I read an article in today's New York Times that reports a brisk business and strong sales for many bookstores this holiday season. While I am sure that Nooks and Kindles will be unwrapped by lots of people this year, Barnes and Noble reported today that this year's Thanksgiving weekend sales increased by 10.9 percent over last year. Private book stores report similar boosts in sales.
What can this mean? Does it mean, perhaps, that books are not dead? Can it be that people still like to turn pages? When I heard it reported recently on the radio (yes, I still have one of those too) that there have been technical difficulties with the new Kindle Fire, I took comfort in knowing that the only technical difficulty I have with my copy of Alice Hoffman's newest book, The Dovekeepers, is finding time to read it!
While we celebrate the advance of technology we still celebrate books. Whenever I go into our book processing section, I feel a certain thrill at seeing all the new copies of the latest books lined up waiting for our patrons. And while it's certainly a lot easier to carry one Kindle than the hundreds of books Amazon says a Kindle can hold, there's nothing like the tactile experience of reading a book. Although I find it interesting that in advertising its new Kindle Fire, Amazon's description touts Kindle's "movies, apps, games, music, reading and more." Do you notice that reading is #5 on the list of five activities, right ahead of the all-purpose phrase, "and more"?
If reading is your number one activity, stop by the Library. We can help you download books to your portable e-reader or if you'd like to avoid technical difficulties and turn some pages, we will help you find a book with pages to turn -- and we'll throw in a bookmark at no additional charge.
