Okay, after much consideration, I'm just going to come out and say it: I am not a fan of e-books. Maybe this is librarian heresy, but I am sure there are some that would stand with me on this issue. And, I say this for several reasons. Before I go into them, I want to preface my comments emphasizing that I am speaking for myself only.
While I realize that I said in my post on February 4th that I was a pluralist, I still consider myself that, regardless of whether or not you can be such without liking e-books. In my mind, an e-book will never be the same as a real book, no matter what size your e-reader is, or how you turn a page with the touch of a finger. Making notes in your Nook, Kindle, or other device as your read is not the same as being able to scrawl things in the margins of a physical book.
Also, any belief that all college students read and love e-books is also completely false. I agree that textbooks are expensive, and that e-books may provide a price break, as well as not break a student's back. Cost is only one of the factors involved. Not all textbook publishers have every text available electronically, and if you have a college age son or daughter, do you really want them staring at a 7" screen for the better part of four years and beyond?
When students or other patrons do research, you can not simply walk up to a "shelf" of e-books and browse across spines and indices easily. You have to enter and exit out of every book you're viewing. Whereas in a library, it is easy to walk over to the shelf, pull down the books you need, find a table, and flip through them to find the information you need.
I also find that I really enjoy the tactile sensation of holding a book in my hand, turning the pages, flipping back and forth easily at will. The glow of an e-reader in my lap is of little comfort to me.
So that's my argument, I'd welcome any comments if you have any.
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