Book Sale

This afternoon I went to the Friends of Stewart Hall book sale. Going to book sales has always been one of the highlights of my life. There are few things as satisfying as finding a treasure you always wanted - or one you never even knew existed. I must admit, though, that the lustre has been dimming over the last year or so. I have a wonderful home library with most of my true favourites. I'm also a member of two excellent public libraries where I can get most of the new releases I want to read. And finally, in addition to the thousands of physical books I own, I have hundreds more ebooks - again including many newer releases.

Therein lies the rub, I think. If I can get an ebook, do I really need a physical copy, particularly if it's a book I'm only likely to read once? My library has been expanded but still doesn't have limitless shelf space. It makes more sense to buy only things that I really loved or that I can't get online or at the library - and I'm not going to find many of those at book sales because they're either too new or too obscure.

I do like ebooks. I enjoy reading on the iPad - so much, in fact, that a dedicated e-reader will be under my Christmas tree this year. When you're into a story, the format doesn't matter much (although I must say that print books have the definite edge in my heart). But a part of me also really resents what ebooks are doing to print books. 

I've already written about the predicted demise of bookstores. It's more than that, though; eventually it will extend to print books period and even libraries.  I read an article about ebooks recently, in fact, saying how “real” books will pretty much be a thing of the past within a generation. Kids now are the last ones who will really even have known print books. Although a while back I did also read a much more optimistic article about a survey that showed kids still prefer to have a physical book in their hands to read. 

I don't like to even think about it ... but unfortunately I do see changes coming. I hope they're a lot slower and more gradual than some writers predict though. I hope I will always have the pleasure of browsing bookstores, libraries and book sales for real print books that I can hold on my lap and mark up and pile on my shelves. And I hope future generations will always know those joys too.