E-books or not E-books

Consider the push by many school districts and higher education to the use of E-books. They certainly seem to be convenient and most definitely make for a lighter load to carry from class to class. But are e-books really the answer to transitioning a tool used in the classroom? Mind you, I do own both and i-Pad and I recently took over my husband's Nook Color when he got his own i-Pad. I have enjoyed using the Nook. However, like most of us, I have bookshelves full of wonderful books I have read over the years. I am not one of those people, though, that keep every book I have ever read and enjoyed. I only keep those books that have carved a special place in my heart and have given me a satisfying learning experience, skills or spiritual.

There was a conversation in my household lately about the value or desire to use e-books. Those living in my house include college age children who did not use e-books while in high school. Their high school now uses mostly e-books for the many reasons that one would think. This particular school (Bishop Dunne Catholic High School) has gone to a BYOD environment and is a wireless facility. Some of the reasons they use e-books are as follows:

• more interactive with Smart Boards
• cost effective
• "green"
• easily accessible anywhere
• easily search the book for terms, etc
• generally more interactive letting students check online dictionaries, glossaries, etc.

You can read their posting on their website here where they explained the switch to students and their families.

As you read this list, you most likely think these are excellent reasons for making a change to e-books. As a parent who paid many dollars for print books that were never used again, or those we could not sell because a new edition came out, I can appreciate the cost effective reasons for using e-books. My children however have very different feelings and I agree with many of their thoughts.

I do not believe that my thinking or theirs stems from the fact that we grew up with paper print books. I believe there are very valid reasons for using print books over e-books. Personally I love holding a book. We talk about teaching students with "hands on activities" and why? Because we like to touch things. We like to manipulate them. We like to feel we have some control over where the "thing" goes or what it does. It really does give us a sense of control. Opening a book, turning the pages, even restraining ourselves from not looking at the ending, gives us decision controls. These were some of the thoughts my own family expressed at why they preferred print books.

Another was concerning notating and highlighting in a book. I pointed out that you could do something akin to that with an e-book but they didn't like the way it was done. It doesn't replicate how they would like. I wonder though if they used it enough they would become accustomed to the method and more accepting of it's intricacies? I admit that my only use for an e-book so far has been for personal reading, newspapers and magazines. I have not used an e-book for education and so I feel that I do not have the same sense that my children do on their use as an educational tool. Perhaps I would feel differently if I actually had to use an e-book for a course that I was taking or teaching.

As the discussion wore on, it really came down to just plain holding the book in your hands. There is something more personal and connected when you can feel the texture of the paper, the cover, the physical act of turning pages and the final satisfying turn of the last page to close the book when you have finished. I will continue to buy print books. I will also continue to buy e-books. I see merit with both but time will tell if society will ever fully embrace e-books or let go of print.

On a side note, as I was researching others' opinions of the use of e-books, I came across a good posting from June 3, 2011 by John C. Abell, New York Bureau Chief at Wired.com. He writes 5 Reasons Why E-Books Aren't There Yet and perhaps will give you some points to ponder.