Steve’s point is interestingly reinforced by an article yesterday in the Chicago Tribune. It too uses the ‘vinyl’ analogy. The article suggest publishers should be promoting print books better (to compete against the Kindle)
‘Publishers should tantalize consumers by evoking books' sensory pleasures: the smell; the feel in your hands; that crisp, appealing crinkle of a turned page and smooth snap of a dust jacket. Publishers should elicit the joys of "curling up with a book," the satisfaction of seeing your library on a shelf in your bedroom — the years of your life marked by rows of colorful spines, the pages covered with marginalia. To do this, publishers could borrow vinyl enthusiasts' lines like, "Records have a certain smell. You can't smell an MP3," and, "I associate certain records' smells with a certain summer, a particular girlfriend." Audiophiles also discuss fidelity, how records sound undeniably better than MP3s. Surely there's a book analog waiting to be developed.’
Ken
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd
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From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 05 August 2011 09:35
To: Ken Chad
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: The printed book is doomed: here's why (From Telegraph)
‘It’s convenience that is drawing people to ebooks and that is what will kill printed books. Or, if not kill them, reduce them to the same minority hobbyist status that vinyl records now occupy’.
Which would sound fine until you point out [to extend the analogy] that Vinyl is enjoying a massive resurgence in popularity, sounds much better than CD and infinitely better than lossy digital files [Lossless files are natch pretty good] and are just much 'nicer' to engage with and use...as are printed books.
Now, I love me gadgets [especially those which allow me to listen to music in its purest forms], but if it's a choice between The Lindisfarne Gospels, The Luttrell Psalter or a Kindle, I know which gets my vote.
Printed books & materials are ACE!, surely that's why we're all here in the first place? I think it's dangerous to speak of things being 'doomed' as I was saying to my pet Coelacanth just the other day....
Steve 'the minority hobbyist'
Steve Powell BA (Hons) MCLIP
Team Librarian
Libraries, Archives and Information
Children, Families & Cultural Services
Nottinghamshire County Council
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