"Be Awesome, Be a Book Nut!"*

So, almost immediately after I posted about all the different kinds of technology that my family uses on a daily basis, and how addicted we are to it, etc., the boys' and my conversation took a turn in a decidedly retro...ish direction this morning. I was reading the Washington Post Business Section (you know, checking on all my investments...not! more like scanning for Game Reviews...or new "toys" coming out soon) and noticed several items of interest that I shared with the kids as they munched their bagels. The first involved the Kodak company, which is probably heading for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy--not surprising, really, since I may be one of the few people left on Planet Earth (besides Professional Photographers? Maybe?) who still buys actual film. But, the sad end of an era, nonetheless.

The second thing that caught my eye startled me a little bit more: Barnes & Noble reports recent financial struggles, and is seeking ways to remain solvent. I guess this really shouldn't be a revelation, since everyone gets great deals on books from Amazon these days...or simply downloads them. But the real surprise came when I interrupted the chewing to share that particular tidbit with Derek and Riley. I explained how hard-copy books are probably going to disappear over time, and eventually everything will be electronic. Riley instantly looked devastated, and exclaimed, "But I like books! I'm going to protest by going to Barnes & Noble and buying more books!" (Well alrighty, then, my little Rebel With a Cause!) I pointed out that while I myself have found it somewhat difficult to transition to my Kindle, (I still make treks to the Library...and yes, shop on Amazon) their generation will likely be the bridge between the old way (cutting down trees to produce reading material) and the modern method (wirelessly transmitting novels to e-readers--ecologically sensitive and responsible). Derek chuckled in mild disbelief, "What, all the students will carry their own Kindle to school?" Um....yeah, I guess so! But I have to admit, I'm totally with them on the whole "I like to hold a book in my hands" thing. Something about feeling the paper, smelling the ink, turning the pages, flipping back and forth to re-read a passage...not to mention running your fingers along a row of volumes on a shelf, head tilted to the side, scanning titles until one catches your eye, then skimming the summary on the inside of the jacket to decide if you want to choose it...none of these experiences can be replicated on a cold, hard plastic device. I thought it was just me, but apparently I've passed on my bibliophile tendencies to my children as well. (Oops, sorry about instilling that old-fashioned streak, guys!)

It's completely weird for me to imagine a world in which brick-and-mortar bookstores fade away into oblivion, and eventually everyone walks around with their own pocked-sized computer stocked with dozens (hundreds, thousands) of books. Working on a college campus, I can glimpse the future coming (slowly, but surely) when heavy, expensive, short-lived textbooks will become obsolete, (at long last, and good riddance!) and students will merely download their semester's worth of scholastic material. Heck, by the time Derek and Riley get to college, they may type all of their class notes on a laptop, submit their homework assignments via e-mail, and read their textbooks either online or on their own e-readers. Wow. Brave New World indeed.

*borrowed from the incomparable Dr. Seuss : )