First Kindle, then I-Pad, now Kindle Fire reader tablets. What is happening to good old fashioned books? And what do futurists say about books and book stores? Scary as it sounds, some predict the end of book stores as we know them and that e-books are the wave of the future. Already cozy little bookstores run by "mom and pop" are biting the economic dust. Big ones too, if you count Borders.
This phenomena has even invaded my own home as my husband, at first resistant, has joined the Kindle cheer leading team. A victim of beginning cataracts he loves the ease of reading his tablet, not to mention that buying a new book is but a few clicks away. Hey! He knows intellectually that he should be walking down to our little local book store to support it and get a dose of daily exercise, but the pull of instant gratification and a tad bit of laziness play into his love affair with his electronic tablet.I am a hold out, and hope to remain that way for as long as possible. My love of books began before grade school even started. Later, as a proud member of the top Brownie reading group in my first grade class I was filled with awe as I followed the antics of Dick, Jane, and Spot, followed by Grimm's Fairy Tales, Nancy Drew, Nurse Cheryl Ames, and every Zane Grey western novel written. As a farm girl I sat perched high in a cedar tree, lost for hours in one story or another, with the Bookmobile my weekly supplier of new adventures. The school library was my favorite room at school, replaced only by the Bellingham city library when I was older.
I loved all the trappings of the classroom, the smell of crayons, the colorful posters, finger painting, and the three R's. Well, maybe not 'rithmetic. But everything else. And above all , books and reading. Even at night, after the lights were supposed to be out and I was tucked in my bed, I would sneak a book and a flashlight under the covers in order to read a little bit more. And I was not alone. Many of us at my small country school found escape in reading, then play acting out the stories at recess. I still remember the deliciously suspenseful story of Blue Beard and the locked room that no one could enter. Books were a window on a world filled with fantasy, realism and dreams. They helped to shape what we became and promoted human interaction as well.
Now, as an elementary school teacher, I watch children still finding joy in reading the old fashioned way and discussing their favorite stories. The book mobile is gone, but the virtual classroom is not a reality yet, thank goodness. I hope the futurists have it wrong, and that books will be there for future generations.
Yes, technology is changing how we read, but even more how we relate to each other. Besides ordering books from our homes, we can shop, bank, buy food, play games, talk to others all over the world, even have intimate conversations with total strangers. With telecommuting some folks don't even have to leave the comfort of their homes during any given day. Even going to church becomes a passive experience. I believe that creativity is one of our national strengths, but I fear it will be harmed without the excitement of sharing ideas with one another face to face.
And while I am mourning the change in our nation's reading habits, let me also mourn the gradual passing away of the newspaper world. Luckily I can still sit with my now skinny Seattle Times and a cup of coffee while I read about the day's events. But I can see the handwriting creeping slowly up the wall. Classifieds tell the sad story. Want to rent an apartment, get a job or find a garage sale? Forget the Times and go to Craig's List. It's free and comprehensive. I know I'm guilty of having advertised a rental home there, and what's more, I got results quickly and for free. FREE. Sadly, newspapers can't compete with that. As the romantic and slower paced day of horses and buggies have passed into history, so too may newspapers, books and book stores. Will I soon be reading about the good old days on a Kindle Fire? In this crazy world, probably.
I guess I just have to accept a future with technology invading every aspect of my daily life. Let's face it. I love my computer, my cell phone, looking up stuff on the internet, and yes, I confess it, texting. I just want the world to slow down a bit so that little kids in the future can climb trees with books and not worry about the battery dying.
I loved all the trappings of the classroom, the smell of crayons, the colorful posters, finger painting, and the three R's. Well, maybe not 'rithmetic. But everything else. And above all , books and reading. Even at night, after the lights were supposed to be out and I was tucked in my bed, I would sneak a book and a flashlight under the covers in order to read a little bit more. And I was not alone. Many of us at my small country school found escape in reading, then play acting out the stories at recess. I still remember the deliciously suspenseful story of Blue Beard and the locked room that no one could enter. Books were a window on a world filled with fantasy, realism and dreams. They helped to shape what we became and promoted human interaction as well.
Now, as an elementary school teacher, I watch children still finding joy in reading the old fashioned way and discussing their favorite stories. The book mobile is gone, but the virtual classroom is not a reality yet, thank goodness. I hope the futurists have it wrong, and that books will be there for future generations.
Yes, technology is changing how we read, but even more how we relate to each other. Besides ordering books from our homes, we can shop, bank, buy food, play games, talk to others all over the world, even have intimate conversations with total strangers. With telecommuting some folks don't even have to leave the comfort of their homes during any given day. Even going to church becomes a passive experience. I believe that creativity is one of our national strengths, but I fear it will be harmed without the excitement of sharing ideas with one another face to face.
And while I am mourning the change in our nation's reading habits, let me also mourn the gradual passing away of the newspaper world. Luckily I can still sit with my now skinny Seattle Times and a cup of coffee while I read about the day's events. But I can see the handwriting creeping slowly up the wall. Classifieds tell the sad story. Want to rent an apartment, get a job or find a garage sale? Forget the Times and go to Craig's List. It's free and comprehensive. I know I'm guilty of having advertised a rental home there, and what's more, I got results quickly and for free. FREE. Sadly, newspapers can't compete with that. As the romantic and slower paced day of horses and buggies have passed into history, so too may newspapers, books and book stores. Will I soon be reading about the good old days on a Kindle Fire? In this crazy world, probably.
I guess I just have to accept a future with technology invading every aspect of my daily life. Let's face it. I love my computer, my cell phone, looking up stuff on the internet, and yes, I confess it, texting. I just want the world to slow down a bit so that little kids in the future can climb trees with books and not worry about the battery dying.
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