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Some years ago I was in a library filling out an interlibrary loan request. A woman in perhaps early middle agr approached me and said that she thought it was wonderful that I, presumably old, was using the library and reading. She then stated that she was going to try to get her retired father to do the same. I queried her as to whether her father had been an active reader. She replied that he had never had time. But when I asked if he had had time to watch television she replied in the affirmative and stated it as a matter of course. I remember her saying that everyone has time for television. She was shocked when I not only told her that I had been reading for pleasure since I learned to read but that I had no time for television. I still don't have the time or interest.
Approximately 10% of the population purchases 90% of all books excluding textbooks. I've talked to people who have claimed to be readers but have no books in their homes but do have a television in a prominent place. Readers buy books. We use libraries from convenience or necessity but we buy books; we're effectively the only group that does. Geriatrics who read have always read. No one begins in old age.
Libraries have added features that have no place in a library because there are so few people using real library services. The library becomes a daycare center or homeless shelter or free internet cafe or hobby center or... What should be a center for books, periodicals, maps, prints, sheet music, etc. becomes something very different. I'm even uneasy about a library's carrying films and recorded music but I do accept it providing that they only carry what is worthy and edifying, certainly not "jazz" or "bebop".
Libraries must serve readers even though real readers are seldom there. A lonely library is far better than a perverted library.
Years ago when there were cheap rentals in businesss districts there were used bookstores and new full of people browsing. They disappeared as times changed. The great Kroch's and Brentanno's in Chicago, once the largest bookstore in the world, featured primarily empty shelves when I last visited it twenty years ago. But then a miracle for readers happened. That miracle was amazon.com. The combination of access to virtually every book in print as well as tens of thosands out of print and uncensored reviews changed the book buying experience forever. This sort of review later became standard on the internet. Six years ago the Kindle appeared and saw great acceptance. Then a few months ago the extraordinary Kindle Paperwhite went on the market. Offering instant availabity coupled in many cases with very low prices or free it quickly became a "must have" for the devoted reader. But we haven't foresworn physical books as not all are either available or appropriate for a Kindle. A few months ago I was going to order a book on the history of interest rates for my Kindle but there was a note on amazon that this book required a larger format because of large charts and graphs. Since I dislike a long reading session when presented with a backlit computer screen (the Kindle Paperwhite is front lit) I bought the physical book. Now, here's something I bet most of you didn't know. You can use multiple dictionaries. I have, French, Latin, and German bilingual dictionaries as well as the monolingual English. The Kindle automatically goest to the appropriate dictionary. Now if I could only have a French monolingual and a decent English dictionary for my Kindle as well as a means to print maps full size at homes at a reasonable price. It will come.
I created a new thread because I wished to address the needs of readers, not of libraries. I'm surprised that no one has addresses the value of private libraries as well as reserve books in general. I've used these for decades and been very satisfied. The Detroit Public Library has excellent and intact collections of older and rare books only because of this policy and closed stacks. Theft is a problem; it's easy enough to sell a stolen library book online. I've on a few occasions consulted incunabula. It's impressive to see the foam blocks as well as the constant looks I've received from staff members.
I was once in the map collection at the University of Illinois standing on a very rickety perch ten feet from the floor scared out of my wits. But we do what we must.
I can relate to much of what you're saying because I, too, am a reader. It's unusual for me not to have at least one library book checked out at any given time. Right now I've got four or five. I like to browse among the new books (non-fiction). There is lots of interesting stuff I turn up that way, from science to history to various other things. I am rather old fashioned in some ways and I haven't yet bought a Kindle reader, but I'm sure that's coming one of these days. I would be curious to know about what percentage of books in a largish municipal library are available on Kindle? Is it unusual for books published prior to, say, 1960, except for classics? I'm sure all the major classics must be available, from The Inferno to Treasure Island without much regard to date of publication.
To me it sometimes seems as though there are two breeds: readers and non readers. The readers are gravitating towards kindles and are probably reading more than ever due to the ease of accessibility of the ebooks and the portability of the kindle.
I just got a kindle and so far I haven't read much on it because I decided years ago that I was spending way too much money on books and that there were these places called libraries where books were free. Problem is, the books seem to take about a year to come out on kindle. I could be wrong but that's been the case for the books I wanted. Once they're out on kindle, it takes libraries a while to acquire the ebook version.
Another thing I've found is that there's a lot of fiction on the kindle version but not that much non fiction. Again, that may just reflect my own reading tastes because I'm not into mystery or romance novels but I enjoy historical fiction, biography, and sometimes just straight history.
To do a test of what is available on kindle you could go to Amazon and type in some of your titles and it will tell you if it's available in a kindle version.
I just got an e-mail that 2 books I pre-order purchased are now being shipped. I read nonfiction. If I waited for the library to get them I might be waiting forever. Since Christmas I have been on a tear and read 8 nonfiction books. One of the 8 was a nonfiction book selected by my book discussion group. We all live in the same town. Could you imagine if we all went to the library for it?
From a 2010 post of mine in the Book forum:
Why Amazon rules for short people with bad knees and bad eyesight over libraries (and bookstores):
1. I don't have to squat down or bend over for books on the bottom shelf.
2. I don't have to climb up, jump up or knock down books on the top shelf.
3. I can read the titles (unlike those way up there/way down there) when browsing.
4. There is no librarian bias (books ordered for the library). Amazon just wants to make a buck.
5. All types of the book (hardcover, paperback, audio, kindle, large print) can be found in the same place (on the same page under other versions). I just have to click on the version I want.
6. I don't have to stand in line with a lot of books and wait to check out.
7. I can read customer reviews of books that seem interesting. I can only do that in a library if I know in advance the specific book I'll be picking up.
8. I don't have to get on a waiting list for some hot new book.
9. I don't have to worry about not finding books that are shelved/reshelved wrong.
10. I don't need help to find the books I want or guess or look up under which category the library thinks they belong.
11. They're delivered.
12. Amazon looks at my past purchases and recommends books to me (Note to Amazon: You should only do that with books delivered to the purchaser not books or other products purchased by me but delivered to someone else.)
13. I can buy books for other people and Amazon packages and mails them.
14. If I feel like looking for books at 3:00A or half-dressed, I can...and I do.
I just got an e-mail that 2 books I pre-order purchased are now being shipped. I read nonfiction. If I waited for the library to get them I might be waiting forever. Since Christmas I have been on a tear and read 8 nonfiction books. One of the 8 was a nonfiction book selected by my book discussion group. We all live in the same town. Could you imagine if we all went to the library for it?
From a 2010 post of mine in the Book forum:
Why Amazon rules for short people with bad knees and bad eyesight over libraries (and bookstores):
1. I don't have to squat down or bend over for books on the bottom shelf.
2. I don't have to climb up, jump up or knock down books on the top shelf.
3. I can read the titles (unlike those way up there/way down there) when browsing.
4. There is no librarian bias (books ordered for the library). Amazon just wants to make a buck.
5. All types of the book (hardcover, paperback, audio, kindle, large print) can be found in the same place (on the same page under other versions). I just have to click on the version I want.
6. I don't have to stand in line with a lot of books and wait to check out.
7. I can read customer reviews of books that seem interesting. I can only do that in a library if I know in advance the specific book I'll be picking up.
8. I don't have to get on a waiting list for some hot new book.
9. I don't have to worry about not finding books that are shelved/reshelved wrong.
10. I don't need help to find the books I want or guess or look up under which category the library thinks they belong.
11. They're delivered.
12. Amazon looks at my past purchases and recommends books to me (Note to Amazon: You should only do that with books delivered to the purchaser not books or other products purchased by me but delivered to someone else.)
13. I can buy books for other people and Amazon packages and mails them.
14. If I feel like looking for books at 3:00A or half-dressed, I can...and I do.
That is a good, thoughtful list of reasons. Some of them don't apply to me because I am tall, my knees are fine and so are my eyes. I, too, use Amazon on occasion and I have even written a few cusotomer reviews there, but I use libraries much more. I think one advantage of libraries is you can pick up a book that looks interesting and once you get it home, if it doesn't turn out to be quite what you thought, you just return it and you haven't paid anything.
Note that I am not arguing against using Amazon - I think your reasons are all valid (for "short people with bad knees and bad eyesight" and the other reasons are valid for everyone). Good post.
15. I live in a small town with a tiny library, very poor local selection and inter-library loan can take 6 months or more.
16. My reading tastes are such that I am not interested in a lot of the bestselling authors and the odd little authors that I do like are frequently not even in the inter-library program.
One thing I liked about vacationing in Maine: lots and lots of used book stores. Haven't been there in a few yrs so I don't know if the stores are still there but they're there in my memory.
I used to buy books, usually from the internet but not amazon. Now, being retired, I go to the library. I seldom have to wait more than a couple of wks for a book from the inter-library system, and then can keep it for a month.
And I don't have much hope for the electronic books: not too many history of needlework being published. Besides, I've heard buying them that way costs almost as much as a real book. go figure.
My reading habits have changed. I used to read to educate myself and expand my horizons. Now that some of the rest of me has expanded somewhat, I read for entertainment.
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