting here staring at my screen of nothingness, I kept reprimanding myself for not being able to think of something to say regarding this issue of literary technology, or how the integration of such technology is, and will proceed to, infringe upon the boundaries that physical literature has set. However, I did notice a common thought blurb that had been floating through my head these past few weeks as I have begun to pack up my orbs of crap and as classes are winding down: "Man, I can't wait for summer...I'm finally going to get to read all these things that I've been wanting to!" 

(Pause)

Wait a minute self...I'm getting the feeling that this statement of potential fun and hopefulness actually negates what I have been doing for the whole year, as well as what I am capable of doing on a daily basis.

I read everyday. In fact, I just exited off the screen of my Yahoo account where I read my daily horoscope (I'm a Gemini if anyone out there is a Virgo, we would apparently do well together).

I'm pretty befuddled with this epiphany of reading something (whether of informational substance or not) everyday. Where does all that information go? Because, I certainly am not going to sleep at night feeling profoundly moved, interested or even slightly curios about Cookie's relationship with Candi Kane on Facebook. It's almost like when reading a novel and finishing it, I can place it down on my desk and say "Damn, I'm good." As if reading something of literal weight gave me direct knowledge.

At this point in my blogging adventure, I feel ready to take the next step in this process and admit that I am one of those individuals who believes that books on my shelf make me feel smart! I know, I know, I should be feeling that I am smart no matter what right? But, it's this rush of accomplishment when I look at all the books that I have scattered here and there and think about the 'journey' and perhaps sometimes 'struggle' of completion.  The fact that I managed to persevere through clumsy words and abstract ideas. The physical-ness of actual novels and books seem to, in some way, define my worth, or feelings of knowledge that is complete and carved into my long term memory. Those items on my shelf also serve as something that people can look at and be jealous of! Not that making people jealous of me is important in life...but it certainly helps bring a spark of color to the mundane.

Although a kindle or ipad will always lack in the sensation department of smell and touch of a "real" novel, I hope to prove myself wrong and am incredibly curious to see if reading a novel on something technologically 'hip' can provide me with the same ambiance that I receive from a physical book. Will a story, poem or novel still be considered completely read if it hasn't been marked and bleed upon with florescent colors? Will I be able to walk away from this new e-reader relationship with a feeling of spousal equality? Or will reading information from another form of a computer screen feel just like my empty inbox or horoscope?

That's all I've got, I've got to go change my facebook status....

Another rant about Kindles' lack of book cover:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/farleys-bookshop/kindles-arent-books/392189066362