Bye bye books

Innovations in electronic text change reading

Computer technology may make what was once an indispensable item somewhat obsolete -- a change which may or may not be a welcome one.

Many people prefer to work from their desks and get the information from a computer rather than go to the library, said Linda Friend, head of the computer-based resources and services team at the University.

Using electronic text for academic purposes may be a more efficient way to find information, Sean Reynolds (junior-management) said .

"It's easier and more convenient to find information on a computer screen than it is in Pattee," he said. "You don't have to walk all the way out there or go to different rooms to find one book."

Reading for pleasure, however, is another story for Reynolds.

"Sitting in front of a computer is like watching TV for too long," he said. "I get sick of looking at a computer screen so sometimes I'd just like to read a book."

Reynolds' reason for continuing to read paperbacks is why books are not likely to disappear too soon, said James West, director of the University's Center for the History of the Book.

"The book and the computer are two complementary forms," he said. "You don't want to put them in opposition to one another."

The information available to students on-line may be similar, but may not be as credible as information obtained from a journal or book.

Information from a library is verifiable, whereas much of the information from resources such as the World Wide Web could be written by anyone, said Katie Clark, acting head of reference and instructional services at the University.

"Anyone can make a Web page and write about a topic," Clark said. "But just because it's on the computer doesn't necessarily mean that it is credible."

Many books available in Pattee cannot be published on-line for copyright reasons, Clark said. The library pays a fee to provide information from periodicals to University students, faculty and staff.

Computers will probably never replace books completely, said Gerry Santoro, lead research programmer at the University. But computers have already begun to change the nature of publication.

Before computers, Santoro said, young writers were forced to work with publishing companies, which basically controlled whom and what was published. More recently, a form of publication called "zines" is changing the structure of the literary world.

"Zines give authors the opportunity to publish their work on the Web, where millions of people all over the world can read them," Santoro said. "Literary works which may or may not have been published by a company can now be published on the Web with instant feedback."

In the past, such things as the television, movie theater and even the bicycle were thought to be a threat to the book, West said.

"It's hard to imagine books will pass out of our culture soon," he said. "As long as people care, books will flourish."