e books

In class, when we were discussing Vannevar Bush's article and how some people are so gung ho on new technological advances, I thought about e books. Some authors are jumping on this and their books are posted on line in full.

Recently a friend of mine was approached about having some of her children's books posted online by a company that specializes in children's books. She brought this up in our writing group and we talked about the pros and cons. But many of us are reluctant to do this. We take the "let's wait and see what happens with this new development before we take the leap" attitude.

On the plus side, having your book on this website might bring people to your other books - that's good advertising. And, if people really like the book, they might buy the actual book to read to their children.

I could see picture books on line as a valuable pre-viewing tool for some people. They could check out the text and illustrations and then decide which books they want to buy. It's hard to judge a picture book without seeing the full text and illustrations. I can see posting picture books on line for the above reason.

On the down side, perhaps people wouldn't buy the book it it's available on line.

However, I don't think putting picture books on line will end the physical form of these books. One reason is - it's hard to imagine a parent reading a book on line to a child before bed. Usually the scene is parent cuddling in bed with child and book, looking at the pictures, turning the pages together. It seems to me that the physical book is a big part of this night time ritual. Or will this picture change - parent and child in front of a laptop computer in bed, looking at pictures and reading text.

This makes me wonder about the future of books, children's books, picture books. I'm not like Vannevar Bush and can't see into the future of technology like he did. It's hard for me to imagine technology 10 years down the road. But I do hope that the physical book will still be in the picture. That the night time ritual of a child under the covers and parent beside child will still be a reality, both looking at Good Night Moon together, turning the pages, the smell of paper and a well worn, well loved book in the air, the child pointing at the little mouse on each page, and at the end saying, "Read it again, Mommy!"