Books: Still Relevant for Students?

Nothing beats the random-accessibility of a printed book. No electronic technology can reproduce the simple act of flipping through a book, making unexpected discoveries or flipping back and forth between specific pages.

On the other hand no printed material has the ability to hyperlink on specific keywords like electronic media.

Each source of information has its advantages. Both need to be available for students in libraries.

For this reason, do I collect books, and pay for their storage every month... that one day, someone may, with absolutely no wisdom whatsoever, may ask such a simple question, and choose wrongly, thereby condemning to ignorance and falsehood, generations to come...

That is the death knell of civilization that I fear. I take this as seriously as many people take their right to arms. It is appropriate for all who seek public office to understand what supports the basic fabric of civilization. While information flows faster every day, it is the 'hard copy' of information that enforces it's evidentiary and peristence functions.

The future depends on history, and history depends on books.

Chris

I can't think of a better way to control what young people are exposed to; and, thus, eliminate exposure from one political/social/religious ideology, and maximum exposure to a "desired" ideology.

While that has been done to a certain extent with hard-copy books (Lady Chatterley's Lover, Lolita and even Catcher In The Rye were banned from my '60's high school library), just think how much easier it would/will be with ebooks!!

Ah, yes, "1984" will arrive eventually, possibly through the NEA and friends.

Hooker

Suppose the emf bomb starts landing, or all the overstressed power grids cascade into a molten pile of scrap. All the precious electronic files are simply gone, period, no tattered copies to be reprinted and redistributed, just gone. Then the true lament will begin for the day the last book dies. As previously stated, ideas and beliefs have been banned for centuries and the only thing that kept them afloat was the believer that kept the cherished copy of that belief hidden away to be shared with others. An ebook library is only a library when the powers on, otherwise it is a black hole of nothing

There is room for both. E-books are nice as you don't have to haul them around and you can just send someone the text by e-mail. However, how many times has everyone here gone on the net to look up a text, only to print it and read the paper version or to put it in a binder, that's sitting on a shelf in your office for future use? Or printed of a report to reference to in a report of your own, because it was just easier to have the paper copy sitting next to you while formulating your own thoughts?

Books are indeed great for reference, but they also have a calming influence and keep you focussed on the task at hand. With the amount of popups, ads and other irrelevant info on the side, electronic media try to distract you at every turn to check out the new this and that. And while you're at it, why not try this new program or that new application for the website you're on.

And then I'm not even starting on the fact that a lot of reports, research papers etc are now only accessable through paysites. But that is a whole other discussion.

Books are still very relevant and provide a certainty that is getting lost in the ever changing internet.