Panel debate with contributions from the floor. Are e-readers the death of the book? Panel: Duncan Wright, Adam Lancaster, Bev Humphrey; Chair: Ann Cowdrey, SLANI
4. Paper books
Publisher pulp 77million books a year
40% of books printed are pulped
In US 30million trees cut down for books
1.6million metric tons of paper used for books in
US
4billion worldwide for paper
Most cut down from unfarmed sources
70% comes from unfarmed
In Canada, UK’s biggest source of pulp 90%
comes from ancient forests
5. Sales in the UK
In 2012 digital sales soared +188%
All book sales increase up 6.1%
E-book non fiction rise of 128%
6. NLT research
39% young people read daily using electronic
devices
28% printed materials daily
E-book reading doubled to 12%
52% rather read on screen
32% read in print
4 out of 10 own a tablet or smartphone
Boys more likely to read on screen
7. Jonathan Douglas (NLT)
We are very concerned by our findings that children
who only
read on-screen are significantly less likely to enjoy
reading and
less likely to be strong readers. Good reading skills
and reading
for pleasure are closely linked to children’s success
at school
and beyond. We need to encourage children to
become avid
readers, whatever format they choose.
9. Misinterpretation of data
Ebook sales risen
Physical book sales remain same
So those people who’ve always read paper still
do
Types of ebooks that have heralded
unprecedented rise such as Fifty Shades
Ebooks giving platform to read what/when/how
10. Misinterpretation of data cont…
NLT says
Young people reading electronically = weaker
readers
Young people reading electronically = not for
pleasure
Isn’t this obvious though
New readers are being formed by electronic
devices who may not realise they are actually
reader. Of course they are weaker they never use
to read!
11. A library
a. A place in which literary and artistic materials,
such as books, periodicals, newspapers,
pamphlets, prints, records, and tapes, are kept for
reading, reference, or lending.
b. A collection of such materials, especially when
systematically arranged.
c. A room in a private home for such a collection.
d. An institution or foundation maintaining such a
collection.
12. Our role, especially in schools
Provide material for all types of learners
Do all we can in every way we can to encourage
reading
To promote reading for pleasure i.e. to show
young people they can read what they want in
whatever way they want
We should not be prescriptive as to how this
happens or what this looks like that is not our role
13. Talking books, board books, hardback books, paper
back books,
magazines, newspapers, computers, e-books,
tablets, braille,
large print books, signs, leaflets, manga, graphic
novels,
comics, fiction, non fiction,
The more ways there are to read surely means the
more readers
there can potentially be…
