Monday, April 17, 2017

Week 16

Reading has changed for me in several ways. When I was younger, I would read for fun or because it was assigned reading. Now that I am older, I still read for fun, but I try to incorporate lots of different viewpoints in my reading. I read to learn about new things or have new experiences. Also, I find myself reading more on electronic devices. Granted, this technology has only existed since I’ve graduated high school (they might have had ereaders when I was in high school, I just wasn't interested). My library offers several different platforms that encourage reading on electronic devices. We have Overdrive for ebooks and eaudiobooks, Hoopla for ebooks, eaudiobooks, music, and movies, ComicsPlus for graphic novels, and Zinio for magazines. All of these can be downloaded through apps and accessed by using your library account. I think that apps such as these will be utilized more in the future. Just about everyone I know has a smartphone that is practically glued to their hands (I’m the same way, I still think it’s pretty cool I don’t have to manually load pictures from a digital camera onto my computer in order to post them on Facebook!) so, these apps are an easy way to read while you are on the go. All of these books and other reading material are just a click away, you don’t have to carry around a book, find a bookmark, and it’s just really convenient. On most of these apps, you don’t have to wait for an item to be returned, you can automatically access the item you want at the tip of your fingertips.

It is difficult for me to think about 20 years in the future! With technology evolving at a rate I can’t even keep track of, ereaders might be obsolete at that point. However, I think that traditional publishing will still be around. It might not be at the same rate as it is today. Self publishing has grown so much, anyone can publish a book. Literally anyone, my husband wrote and published a book. I think that more people will utilize these self publishing methods in the future. Book deals are hard to come by and lots of people want their voice to be heard. There are options to publish both physical and ebooks, so if ereaders are still a thing, this will still be a viable option.

I think (hope) that we will read more in the future. According to a Pew Research survey, 72% of Americans read at least one book a year. However, 80% of people between the ages of 18 and 29 read at least one book a year. Young people are reportedly reading more than their older counterparts. Hopefully, this trend continues into the future.  

10 comments:

  1. It is strange to think of the way that technology is continually evolving, and how common mediums for reading could become obsolete in the future. I'm confident that print will still be very popular in the next twenty, but I cannot help to consider what will be the new trend when it comes to pleasure reading. I find it very helpful that I am able to access a variety of genres with either my iPad or my Nook, and that I am able to use OverDrive through my library card with Kent District Library. I love being able to balance the tablet on my lap while I'm relaxing and listening to music as well. It's really nice.

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  2. I love technology and you are correct about how people in general are really attached to there phones and the apps are so diverse and multiple. I have never heard of ComicsPlus, Zinio or Hoopla but I have all ready written them down and will ask if my library has this and if not, why? Thanks for the information.

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  3. Technology is definitely growing! It makes things more accessible. People who aren't likely (or don't live close to) a bookstore can find books online. People who don't like to (or don't have time to) go to the local library can utilize their ebook services. The way we reach people has grown so much! I can only imagine that it will continue to do so.

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  4. I really like that more and more people are self-publishing in hard copies and have e-copies available. There are so many really good authors that publishers don't even give a chance too.

    I agree with you that self publishing will increase in the future. It is a matter of time before the next book phenomena is discovered that sweeps the world and it could very likely be a self published book.

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    1. That's how "The Martian" started out. It was released chapter by chapter on a blog and then it got picked up by publishers several years later, and now it's a movie! I think this will be more and more common, since most books have already been turned into movies, they have to come from somewhere!

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    2. "Wool" started out that way too, and is now a huge phenomenon. I agree that self publishing will become more and more popular and viable. I imagine becoming a copy editor will be an up and coming career field, lol.

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  5. I also enjoy reading digitally when necessary. I like the comixology unlimited for reading comics, and they are exclusively digital comic books. Sometimes my eyes hurt from the tiny screen if I try to read on my phone, but it saves so much money I can't help myself!

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  6. I agree with your prediction for self-publishing. I think it will increase as will the incorporation of more self-published materials in collection development. We get requests for books all the time that we discover were titles all self-published through Amazon. I think as programs like SELF-e are created(http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/self-e/), librarians will be able to connect more content creators with more readers.

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  7. You make such a great point about self-publishing, that others have mentioned before me. Self-publishing anything, being a book, an album or a movie is becoming more popular these days as industry standards tend to mess with the creative vision too much. The challenge then becomes how to find out about the good self-published materials and steer clear of the stinkers. Excellent point!

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  8. Wonderful final response! Full points!

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