Digital Era: Week Two - 3rd June

The Physical Book vs. Technology:
I decided to list points for both the physical book and technological advancements in order to evaluate the future of the book.
First of all;
The fact that despite the technological advancements to date, books are still being produced. So this hasn't caused as much of an issue as was predicted. In fact, the production of books has actually increased. Books do a much better job at telling a story than movies ever will. There is nothing like using your mind to put together a scene through the descriptive words used by an author. And authors don't have restricted space to tell a story in meaning they don't have to cut anything else. I remember when Harry Potter came out in the movies, having read all the books myself, it was disappointing to see some of the scenes and characters that were a lot different to what was described in the book and the details and what I considered to be some important parts were completely cut out to fit within the usual 2-2.5 hr time limit of the movie. Thank God they split the last book into two movies!!
Library books really are the premium research material with a lot of online articles allowing the public to be able to change information at their own will which can lead to wrong information. Library books store the most information for free! Whereas a lot of internet sites require you to sign up or pay to view some information or books.
Books also offer a unique experience in there form as well. Many people on the forum have stated numerous times how they simply enjoy the feel of the book, being able to turn the pages, the crackle of opening a new book for the first time and the sound of turning the pages. Some have even noted the smell of a new book. These are experiences that you can't have with an electronic device.

On the other hand...

Technology has made for many advancements that have aided the book as well including printing, production, publication, distribution. It has given us e books and e readers which allow us to store numerous books in the one place, meaning we save on storage, we can take them anywhere and access them where ever we want along with other documents and information as well, we can also lie in bed with the light off and still be able to read. Technology has given artists another medium to explore through digital art and online exhibitions and portfolios. We are able to communicate quicker, shop online, find what we're researching quicker without library deadlines, read magazines, newspapers and articles online all within the comfort of our home. It has become quite a convenience. Schools are really beginning to harness the use of technology by accessing textbooks online. This allows schools to be cheaper for parents, the ability to access textbooks and schoolwork online, and eliminates the excuse of 'Miss, I forgot to bring mine'.

Although there seems to be a lot more points for the technology side, I don't think that it'll replace the physical book anytime soon. As long as there are people out there who treasure the 'book experience', I think that the demand will keep them in print. Perhaps in the future, as technology advances further and further, books may become outdated (much like the scroll or tablet). But hopefully, by the time this happens we won't be around to see it.