[WEB4LIB] RE: why ebooks and when?

[Jenny Levine]

----- Original Message -----
From: <rich at richardwiggins.com>
> Here's my rule, which hasn't been revoked by the Palm Pilot or the e-book:
computers are for searching, and paper is for reading.  Yes you can read a
backlit LCD display in the dark without an Itty Bitty Book Light, but the
resolution is still poor.

    While I agree with Rich overall, I would argue that this is changing for
the "Net Generation."  Kids growing up with GameBoys, Cybikos, and PDAs will
not have the same biases against reading ebooks that we do.  You can already
read a few ebooks on the old Cybikos, and the new ones are just now coming
out.  And not that they've even sold particularly well, but these devices
will be pervasive for them, and it will seem much more natural for them to
read an electronic screen, especially a small one.
    Plus, some company will figure out how to magnify the text on a small
screen or project it on a wall or something like that which will make it
easier to read text on a device and kids will embrace it because it won't be
technology to them.  To them, it will seem perfectly natural.  Imagine the
boost reading would get if you could add interactive texts like the
"ChooseYour Own Adventure" titles to a Gameboy.

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Jenny Levine                                          125 Tower Drive
Internet Development Specialist              Burr Ridge, IL 60527
Suburban Library System                       +1 (630) 734 5141
http://www.sls.lib.il.us/                            levinej at sls.lib.il.us
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