Ebook or Print?
Posted by: Sara Rofofsky Marcus
With the growing availability of ebooks, particularly reference and popular fiction, the question arises – print or electronic. Print is traditional, you can pass it along, and no technology is needed. Print is also limited to one user at a time, it deteriorates quickly, and the information in the item is never updated. Ebooks are newer, can be accessed 24/7, and update if the title is subscribed to (purchases are updated only as defined in the contract). Ebooks do not deteriorate, although the technology used to access the ebook can deteriorate quickly – particularly if it is library-provided (i.e., loaning Kindles). If you do decide to use an ebook, what format do you choose – Kindle, Acrobat, NetLibrary, Overdrive, publisher-specific, etc? How do you provide equal access for all when not everyone has the appropriate technology or software? Although, many ebooks can change print size, eliminating the need for large-print books. Subscriptions enable automatic updating of information (although for the serious scholar this can cause problems as the material used just a short while ago might no longer be available).
So, the question becomes, ebook or print? Is there a definitive answer?
