Aesthetic value?

One of the primary arguments extended against e-books is that books, in their hard copies, have an aesthetic value that simply cannot be replicated electronically. The texture of the paper, the smell of the ink, the lush covers. I myself have extended this argument.

I was struck, however, by an odd thought when I visited my local village library on Monday. Going to this library is like stepping back in time. No computers, just cards which slip in and out of yellow pockets, and stamps. The second floor of this library is lined with old hardcovers, some exquisitely bound, some so faded along the cloth spines that it is impossible to read the titles.

Haven't we already lost much of the aesthetic value of books? What, truly, is the aesthetic value of a mass-market glued paperback when compared with a leatherbound hardcover with thick pages and hand-stitched binding?

On a trip to Europe last year, I was lucky enough to visit some amazing libraries. The Long Room of Trinity College, Dublin, was among them. It was stunning. It was full of beautiful books. I hope we'll always have beautiful books, that publishers will keep commissioning them and printers will keep printing them. But what have we really lost if mass-market paperbacks turn electronic?

In Praise of Libraries

It's a stressful day at work. Customers are being difficult and there are SO MANY of them! I need a safe place. Lucky for me, my workplace is located very close to my local public library. There is nothing I find more relaxing than sinking into a comfy red chair tucked in a corner behind rows and rows of shelves standing at attention, listening to the intermittent beeping of scanners. That sound- the beeping- is more relaxing to me than waves on the seashore.

I thought I'd take a moment to praise your local library. Having worked (in the past) for my local public library corporation for a good five years, I know a thing or two about the place.

People have a tendency to think of libraries as places that house books. This is true, but it's not the primary function of a library. Libraries are there to serve the public. They are there to provide both entertainment and information. They are there to foster a love of reading in children, and to provide the tools of research to adults.

If you haven't been to your local library for a while, here's a few ideas on how to rediscover the amazing world of public information. The library does more than loan fiction!

• Put in a request for an inter-library loan on that out-of-print book you've been having trouble getting hold of (I recently did this with an esoteric book about philosophy of language, and was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it came through!)
• Make use of your library's subscription to the world's newspapers and journals. Whatever your interest is, chances are there's a regular publication on it!
• Check out foreign language collections for easy texts in a language you're trying to learn (kids' picture books are great for this!)
• Borrow audio books (let's face it, they're too expensive to buy) and listen to them in your car, or on MP3 on the train