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Part of me credits this to wide availability of paperbacks to public libraries (where I usually get my paperbacks) and the relatively unavailability of Kindle books from lending resources such as libraries. In addition, this is another indication that we want things instantly and maybe $9.00 is worth the cost to read the new best-seller now opposed to waiting three weeks to get the hard copy at your library.
The other big factor is that you can read Kindle books on many different devices. And the whispersync technology is pretty slick.
The much lower prices on Kindle books doesn't hurt either.
From an educator's perspective, what does everyone think of this sea change in the publishing industry? What does this mean for you, your classroom, and the courses you teach? I'd love to hear you thoughts.
That was fast. It was only last fall, if memory serves, that they announced that Kindle books had passed hardcover. I thought it would take longer than this to pass PBs.
ReplyDeleteI'm one of the contributors to the trend. I really think that Amazon owes me a party, based on my Kindle purchases.
Chip
I still like touching paper better than plastic, but my eyes get tired reading from the computer screen. So I think I will buy one next semester to try it out, then let my kids take turns trying it to see how well it works for them. Our library is working on getting more kindle books, so as long as I can borrow some, I would probably use it. Even at $9.00 buying books could add up pretty fast on my limited budget. I know I would enjoy having the ability to correct the typos, though, for sure.
ReplyDeleteAs far as for schools, I would think each school would need to compare what they spend on paper books to what it would cost to use Kindles instead. Then there are the maintenance issues of charging them, replacing batteries and repairing or replacing lost, stolen or broken ones. The ability to have the text read to the user may be beneficial to those who have difficulty with reading, although some users do not like being read to digitally.
Lynn, I agree that one of the huge benefits is that information can be updated and "re-published" more easily. Can you imagine being in school district that can only afford buying textbooks once a decade and bought science books in 2006 before Pluto was demoted from its planet status? It seems like e-books can avoid having textbooks with old or wrong information.
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