I won't ask "will libraries survive?" because I'm sure they will. Why am I sure? Well, as a librarian once said - why don't you look it up?
>The view from Talladega
>An insider's perspective
>This HuffPo blog
>The Wall Street Journal's take and The Monitor's
I've extolled the virtues of libraries before, and if you're reading this, I'm sure you can list plenty. What better place to find out (for free) a highly-recommended book is actually an utter disappointment? Where else can you go to find out which e-reader is right for you - again, for free? Where do you go when you're new to town and need a book club?
Still not convinced libraries are relevant? OK, I didn't want to have to do this, but there's a Twitter app for that. Seriously - check it out.
Showing posts with label e-readers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label e-readers. Show all posts
Monday, March 25, 2013
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Summer reading tips
Ye gads! Already? Yep; summer's danged close. Teachers are whipping out their summer reading assignments; vacationers are picking through paperbacks (or downloading to their ereaders) in anticipation. What are you going to read this season? Whittle down the stack of dusty magazines? Spring for a NYT Bestseller? Peruse the stacks at your favorite used book store?
Of course, I have a few suggestions...
1. Read about reading
How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas Foster, adds some insight to your reading, whatever it is. It doubles as a refresher course in interpretive literature, but in a good way. I'm still reading slowly, a chapter or so at a sitting... fortunately it's on loan from a very understanding and patient friend. (Thanks, Chris!) I recommend it. Even though I haven't finished it. :D
2. Support your local bookstore!
Pick up those summer reading assignments for your students at an independent book store. They'll love you for it, and probably offer a discount. Plus, remember you always get "free shipping" when you buy from a real, bricks and mortar retail store.
3. Spread some good karma.
Traveling? Try this: pick up some used paperbacks before you go, knowing you'll finish them and not want to bring them home. Strike up a conversation about reading with a stranger (making a friend in the process) and leave the book with him or her. Alternatively, ask the management if you can donate the book to the hotel's game/reading room, or just just leave it by the pool with a post-it-note saying "free book- enjoy."
4. Switch gears.
Always seeking a legal thriller? Give your brain something else to chew on. A romantic comedy. A graphic novel. A translation. Something your parents didn't want you to read, a hundred years ago, when you were a kid. Something you loved as a kid, but you can't remember why.
5. Stretchhhhhhhhhh.
For real, stretch. Your brain loves it when you get so absorbed in a book you just can't put it down. Your spine hates it. So stretch, already.
6. Share it.
Share it by reading it with someone. You don't have to join a book group; just make a pact with a friend, your daughter, sister, spouse, or a neighbor that you'll read the same book and discuss it this summer. Then do it!
7. Share it again.
Share the book, yes, by all means! But also, share your reading pleasures with us here (guest posters always welcome) and with readers elsewhere. Reading (usually) is a solitary activity, and that's part of its allure. Sharing what you've read adds another dimension to your understanding - and enjoyment - of the book. So dish!
Of course, I have a few suggestions...
1. Read about reading
How to Read Literature Like a Professor, by Thomas Foster, adds some insight to your reading, whatever it is. It doubles as a refresher course in interpretive literature, but in a good way. I'm still reading slowly, a chapter or so at a sitting... fortunately it's on loan from a very understanding and patient friend. (Thanks, Chris!) I recommend it. Even though I haven't finished it. :D
2. Support your local bookstore!
Pick up those summer reading assignments for your students at an independent book store. They'll love you for it, and probably offer a discount. Plus, remember you always get "free shipping" when you buy from a real, bricks and mortar retail store.
3. Spread some good karma.
Traveling? Try this: pick up some used paperbacks before you go, knowing you'll finish them and not want to bring them home. Strike up a conversation about reading with a stranger (making a friend in the process) and leave the book with him or her. Alternatively, ask the management if you can donate the book to the hotel's game/reading room, or just just leave it by the pool with a post-it-note saying "free book- enjoy."
4. Switch gears.
Always seeking a legal thriller? Give your brain something else to chew on. A romantic comedy. A graphic novel. A translation. Something your parents didn't want you to read, a hundred years ago, when you were a kid. Something you loved as a kid, but you can't remember why.
5. Stretchhhhhhhhhh.
For real, stretch. Your brain loves it when you get so absorbed in a book you just can't put it down. Your spine hates it. So stretch, already.
6. Share it.
Share it by reading it with someone. You don't have to join a book group; just make a pact with a friend, your daughter, sister, spouse, or a neighbor that you'll read the same book and discuss it this summer. Then do it!
7. Share it again.
Share the book, yes, by all means! But also, share your reading pleasures with us here (guest posters always welcome) and with readers elsewhere. Reading (usually) is a solitary activity, and that's part of its allure. Sharing what you've read adds another dimension to your understanding - and enjoyment - of the book. So dish!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Why Social Media is good for reading
JK Rowling finally did it (well, her publisher did) and now that all seven Harry Potter books are on available for e-readers, we can breathe a collective sigh of relief. Not that the books are available, but that because they are, we may finally be free of those silly articles predicting the death of e-readers.
Actually, next to the prediction (made by every generation since Socrates, at least) that civilization is coming to an end thanks to "today's youth," the assertion that reading is dead is probably a close second. I disagree.
Kindles and all manner of screens mean we may be buying and turning fewer paper pages, but we're reading more. What evidence do I have for this crazy idea? My teenager has bought two books, with her own money, to read on her iPhone. If I'm crazy, well, so is the rest of the world.
In fact, I'll prove it by saying this: social media is making better readers of us all.
Admit it; you've probably been tempted to "like," "+1" or otherwise recommend an article by one of those catchy headlines. Then after you click, you (the responsible person who doesn't want to be seen as an indiscriminate button-pushing sharer) will read the whole article. I mean, do you really want to end up in a discussion with someone quizzing you on your opinion about something in the bottom paragraph if you haven't read the article? Uh-huh. That's what I thought - a little online repartee can convince you to go back and read the ones you really just skimmed, and shared, too hastily.
And then there are books, those dinosaurs we carry (yet and still!) to read on beach vacations and in doctors' offices. How many online reading circles are out there? A lot more than there were 20 years ago, and thanks to the peer pressure applied by fellow Facebook users eager to weigh in with opinions to impress their friends (you saw The Hunger Games before you read it? OMG!) I bet that you've purchased or checked a book out of your library just because of the buzz it got from someone's Tweets or Pinterest boards. See? Peer pressure isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Of course, if you think I'm wrong, be sure to tell me. Just know this: I dare you to share this until you've read the whole thing.
_________________________________________
From Mary Ruefle, in Someone Reading a Book Is a Sign of Order in the World, comes this excellent explanation of why reading will never be passe:
Actually, next to the prediction (made by every generation since Socrates, at least) that civilization is coming to an end thanks to "today's youth," the assertion that reading is dead is probably a close second. I disagree.
Kindles and all manner of screens mean we may be buying and turning fewer paper pages, but we're reading more. What evidence do I have for this crazy idea? My teenager has bought two books, with her own money, to read on her iPhone. If I'm crazy, well, so is the rest of the world.
In fact, I'll prove it by saying this: social media is making better readers of us all.
Admit it; you've probably been tempted to "like," "+1" or otherwise recommend an article by one of those catchy headlines. Then after you click, you (the responsible person who doesn't want to be seen as an indiscriminate button-pushing sharer) will read the whole article. I mean, do you really want to end up in a discussion with someone quizzing you on your opinion about something in the bottom paragraph if you haven't read the article? Uh-huh. That's what I thought - a little online repartee can convince you to go back and read the ones you really just skimmed, and shared, too hastily.
And then there are books, those dinosaurs we carry (yet and still!) to read on beach vacations and in doctors' offices. How many online reading circles are out there? A lot more than there were 20 years ago, and thanks to the peer pressure applied by fellow Facebook users eager to weigh in with opinions to impress their friends (you saw The Hunger Games before you read it? OMG!) I bet that you've purchased or checked a book out of your library just because of the buzz it got from someone's Tweets or Pinterest boards. See? Peer pressure isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Of course, if you think I'm wrong, be sure to tell me. Just know this: I dare you to share this until you've read the whole thing.
_________________________________________
From Mary Ruefle, in Someone Reading a Book Is a Sign of Order in the World, comes this excellent explanation of why reading will never be passe:
Reading...is a great extension of time, a way for one person to live a thousand and one lives in a single lifespan.Read on, my friends!
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