Print Lives
Some people pride themselves on being able not only to follow trends, but to predict them. One trend of the last 20 years or so is to claim that the end of the book is near. To them, I say . . . never!
The book: the thing that Guttenberg made available to the masses, thus changing the very world in which we live. I was watching one of the most phenomenal movies ever the other day, Ghostbusters. In one scene in the 1984 blockbuster, Egon tells Janine, "Print is dead." At least I think that's what he says. She goes on to say how interesting that is, but how she is a great lover of books. I agree - the book lives on! Long live the print!
Until computers can run on love, and do not require heat-mediating fans, the book will never be replaced. Many people enjoy reading a good book while curled up in bed. As wonderful and absolutely fantastical as the computer and the Internet are, you just can't do the same things with them as you can with a book. It is incredible that dedicated people have taken the time and effort to scan many worthwhile books into computer databases, thus making them not only live on forever, but also available to many more people, via the Internet.
I cheered on as the ebook took shape and became more common. And I cheer on the awesome power of the Internet each and every day, as it provides for instant communication with various persons across the globe - it's phenomenal! However, I argue further that the book will never be snuffed out, as the book is the primary vehicle by which students learn. College students don't grumble about the price of a floppy disk for class . . . they grumble (and for good reason) over the at-times phenomenally high price of . . . textbooks! Though some people privy to the technological advancements of today will predict the decline of books, those very same people will be curling up with a book in bed, not a laptop. And most professors will not start to ask for only emailed papers . . . they will continue to require hard copies of written work. No, the printed word lives on!