I am finally back in the saddle of keeping up with my fellow library schmucks and I’ve scrolled through enough news items for the ‘e-books not print books,’ ‘death of libraries in face of digital materials,’ ‘no one has personal libraries anymore’ chants to finally give me a headache. I understand it’s posh and edgy to make such sweeping pronouncements but it’s only done to get a rise.  I mean, isn’t it?  You all don’t really believe that digital literature will replace all things print?

Lo and behold, my personal library.  I weed it often but it never decreases appreciably in size.  And you know what?  My collection of digital literature, some duplicating but most unique, is probably growing to be just as big.  Arguments abound from people who rose to the bait of the digital over physical headlines generally go like this:

PRO Digi:

• multiple books accessed through one light weight and portable device
• less storage space
• fits into already increasingly digital world

PRO Print:

• art books and often comics are not made for digital interface
• like the feel and smell of books
• not everything is duplicated, therefor how can print be replaced

I find I use print and digital books in different ways.  I used to keep list of books I wanted to read but didn’t have the time right now, you know, the ones libraries don’t reliably carry.  Now I buy the e-book because, although it is a purchase, it seems like less of a commitment.  It doesn’t take space in my home and when I am done with it, deleting it will feel a whole lot less of a waste than trying to donate a print copy in a responsible way.  E-books equal easy to dispose equals somehow easier to buy.  I buy print books when I know I will want to revisit the thing many many times, when I know I will want to lend it to a friend.  A lot of my print collection is picture heavy, harkening back to a standard print pro.  Increasingly my print collection houses several indie publications, not only rare for their small printing, but because the indie comic and zine making community is still very hands on.

People who cultivate personal libraries will probably just add digital material to their print collecting.  Libraries are a multimedia experience after all.  People who bought the best seller, or the book their friend recommended, to read and then discard, or sit on an ignored shelf in the family room, will probably move their habits to digital if inclined in that direction.  My point:  there is no either or decision to be made, and each circumstance will be different for each consumer.  If we’re talking about publishers making calls to best sell/market their material, maybe format on demand will be the fashion, where the consumer can choose what format they would like at checkout.

Finally, I buy print because when the big electromagnetic bombs go off and plunge our world back into the middle ages, I am going to have the most kickin’ access to entertainment all in my spare room.