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A book is not defined by being made of paper. Godin is pro-book but recognizes that the future of the book is as a digital file. I don't think anyone is arguin
by GavinB 15y ago
A book is not defined by being made of paper. Godin is pro-book but recognizes that the future of the book is as a digital file.
I don't think anyone is arguing that there is a continuing role for librarians who act as archivists of valuable paper books. But that number of librarians is vastly less than the number currently in existence.
Librarians who refuse to give up paper books are like record shops who refused to give up vinyl. Sure, a few will stick around--but the vast majority will have to move on.
- atacrawl 15y agoLibrarians who refuse to give up paper books are like record shops who refused to give up vinyl. You write this as though the "physical vs. digital" battle has long been fought and won. The reality is that the landscape has barely begun to be fleshed out among libraries, and despite that, libraries are already adjusting their budgets to accommodate the inevitable sea change. The stereotype of the stubborn librarian in sensible shoes and tweed, clutching her Emily Bronte and refusing to acknowledge the existence of digital books, just doesn't represent the mainstream position among librarians.
- adeaver 15y agoNor does that view generally represent reality. Quite a few libraries are fighting for digital version of books to be allowed for lending and the publishers are pushing back. In some cases if a library has a digital copy they can only lend it out to a single person at at time, and are only allowed to purchase a single copy.