Hello readers.
This week, I was once again being introduced to electronic book or e-book. Before this moment, I had used to find a collection of e-books and published them into a channel on Telegram or Dropbox for college activity called Library of Libros. The activity aims to encourage students especially college residents to read e-books. In return, they are rewarded with college merit.
For some people who read, e-books are not their first option when it comes to their reading materials or sources. There are many reasons which finally lead to printed books instead of electronic version. They argue that they want to touch the texture of the paper, to smell the flipping pages-- be it new or old books and also to add the collections into their shelves.
On the other hand, e-book could not bring the same vibes old school people seek for, but it has myriad of benefits too. Just like what is written as the title of the post, no matter what is the total number of pages the e-book you are reading, the weight of what you are holding remains the same as when you are reading thinner or thicker ones. Isn't that heaven enough to carry a lightweight Kindle, or an iPad or maybe a mobile phone and you have the access to all kinds of e-books, anytime, anywhere. Undeniably, some people prefer to carry heavy-weight books to look smart, and nerd too!
Moreover, if you were to buy an e-book, the price is always cheaper than printed version because you cut off the cost of printing and production. Even though you are not buying them, you may want to borrow from online libraries. For example, you can borrow from universities' libraries, Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia and many other websites that offer free e-books. I am currently reading a chapter in an e-book entitled Enhanced Picture Books: Enhancing the Literacy Development of Young Children that I downloaded for free from my university library's collections. If pricing consideration is not a problem, you may want to consider the picture below. It is not that I am trying to threat the readers but sometimes, a Malay saying, "tak kenal maka tak cinta" can be practical here. Get to know the pros and cons of them, only then you can decide better. I usually spend some time to read before bed, with the lights off. This is where I find reading e-books is a better choice because I don't need my bedside lamp for the reading time before bed (another bonus point and the minus point is-- your eyes will hate you).
Nevertheless, I believe some readers who still stick to paperbacks have tried reading e-books before because knowledgeable folks will usually have reasons behind their choice. Perhaps, e-books are just not their types because they could not bear with the distraction the gadgets bring.
I hereby declare that it is a matter of preferences. It really doesn't matter whether you choose printed books or e-books as long as you read because knowledge is a lot more important than that.
My point here is, it is not wrong to carry thick books everywhere, pay double for paperbacks or smell the scent of old books but be reasonable with your choice. If you are travelling by public from home to university, it might be unpleasant to carry many references books in your hands when you have the choice to carry just your slim mobile phone around. However, if you are reading for pleasure at home while sipping a cup of hot chocolate, it is tolerable to read any which you prefer. Technologies help us to ease our daily works, not to erase the traditions.
BE SMART!
Happy reading.