Friday, March 30, 2012

Paper vs. Plastic

My mom's doing it. My boss is doing it.  Most of my friends and students are too.  I am not.  I have made a conscious decision to stay in the world of paper, paperback or hard back if the price is right.  To be fair, I am often a late adopter of technologies.  When I finally cross the line, I plunge head first. I just relinquished my razor last year and learned how to text.  I foresee a future where I will have to give in, but right now I can't and just won't.  Having a Kindle or a Nook would be perfect for me, even my daughter recognizes it, because I am an voracious reader.

 When I travel, books weigh down my luggage.  I typically read two or three at a time.   You never hear me utter the words, "I need to recharge my Kindle."  In fact, that would be a dangerous state for me, to be bookless, until the tool is recharged.  Unthinkable! How often do I use my phone until it dies?  Too often much to my husband's dismay. 

I love a book's portability. It can literally go anywhere. There are waterproof books, not that I own any, but you will often find me reading poolside, beachside, or even springside.  Splashes are inevitable. But the fiscal impact of a destroyed book doesn't hurt me as much. My friend loaned her e-reader to a student in the class and the student cracked the screen. Ouch!  When students return books to me, it doesn't matter their state.

The real reason that I haven't crossed-over is that e-books are not built to share. I live and work in a world where I share my books with more than one other reader.  I spend a significant number of dollars on books each year for my classroom.  (Too embarrassed to share the exact amount!)     E-books limit the number of times that I can share a book.

Books in my classroom move like wildfire, the most recent being Divergent by Veronica Roth. (If you read and liked Hunger Games, you will enjoy this book.) We are now anticipating the sequel, Insurgent.  We already have a waiting list.  Kids in my class pass books to their siblings and parents as well. In my personal life, I share books with many different adults, my sister, my ultimate friends, book club members, and others. Books such as The Language of Flowers and The Wild Trees will be passed among five or six adults hands until they makes their way back to me. 

I feel a little awkward sharing with my mom and my boss, people who have gone digital. It's like confessing I am a Luddite.  I still do it though, put good books in their hands. Until obsolescence, I will keep my paper. 

9 comments:

  1. I love your stories.Their so lively!

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  2. I know what you mean about using paper books instead of e-books. I am the same way when it comes to the battery dying on my cell phone. I would be very upset if I could not read because of a dead battery. In the same way, I go on vacation and always forget my charger. It has ruined my vacation many times. But at least I still have my books. :)

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  3. I am reading in both worlds right now, but I'm more likely to buy a real book vs. an e-book. Like you, I like to add books to my library at home and school. If I really need a new read, and my daughters might enjoy the book, I choose an e-book.

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  4. Luddites Unite! I am sticking with paper books. I love the way my books smell, the way they feel, the way I can turn down the corner to hold my place. I'm not sure I'll ever make this particular transition.

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  5. And they are so comforting to have on the shelves :)

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  6. Like Chris, I read in both realms. My brother and I just had this conversation though about why I prefer books in hand. Luddite! Hardly you.

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  7. I love having both. If I were in the classroom, I don't believe I would have purchased an e-reader. Now I love downloading free books, borrowing paper books from the library, and still giving Amazon lots of money for both.

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  8. I have a Nook, and I like it. But, I still love to browse the shelves and hand books off to friends and students too. Even though they weigh me down traveling, a woman once told me a book I gave her changed her life. That book was given in a hostel, both of us women en route. That kind of exchange is too precious to risk losing to convenience.

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