Imagine what it would be like to be able to walk up to a machine resembling an ATM, type in some information, and be presented with a printed and bound book of your choice in less than ten minutes. This may very well be in store for the future of the printed word. The digital age is changing the way we read and search for information, but is the physical book itself doomed? Probably not.

The definition of literacy has been changing in recent years. The current generation of youth is growing up with the Internet, and computer use comes as easy to them as picking up a newspaper does to their parents and grandparents. Papers for school assignments must always be typed on the computer, often accompanied by Internet research. In this way, literacy has come to encompass computers in addition to printed books. However, this is not necessarily a negative in that information can often be found more quickly, with access to a more diverse array of sources.

The format of books has also been evolving. The Internet has brought about the eBook, which is a free electronic book. The invention of the eBook has led to websites such as Project Gutenberg, an online library with over 20,000 books whose copyright has expired. One can download and read entire works for free, or even print the book if desired. The option of reading a book online might hold great appeal for some, especially those of the younger generation, but there is an important factor to take note of: many of the books available on sites like Project Gutenberg are classics and reference books, which are less than likely to entice those who would be interested in reading books online.

Another method of obtaining books in today’s changing arena is for readers to utilize print on demand (POD) services. POD challenges the idea of the traditional bookstore, where multiple copies of a book are kept in stock at all times. Instead, books are printed and bound as orders come in, eliminating the need for brick and mortar establishments, since orders can be put in online and shipped directly to the customer. This technology is particularly useful for titles that have been out of print, and it eliminates waste in that unsold copies will not be sitting on shelves, only to be destroyed at a later time.

In addition, some companies take this idea even further by offering “personalized books”. This idea entails a customer telling the publisher which names they would like to see featured in a novel within the genre of their choosing. The publisher will then print, for example, a romance novel featuring the steamy duo, Jean and Christopher, the couple who ordered the book, and ship it to them directly. This brings a whole new meaning to the personalized reading experience!

Jason Epstein, former editorial director of Random House, further expands on the concept of POD. To make the process even easier, Epstein describes a process where, “These neighborhood machines for making paperbound books can, like ATMs, be placed wherever electricity and supplies of paper exist—whether in Kinko's, Starbucks, or high school and university libraries and residence halls, to name only a few possible sites. With them readers nearly everywhere with access to a computer screen may eventually search a practically limitless digital catalog linked to innumerable databases where digital files are stored; retrieve and browse the titles that interest them; and transmit the files they select to a nearby printing machine which will notify them when their books are ready to be picked up or delivered” (Source: The New York Review of Books, July 2001). This process is undeniably more convenient than searching through the many shelves in a traditional bookstore, and eliminates the need for retail markup.

Sites such as bookhitch are on the cutting edge of the way we discover books. It is possible to find books from all over the world and have them delivered straight to your door, connecting author and readers in ways never previously achieved. Audio and E-books, along with the standard paper and hardbacks, can be found with a few keywords making information more accessible. Search to sale can take a few minutes, having books delivered within a few days or instantly downloaded to your desktop.

It is also important to consider the future of the library in all of this. The way we search for books within the library has already changed with the advent of the electronic card catalog. With books becoming digitized, one might wonder if the need for stacks upon stacks of books might be eradicated. However, libraries will always hold a valued place within our society, and can be updated as the needs of that society change. They are gathering places where people seeking information congregate with a common goal. Technology can only make searching for books easier, and it is hard to say what America’s libraries will do to update as the future progresses.

Since its invention, the printed book has held a respected seat in civilized culture. Reading on a computer screen or even a handheld electronic device is a great step in terms of technological progress, and has the potential to appeal to a broad audience, but the printed book will still have a place among readers. Nothing can match curling up with a book in your favorite spot, whether that may be on the beach or under a shady tree. Technology has certainly made its mark upon our daily lives, but some human past times can never be replaced.

Sources:

1. Project Gutenberg
   
   
2. How The Internet Saved Literacy - Forbes.com, December 1st 2006
   
   
3. Reading: The Digital Future - The New York Review of Books, July 5 2001.