Jen’s Comments (group member since Mar 20, 2013)

Jen’s comments from the Appomattox Regional Library System group.

Kimberly wrote: "The problem with ebooks is that the price structure doesn't make them more attractive over print. I don't care how "convenient" it is to carry my entire library around with me in one handy little d..."

This is interesting, Kim...where do you generally buy eBooks? I have a Kindle so I'm getting mine through Amazon and I have to say that (in my experience at least) I have never paid more for an eBook than a print book. In fact, generally the eBook price is lower even than the paperback price, not to mention the hardbound which can be upwards of $25 or more. I would be interested in seeing what platform is selling eBooks for a higher cost than paperback or hardbound.

One topic that has been on our mind recently is the eBook versus print issue.

He Says:
Chris: As a person who grew up with print books, I still have a marked preference for paper and ink. In fact, I have only read a couple of ebooks so far- both of them were advance copies that I could not yet access in paper. But as a librarian, I am also concerned with the long term issue of staying relevant to our community of readers, because I know how convenient ebooks can be. ARLS is wrestling with the problem of how to provide our readers access to ebooks without pulling too much $ out of our print budget lines- and so far the publishing world is just not cooperating with us! We hope that something will change to permit us to offer something with a broader book selection than our experiment with “Freading” currently does.

She Says:
Jen: I find that as a reader I am much more enthralled with eBooks than I am as a librarian. Libraries are not getting a very good deal with eBooks, as Chris suggested. But I do not worry that this will be our downfall. I love eBooks. Why? Because I love BOOKS. I don’t go so far as the repair shop down the street for a 15 minute oil change without them. Because of this need to have my books with me at all times, an eReader has become the vehicle of my reading salvation. Now I can take 100 books with me in less space than 1 print book takes up in my purse. eBooks and eReaders are a convenience. A format which allows us to take our most valued possessions with us wherever we go. Does this mean I’ve stopped buying print books? Heck no. Because I love books. I love the smell, the crisp new pages, the colors, the ability to lend them to my friends, to display them in my home on my brand new shiny bookshelves from Crate and Barrel, to organize them (and then reorganize them), and to buy them...thus supporting my favorite authors. eBooks cannot yet provide the same rich experience we get from print. This is why we don’t have to worry about libraries. Because even people who love eBooks...nay, especially people who love eBooks...started out loving BOOKS. I don’t believe that will change.

What are your thoughts on this topic?

There has been a lot of talk lately about the need for more women in leadership positions. Some of you may have come to the Hopewell Library about a year ago for the showing of "Miss Representation" a documentary on the media's representation on women, which covers a lot of the same issues as "Lean In".
What things have you heard on this topic? Did you agree or disagree, and why? Has this book or others like it changed your mind, or given you a different perspective on having more women becoming leaders?