I would not minimize the digital divide, which separates the computerized world from the rest, nor would I underestimate the importance of traditional books.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
We see ourselves as the world's digital library. That can be a lot more than books. We do want to expand to other types of content: sheet music, magazines, user-generated content.
I know in this time of great technological advancement, the idea of reading a book seems almost anachronistic, but I think it's worth preserving.
Textbooks are going to remain a key part of learning. They just need to go digital, become more interactive and they need more analytics.
I priced my books at what I would want to spend on an electronic book.
I think bookstore browsing will become more cherished as time goes on because it can't be replicated virtually.
What if there was a library which held every book? Not every book on sale, or every important book, or even every book in English, but simply every book - a key part of our planet's cultural legacy.
For people like me, books are something solid and real, whereas digital stuff is a bit more ethereal. I like the trophy on my shelf, the presence in my home. A nice book is just as valuable as a decoration as a beautiful porcelain urn - and, let's face it, a hell of a lot more useful.
Digital texts are all well and good, but books on shelves are a presence in your life. As such, they become a part of your day-to-day existence, reminding you, chastising you, calling to you. Plus, book collecting is, hands down, the greatest pastime in the world.
I occasionally read digital books when I'm traveling, but I do so begrudgingly.
I like shelves full of books in a library, but if all books become electronic, the task of big research libraries remains the same - keep what's published in the form in which it appeared.
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