Outdated: A rant

I feel like libraries are completely outdated, and "real" bookstores are headed in that direction too. However, despite me being such a book/writing person, I feel like I'm alone in embracing the e-reader trend that is sweeping across the world. Now don't get me wrong, I love real books. Oh my god, I really really do love them. The way they look, the way they smell, there is nothing better than being surrounded by books. A wall of books will never judge you, and will always be there for you. A wall of books will outlive you as well. They're immortal. Words never die.

I'm certainly not alone in these feelings either. But I do feel like I'm alone in trying to accept the whole e-reader thing. There are thousands of my own fellow bookies "pledging to read the printed word" and boycotting Nooks and Kindles everywhere because they're destroying the production of books, or something like that.

Are you kidding me? We aren't living in some kind of pseudo-Bradbury universe where books are banned and being set on fire left and right. They aren't going anywhere, and even if people are converting to reading e-books, it doesn't mean that all the print books are done. Sure, the production numbers might decrease, but that's logical. Why would they print an excess of books when people aren't going to read them? It would be a waste. 

Whenever someone and I get into a discussion about this, I use the same argument over and over and over, because it's so true and parallels the issue at hand perfectly.  

Have you ever thought about the progression of the way music is performed and listened to?

Over the last few years we have progressed from vinyl, to cassettes, to CDs, and finally to MP3s. 

Do they still make vinyl records/ do they still exist? Yes.

Do they still make CDs/ do they still exist? Yes. 

Do people still listen to music via vinyl and CDs? Yes.

(I can't say much about cassettes but let's just disregard that)

Now, let's take that same argument and apply it to the e-reader trend.

Do they still print books/ do they still exist? Yes.
Do new books still come out in print? Yes.
Is it still easy to go out and purchase a "real" book? Yes.

I understand if you prefer print books, lots of people do! But don't knock the e-reader trend just because you don't agree with it. Think about the positives involved with an e-reader:

-Convenience. You can literally carry your entire library with you.

-Cheap. Often times, eBooks are cheaper than print books, and a lot of classic literature is available for free. 

-Borrowing. The Kindle offers a "lending library" where you can essentially borrow an eBook, and a lot of public libraries now offer an eBook collection

-Space. Let's be honest, books stack up rather quickly.

-Environmentally sound. Of course you still need electricity to power your eReader, but paper and ink aren't used when you read an eBook, and that helps the environment in the long run.

-Supporting upcoming authors. The latest trend with publishing companies is releasing new material on the eBook network before physically printing it, to see how successful it is without investing a lot.

I am a writer, and I am a writer who writes by hand more specifically. I don't judge people who only write on computers, I just have a handwriting preference. More people write on computers now, but that doesn't mean I have to. 

Basically, the point of this rant is to make people exercise an open mind. eReaders aren't going anywhere, and complaining and boycotting them won't change that. More people are reading now because of them, and that's always a good thing. Stick to your print books, that's fine, but don't insult the eReaders. It's just the updated version of a print book. And besides, words are always the same no matter how you read them.