The end of the book as we know it?

Journalists seem so ready to ring the death knell on books. Every time a new electronic reader gizmo hits the market, articles spring up about how the book as we have known it for centuries is doomed. I know of local libraries investing in the e-book reader, only to have that model eclipsed by the next new best thing. We have heard that publishers will no longer printing books ahead. Instead, you will go into a store and select your title and *poof* it is printed and bound for you. Audiobooks - first on cassette, then on cd, then MP3 - were going to be the end of books. Then e-books evolved so that you could download to your computer and read the book, or download to your ipod and listen. The list goes on and on, and yet the printed book remains a vibrant format. There is just something about holding a book, feeling the pages, storing scraps of paper in it, being able to throw them, drop them (not library books of course), read them on the beach, in bed, in the tub, at the pool and so on and so on, that just can't be beat.

However, when Amazon announced their new Kindle, there was a bit of a concern among the bookies. After all, Amazon is the biggest book sales point in the world. If they were moving to electronic books, would that mean the end of the book as we know it? I still don't think so. The batteries only last a day or so, so you have to wait for the recharge to get to the next page. Can you imagine reading one of those books you just can't put down? You are in bed, late at night, breathlessly racing through this fabulous thriller, you just have to find out what it's all about and wham, the battery dies. Talk about horror.

Speaking of horror, Stephen King, the premier horror author of our time, bought a Kindle and wrote a column about it for Entertainment Weekly. Take a moment to read it. It is a thoughtful piece that puts Kindles and similar competitors to books in perspective. He loves the Kindle, but loves books too. He says it best with this:
Will Kindles replace books? No. And not just because books furnish a room, either. There's a permanence to books that underlines the importance of the ideas and the stories we find inside them; books solidify an otherwise fragile medium.

Predictions about the demise of books have a place with all the dire predictions we hear. There is some truth about the potential changes to a familiar element of our culture. The prediction jars us into deciding the importance of that element, where the future best lies and what needs to be embraced and what needs to be let go of. You have to consider, be prepared for, embrace the potential change, while treasuring what works and stands the test of time. I think books will always be with us. After all, Capt. Picard reads books all the time in Star Trek, Next Generation and that's a few years into the future!

Book: Danse Macabre, by Stephen King
Book: Future shock, by Alvin Toffler
CD: And I feel fine, by REM

Survey results

A while back we conducted a survey asking our patrons for their opinions about the collection we offer. First, thanks to all of you who took the time to fill out the survey - it was a long one, but well worth the time and effort you made. The survey was so detailed for a specific reason. We have so many dedicated bookmobile users, great folks that may just accept whatever we happen to have on board simply because they are happy to have anything. But we want to offer what you might never of thought of considering. That is why we included on the survey as much as we could potentially offer in a library on wheels.

It hasn't been one of those surveys you take and never see any results. In fact, significant changes have been made and continue to be made based on the survey answers. Hopefully you have noticed, but if not, here are some of the changes made so far.

1. A significant number of respondents asked for more best sellers in large print. We immediately upped the number of these, rather than focusing so heavily on romance.
2. A significant number of respondents asked for more current and best seller non-fiction. Non-fiction has become a 'hot' product in recent years, and we were slow to respond. Since the survey, we now have a strong emphasis on non-fiction, making a point to buy the best sellers and a variety of others.
3. Many of you asked for additional biographies. With the big success of the One Book, One Community title: Glass Castle biographies have become a popular genre. We have upped the number of biographies we add to the collection each month.
4. Respondents requested special interest topics like woodworking and we added titles in direct response to these requests.
5. On the survey, we asked if people would be interested in magazines and software - types of materials we have not offered previously due to space issues. There was some interest, and so we are taking the plunge. You may already have noticed, but we are now subscribing to over 10 magazines. There are so many to choose from, so we decided to subscribe to special interest titles first not only because these would be the ones people are less likely to subscribe to personally, but also to meet the demands for craft books, cookbooks, gardening and the like. We are starting small to see what, if any, are successful. We will be doing the same with software, offering a few random types to see what really is in demand.
6. Respondents also specified genres of fiction that they particularly like, and we had been pretty successful at meeting the demand there.
7. There were requests for new YA titles, and we have really beefed up the collection, adding significantly to it each month.

There will always be low demand genres - science fiction/fantasy or westerns, computer books or travel guides - where tons are published, but few patrons are interested. In these cases, we can only fall back on the countywide collection to fill this demand. We have a limited amount that we can spend on new books and movies, and we tend to purchase what will get the highest return on the investment.

As expected, many respondents asked for us to get the top selling titles both in fiction and movies. Please be aware that we do buy them all. It is just that they go out immediately, first time to one of our patrons, and then for up to 6 months out and around the county to fill requests. Did you know that there are over 500 reserves on James Patterson's new title Double Cross? The same is true for movie titles. Happy Feet had such a huge list that we didn't see our copy for over a year. And this is with all the libraries purchasing copies! I know it is frustrating not to find the title you want when you come on to browse. However, if we want to take advantage of what all the other libraries have to offer, we have to share what we have. That is why we work so hard to encourage you all to request titles of popular authors and films. You might have to wait, but they all will come for you sooner that if you wait to catch it on board.

Thanks again to all of you that returned the surveys. I hope you see the impact your time spent has and will make. And watch for our survey about the children's collection coming in a couple of months. And of course - if you have any suggestions for what we should buy, let me know!

Book: Link to the Best Sellers Lists

Music: Journey - Greatest Hits