‘‘Is the print book on the verge of extinct?’’
By Benson R. Kanyare
As you are listening to me, you might not believe that the world of academics is rapidly changing every other day. Students and readers in all spheres of life around the globe no longer just spend several times in the libraries looking for information but can just obtain the same by the click of a computer button at their convenience. In this I mean that the print books we are used to are now getting competition from the e-books.
If the findings of a research conducted by Pew Research Center in the United States is anything to go by, then getting rid of the print books may not be as easy as how we may expect. Technology is changing the world so first, but remember that old is always gold and hence it is inaccurate to say that the print book is fading out. One may think that it is as easy as a blink of any eye for the print books to be rendered obsolete. But this may not be the case as the study revealed that 80% of Americans above 16 years of age prefer borrowing a book from the library rather than accessing the same from the internet. According to Quintanilla (2013) ‘‘many readers still value the level of engagement and the tactile experience provided by a print product’’. This is because they carry a sense of aesthetic satisfaction which still remains valued today in many cultures.
However important the print books remain to be, one cannot refute claims that the internet has not brought a great significance to the world of academics. Research has become part of our daily life with scholars all over struggling to obtain a glimpse of any new invention or developments. Pew research has also shown that 77% of the respondents in the study are of the opinion that internet services should be provided in the libraries. This is specifically important for researchers who want to be updated on the latest developments. More importantly one can easily access the information they want at the...