One thing I can’t ever see eBooks replacing is the architectural and fetishistic role printed books play in our lives. There is palpable difference to the feeling and nuance of reading a book in a room lined with books, each spine a visual clue to the infinity of thought that lies within its covers. A personal library is a physical representation of your spiritual and intellectual self, a personal church to reflect and be inspired in. A file list in a menu does not do this.
Perhaps this role of digital books is to be the Netflix of publishing. Try before you own. A quote from this Wired article suggests, “I’d rather be a renter in Borges’ library than the owner of my own.”
I would amend it to, “I’d would like to be a renter in Borges’ library and then build my own.”
Photo: Gabriel García Márquez in in the library of his home in Mexico
Mine would, too.
I’m sort of curious about all the little ebook gadgets out there (at the moment they’re way too out of my price range,...
…or, we could think about owning an eBook reader, and making good use of a library card… :-)
this is on my Christmas list. sometimes it’s the object itself, not the content, that we love.