In Defense of the E-Reader

Because nothing says "procrastination" like writing a blog post.

Ah, yes. To e-read or not to e-read? That is the question. Currently there are several camps in the Great E-Reader War, and I am not talking about Nook v. Kindle (For the record, iPads are stupid and don't count). There are several groups that have strong feelings about the use of e-readers and their place in the world of literature.

 As technophile and a book lover, I often find myself at a crossroad. As cliche as this sounds, I love the smell and feel of books. When I was growing up, I found that most of the kids in grade school and junior high either too cruel or too stupid to deal with. So I used a rather escapist strategy, and fled to the different worlds within my books. Other times, I would read to escape the doldrums when I finished an assignment. There was a long period of time when my sister and I spent every afternoon in the local library. I still have dreams of one day owning a personal library like the one in "Beauty and the Beast" (rolling ladder and all). The smell of libraries and book stores has a calming effect on me. I currently have a position in the school library, and my favorite task is gathering all the books that people requested. I love to wander the musty stacks; Often times, I find more books for myself than I do for the patrons. I love feeling the pages. I even like the risk of a possible paper-cut. It's a battle scar I can discuss over a beer. "Oh, this one? I got this one from spending a late night with Aldous Huxely." I dog-ear pages and write notes in the margins of my favorite books. I love looking at my bookshelf and seeing an entire collection. So, yeah. I love books, but more than that I love the simple act of reading.

Cue my technophilia: E-readers are convenient. With out-of-copyright literature, I have my choice of thousands of classic pieces for FREE. I don't need to drive to a library or the book store. I can read the Epic of Gilgamesh, switch over to Leaves of Grass, throw in some Austen or Shelley (depending on my mood, of course), and finally settle on something by Oscar Wilde while sitting at the beach. At any given point in any given day, I carry with me several hundred books (Not to mention the PDFs of countless journal articles).  Also if I buy a newer NYT bestseller and/or "fun" book like "Chelsea Bang Bang" I can do so at a discounted price, and they don't take up my very limited space in my tiny apartment. So yeah. I love my e-reader too.

When I see internet memes like the Judgemental Bookseller Ostrich or read the comments of  the Hyper Critical "Jezzies", I cannot understand why people are trying so hard to keep this firm grasp on an antiquated past. We should be embracing this new technology, not running from it. It makes literature more accessible to both the casual and avid readers.

And have no fear, the books that truly move me will find their permanent place on my bookshelf.