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Libraries

warchild said:
I read the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, Sherlock Holmes, Jules Verne, HG wells ::sigh:: miss those types of moments. We never had Biggles over here though, so i never met him till this really bad movie came out.. Since then, he's been on my list of books to read, even if he IS for young English Lads..
:)
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We never really had the Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew over here, nearest I came to them in my younger days was watching the old Mickey Rooney films!! In my mid-20s I ran the childrens book section of Harrods, and that was the first time I actually saw the books, as we stokced them for visiting Americans. I guess our equivalent was Enid Blyton, who catered from a range of ages, with books from "Noddy" to "The Famous Five"; she may have been an elitist, racist, sexist bigot (or, in other words, a typical upper middle class Edwardian lady), but her books were still just as popular in the 1980s.

I was a voracious reader, read trash & classics alike; Blyton, Conan Doyle, Grahame ... it didn't matter to me. I'm not sure I agree with the gloomy prognostication that reading is a dying art; my 18 year old son, who is a major gadget freak, has no time for iPads/Kindles, he much prefers the tactility of a real book. But fashions change, and a lot of the books I read as a child were no longer available; the "Uncle" books, Andre Norton, Buckeridge's "Jennings"; he had Dahl (an odd man, who I once had the great privilege of meeting, and holding a very interesting conversation), the same classics, Clarke & Asimov (he finds them boring too), (inevitably) Harry Potter and as he grew older, Terry Pratchett.

I was never a fan of Borders (the chain died here a year or so back), but do have a soft spot for Waterstones & hope that it's new Russian owner will treat it with respect. The book trade is suffering, but the proper balance of online/bricks & mortar will survive, I think. We have some good independent booksellers in London, some of whom have survived by exploiting particular niches; Daunt Books, with their focus on travel writing, are very successful. The library service in the UK is under threat, with funding beng very tight (not going to get political either, but I think this is a short sighted approach), but I hope it will weather the storm.

My dream is to win the lottery, and then run my own bookshop. I have a wonderful role model in mind .....

[video=google;5796834142042868632]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5796834142042868632#[/video]
 
CybrSlydr said:
I'm a purist. Electronic readers are great for convinience and all, but I love the tactile feel of turning a page, the crinkle of the paper and binding... Electronic is just too sterile.

My home library services a town of less than 1000. We dont have a homeless problem and I love our library. Very well kept.
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My wife has been trying to talk me into getting a Kindle, and I keep telling her not to waste the money: I'm a diehard 'traditionalist.

I currently have almost 700 hardback books in my library and I consider each and every one a cherished friend. Not a single book can be replaced by an electronic gadget, even if "everyone is using them". There's nothing like the feel of a book.

Bob
 
I'm a traditionalist as well. Nothing like a book to get you away from the whirring fans and buzzing machines that pervade the majority of daily lives.. Having something i can put up on the big screen and read clearly the first time with no trouble is a very nice thing, but it kills the soul of the book and reading itself, and becomes little more than a cold heartless way of transferring data to the mind. The touch and feel of each page and the not knowing whats on the next as you slowly digest each word in what is becoming a rare moment of sheer luxury is one of the greatest sensations in life..
 
Oh, I think that the printed word is still going strong, and will be for some time to come yet. The death of brick-and-mortar stores is more the result of having the ability to order from an on-line source such as Amazon, and enjoy fast -often free- delivery...

...and oftimes as much as 50% off "MSRP" on top of that!

I just ordered a new release of Eric Flints' "1636: The Saxon Uprising" from Amazon day before yesterday. It was delivered to my doorstep yesterday afternoon (less than 24hrs!)...

...for a measley $15.85 (MSRP: $25 + tax)

After reading, I donate all hardcovers to my local library with the firm stipulation that they not be sold in their bargain bin, but are kept on the shelf for everyone interested to enjoy! Who knows, I may want to check one of 'em out again one day for a reread!

I can even count them as a legitimate deduction for my state and federal taxes... :icon_lol:
 
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