A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

What hard evidence do we have that students are reading less books overall? The school I currently work at has an amazing amount of books going in and out on a regular basis! Book fairs and book stores are very popular places. I think a lot of this discussion is based upon conjecture and not reality! Here is an interesting post on this same topic: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2005/08/23/lombardi The interesting quote is, "The message of "Reading At Risk" is that something other than literature in print form engages more and more of our fellow citizens, and we might want to try to learn how to speak to them in the voices they want to hear." I see the question as quality vs. quantity. The argument over the "old ways" vs. the "new ways" is tiresome because the discussion focuses too often on personal preference. I had a librarian tell me once in my early teaching experience that should would never buy electronic books because she has to have the feel of a book in her hands. Nothing was stated about the student's preference! Any and all technology is rarely completely replaced ... it morphs!

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

Here's some evidence to add to the pile: At my school, where each child has their own iPod touch, and there are > 1:2 computers to students, only two students in my class referenced a book upon completion of a 20 hour project. One of them couldn't even name the book! I think that it is more difficult to find the information you want in a book, whereas search functions allow you find references quickly and easily. I think that the simplicity of finding information via computer is reducing the need to skim/browse - even read an entire article. Do I think this is a bad thing? Not necessarily. The printing press gave illiterate people access to books (and hence, literacy skills). The Internet allows those with low literacy skills to access information they would not have been able to gain from a book. As for fiction - books still win, as far as I can see.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

My daughter is reading Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, a book about banning and burning books. She is not allowed to access the internet at her high school (talk about irony). If you want to get a lot of people in your community excited ban a book. Obviously books are still in the lead. What difference does it make how information is disseminated? The conversation needs to be about how information is withheld.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

I think you and your teachers bring up some great points here, but I wonder where the hard data is. In my experience, like many of those who have commented here, people are reading far more than ever before. Growing up, I remember that the 6:00-7:00 pm hour was sacred television time to see the local and national news. It was the only way to know what was going on in the world. Today, I can't remember the last time I watched the news. I am able to keep abreast of what is going on in the world - how? By reading! Where I could never keep up with all the research, articles, instructional materials and such through traditional print medium, I can read and read daily with access to all of these things at my fingertips. My students are not limited by trips to the library, weight, access or mileage to find resources for research and pieces of interest. They are learning to read, decipher, evaluate and criticize text in a way that I never did as a book reader. That said, I commented to a friend this morning (as I was reading my Twitter stream) that I still prefer an old fashioned book to a Kindle. The more I thought about it, I am really thinking of things I read for pure enjoyment. When I read for information, I like my electronic versions for annotations, highlights, searchable references, etc. When I read for "fun," I love a beach chair, a couch, or my front porch and a book. My kids, who are 6, also love their books. My students, who are 9 and 10, also love reading around the room, spreading out on the floor and showing each other their books. I enjoy finishing a book and passing it along to friends to read and enjoy - never to see it again, but to know that many others have found something special in it like I did. Would world literacy take a sharp decline if we no longer printed books? That depends. Would we start holding Kindle drives for children who couldn't afford them? Would you donate gently used e-readers to classrooms for students to check out and read? Would schools have to provide students with e-readers and book downloads to ensure equal access to materials? Could you remove old books that you children outgrew from their e-readers and sell them for 25 cents in your yard sale? I don't know what's going to happen to books, but I don't see them going away. I think we are entering an age where these things will co-exist in a way that brings out the best in both elements.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

Hey! With a print book you don't have to worry about: batteries needing replacement brain chip going dead eye strain from flickering/overly bright monitors internet access inability to turn page because the reader isn'f functioning right People like to be able to feel, see, smell, hear books. You can close a print book with finality, and not worry if you're subscription/checkout time/ interface is incorrect

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

@Suzanne and others Don't you relaize that your positng here belies your concern. Let's review what has occurrred. We all recieved an email (which we read). This lead us to the website and article (which we read). We understood the concerns and are communicating about it with each other through posted comments (which we've read). Now tell me again about how our students aren't getting engagement through reading. The reality is that they do this several times a day. I would argue that kids are reading far more words today than I ever read at their age (including all my comic books). It is virtually impossible to operate on the web without reading. They (we) are often engaged in many deep converstions on a variety of topics. I think our "librophile" educators need to realize that like the stick in the sand, the chisle and stone tablet, ink and scroll, slate and chalk, the book is merely another form of technology. No better or worse than its predecessors or prodginy. The "magic" you found in cuddling up in the corner of the library, many students find in reading and then blogging about what they've read. The current state of technology hasn't replaced the book yet but when eReaders finally break the $100 barrier and become more accessible their true vaule will be realized. Not only can you read a book, you can enlarge the text, immediately find a definition, make notes, mark your place and do this over and over with 1000 books, magazines, PDF's, documents and soon webpages; all without the risk of a paper cut. Please, show me the downside.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

First off, oddly enough, I find that our students are reading more books than I"ve noticed them reading in the last 20 years I've been a librarian. They seem excited about it and engaged. Lots of our students do have iPods and iPhones but I don't perceive that they are using them to read yet, but that's sort of beside the point. I also, before addressing your main question, wanted to comment on the Cushing's students remarks, which I heard on NPR. I was sort of surprised that their library was a quiet place, as ours is not at all. But it was interesting to me that a place w/out distractions is something they seemed to want. We often perceive that students are completely into technology and multi-tasking and perhaps that assumption is a generalization. As far as your question about books, what are we losing? Personally, as someone who reads both digital and printed books, I think each one serves different purposes. And I can't decide if this issue is the issue of beta tapes versus dvds, or radio versus tv. I tend to think the latter analogy fits better. I don't tend to think printed books will disappear because of digital books, and I think they'll coexist. LPs are still around even though we have iPods, for example. I do think publishers might be worried if they were an educational publisher though. Why should I buy cheesy nonfiction series for my library when my students can use the internet? Why would I buy giant reference tomes when they can use our databases? My nonfiction purchasing has declined significantly. But what I do buy are things like Fast Food Nation--narratives that are about topics students are interested in. And this change in purchasing has really occurred in the last year or two--faster than I could have really imagined. So who knows what will happen with 'the book' per se? I jut think for awhile, people are so wedded to the concept of a book, that generationally it will be hard to give up. Especially in regards to leisure reading. Cds replaced cassettes because the sound quality was significantly better. But if you are reading fiction for fun, who is to say that reading it on a page is a worse experience than reading it on a Kindle? or vice versa? Now, if you are reading a textbook, the digital version probably would be better--easier to highlight, notate, etc. And not so heavy...so the experience is significantly better. I ramble a bit but it's a complex question I think. My bottom line answer, I think books will be around for awhile. People like them.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

I haven't sprung for a kindle yet. What are they still $250 at least? Don't think I can crowd anything else in. Right now our library is being denied extra spending with the economy like it is. I read books, computer, watch TV and DVD, listen to CDs have a cell phone and still get a kick out of local things on the radio like high school football and some of the music and programming that I especially like. I collect books, DVDs, and CDs. There are only 24 hours in a day. I think a lot of choices is the way to go. But we are spreading ourselves thin. Our focus is scattered. Our time is short. Nothing dominates the way radio once did and then TV. Now we are on down the line to Texting and Twitter which I just don't have time nor energy for. Some of these things I just definitely won't be buying. I'm tired. Think I'll catch some ZZZZZZZZZ...

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

For a lot of students, a good old fashioned book is easier to come by than an iPod, a Kindle, or some other eBook reader. I think about the school where I teach with over 90% on free and reduced lunch. Cost is an issue. Are iPods and other eReaders in their houses? Of course not. Are books? Yes. If books are not there, they can head to the school or public library. For me, we still need to consider availability when discussing this topic. If there was equal access to book and some type of eReader, I still believe students will choose books, especially at the elementary level, where I live.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

I work in a 1:1 high school; while I see much to celebrate in the way my students learn online, I still also feel sadness that many of them may never experience the same deep pleasure I have in reading books. (I also love listening to audiobooks.) For many, (and I think there is research that shows this) reading online is harder; the tendency is to click away from something difficult or challenging. Online readers aren't as likely to scroll down a page or click to a second page. The NYTimes has an interesting discussion on reading online here: http://tinyurl.com/yl7j7nu How does a reader become deeply engaged in a narrative, come to love a character, discover new insights and ideas, appreciate complex concepts, without devoting time and deep attention to the material at hand? Reading isn't just about information-seeking; it can be a transporting, transforming experience. I am sad to think that our students may never allow themselves to delve deeply enough into someone else's words to be so transformed.

A Good, Old-Fashioned Book

I agonized over whether I should buy a Kindle. I read about it and I talked to owners and went so far as to interrupt strangers who were reading one, asking their opinion of the device. For some things it is wonderful. I read articles from journals on it. I read Tom Friedman and other columnists. Sometimes I read extended blog entries on it. And I comfortably read novels. The Kindle has expanded by reading time by making a variety of texts available to me anytime--doctors office, waiting for my wife at the mall, waiting for meetings to start. It is a text based machine that allows me to carry loads of text of my choosing in 10 ounces. It is not a graphic machine. Illustrations, charts, graphs, pictures and the like don't reproduce very well. So I avoid anything where these are necessary for understanding. As for curling up with a good book, I've found that it is the curling up that is important and not the medium I'm reading. Thanks for your thoughtful post.