??What Happened to My Books??

This Christmas season millions of mom are rushing to the stores or getting online to purchase the Amazon Kindle, the nook, etc. My older sister already got one for her birthday, and my younger sister is begging for one for Christmas. Besides its impact on reading and the market in books, the impact of technology is readily visible through electronic reading devices. Families can afford to have multiple of a single technology rather than only desire a single product.
Besides its indications of the expanding market of technology that is personalized to individuals, the Kindle is also changing. The technology of these devices is rapidly changing as well. Originally, the devices simply were black and white, with only the ability to upload books. Recently the nook released a new version, the nookcolor.  (Dr. Bassett notice the William Gibson novel :)

These devices are redefining the industry as a whole. There is the talk of converting massive amounts of textbooks to electronic copies to reduce costs for students. One question I pose is: will the electronic book industry take off with the same fever as the music industry did with the release of the iPod. Apple has even made a division of iTunes called the iBookstore.

What does this mean for education? Are electronic books akin to a teacher over the Internet? We know these systems work, however learning is no longer the same. Without the tactile, the entire institution is called into question, in my opinion.  Online education is not nearly the same experience as attending an actual university where you live and thrive on campus. Readers don't get the same experience when they crack open a new book. The smell is missing, the feel of the pages as they are turned is entirely missing. When you finish an electronic book looks exactly the same as it did at the beginning, but with a paper book a reader can see the progress. With the advent of the electronic book, the electronic age is becoming even more visible.

I will, however, admit the convenience of these electronic books. They cater very well to the demands of society while still delivering the content. A reader no longer has to pack ten books in their bags as they go on vacation, they can simply pack their eReader, nook, or Kindle and read as many books as they like. They will never have to face the dread of finishing all of their books before the vacation is over.

The new electronic books bring new meanings for how we, as a population, read, purchase books and the development of new technologies by other companies. Not to mention, retailers won't mind one more product on their shelves.