Are Ebooks Replacing Books?

Are paper books becoming things of the past?

As technology is becoming more advanced, one of the ways it becomes a part of our lives is through how we read. Reading is still a popular form of entertainment, three out of four Americans read for recreation. Reading is a major part of education and of many different professions. Terms like ebook and ereader have become a part of the modern vocabulary. As we integrate these into our lives, it becomes a valid question to ask whether or not their advent signals the death of the book.

Numbers Do the Talking

Ebooks are not cost prohibitive.

The popularity of the ebook is expanding rapidly. They created roughly $263 million in revenue in 2010 and increased in sales by 193%. The average cost of a hardcover book is $13.27, whereas the prices for paperbacks are usually cheaper. The average cost of an ebook bestseller on Amazon.com is $9.73.

Read for Free

Your computer can contain your entire library.

Ebooks are not only available from pay sites, but there are also over 1.5 million free books available on websites like Project Guttenberg, Feedbooks, Google Books and Manybooks.net. There is a wide variety available to meet the interests of the reader. Genres like mysteries, science fiction, biographies and children's literature are all represented. One area where the paper book might have an edge is in the area of out-of-print books or hard to find older titles, but there are a few websites dedicated to conquering this, like Vintage-ebooks.com.

Paper or Plastic

The average ereader costs $143.28, but he most popular device for reading an ebook is not an ereader, it's the laptop. Yet, with a book, you don't need any sort of technological accessory. Though for many people, a smart phone or a laptop is seen as more of a necessity rather than a technical indulgence. The ability to read ereader screens in direct light has gotten better. The more recent models to come out have addressed the issue of glare, but with a book it's not a concern.

Paper Lives

Libraries and ebooks have a tenuous relationship.

The book does have an advantage in the fact that it is readily available for free through public libraries. Library cards are free. There are around 122,101 libraries in America. Some of them are able to lend ebooks, but only under certain restrictions, lest the free access undermine the business of selling electronic copies. Books are also easy to lend, swap or resell to stores that sell used books. Electronic books are making inroads into people's lives, but the paper book is still alive and well, for now. Technology has yet to advance to the stage where it can replicate the feel, smell and visceral sensation of holding a book in your hands, and for some readers, that is a part of the experience.

References

• MSNBC: Poll: One in Four Adults Read No Books Last Year
• ReadWriteWeb: Top Trends of 2010: Growth of eBooks & eReaders
• Mashable: E-book Sales Up 193% So Far This Year
• Amazon: Bestsellers in Books
• Project Gutenberg
• Feedbooks

Resources

• Google Books
• Many Books
• Borrego Publishing: Vintage-eBooks
• Electronic Books & Ereaders
• Amazon: Ereader
• American Library Association
• Read Write Web: Will Your Local Library Lend EBooks? (Or Can They?)
• Book Buyers: Used Books and Media
• Gizmodo: The Ultimate Guide to Ebook Readers We Care About
• Electronics and the Decline of Books: The Transformation of the Classroom