# Will books stop being published on paper?



## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

I read the other week how the Encyclopaedia Britannica is going out of print. Britannica will focus primarily on its online encyclopedias and educational curriculum for schools. Are all books far behind?


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## Ape in space (May 31, 2010)

I voted for 15 years. The only thing preventing me from reading everything electronically is the eye strain. But once things like Kindle become more ubiquitous, most people will read things electronically without worrying about eye strain.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

I work in publishing and we talk about this aaaaaaaaaall the time.

Far fewer books will be printed on paper, but I don't see the medium disappearing completely. People like books as objects. People like to decorate their houses with books, even when (especially when!) they don't actually read them.

How will you impress your friends if you don't have books on your shelves!

But I am biased. I think ebooks are the most hideous things of all time. I can't read crap that looks like this:










Widows! Orphans! Loose lines! I can't even look at it. Making sure printed books *don't* look like that is a major part of my job description, and it is sad to think that nobody else cares about that stuff but me.

So yeah I'm probably wrong. Probably nobody wants blocks of paper glued together.


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## huh (Mar 19, 2007)

I'd love to think that in 50+ years books will no longer be published on paper, but pita has a good point. Lots of people buy books just to have them in a bookshelf. So as much as I'd like to see them go away and have more books available electronically, paper books will likely be around for a long time to come. However, I'm actively trying to get rid of all my physical books. 

I have a box going with books I now have in electronic format so I can donate them to Goodwill. I'd love to have my entire collection in an electronic format. My boxes of books were the worst part about my last apartment move. If I can get it where I can carry my whole collection around in my backpack (on my Kindle) I'd be very happy. I've had no issues reading from a Kindle over reading a physical book.


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## avoidobot3000 (Aug 22, 2010)

I think there will always be a demand for paper books because people have different preferences--vinyl records are still being pressed despite advances in technology. I read every day and I currently have no desire to buy an e-reader.


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## Nogy (Feb 13, 2011)

I really hope not. I hate reading books electronically, it just seems really strange to me. I got a kindle as a present awhile back, but i didn't use it for long. I much rather prefer to read the story on paper, and to have the book for my bookshelf


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## FireIsTheCleanser (Aug 16, 2011)

God I hope not. I like the feeling of an actual book in my hands, and being able to read for more than 30 minutes without having to look away and close my eyes because of the strain. ebooks are just easier to find and take up less space, but I'd still rather be reading a physical book. I hate digital books.

Says the guy who has nearly 10 GB of comic books on his computer


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## Layla (Feb 24, 2012)

I think eventually in the future they will stop, but we are still quite far away from that happening yet.


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## fanatic203 (Jun 23, 2010)

I'm thinking yes, but in more than 35 years. I too like physical books.


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## mooncake (Jan 29, 2008)

I hope not! I admit, I do have an e-reader, but I still, and always will, read physical books too. Nothing can really beat them, in terms of the actual experience of reading, in my opinion. As useful as I find my e-reader, there's something a bit soulless about not having a physical copy that you can turn the pages of, the smell and look of books, having bookcases crammed full, collecting quirky bookmarks, and browsing the shelves in libraries and second hand shops, etc. I love all that.


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## Lasair (Jan 25, 2010)

pita said:


> How will you impress your friends if you don't have books on your shelves!
> .


I do agree, they tell a lot about a person but I do find my kindle really helpful for college!


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## Jennifer Clayton (Nov 19, 2010)

I think there will always be people on both sides- some who want to read electronically and some who want books. I love having books that I can carry around, highlight, write things in- those things are much more difficult to do when everything is electronic. I like being able to hold books. The smell, the feel. Just like I still love having CD's even when everyone has mp3 players. I like having them, looking at the artwork, it's very aesthetic for me. Besides, some people can't handle some of the bright screens that electronics have, and it makes reading that way a strain. But some love technology, love having everything available at anytime, any place.

It's a preference, and while books may be in print less and less, I feel certain they will never completely go away. I won't stop reading books.


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

Production will decrease, but books will always exist. At least I hope so. I'm in the business of selling graphic novels, and people seem to enjoy art reproduction more on printed paper. So maybe prose books will cease, but art books will print on.


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## heyJude (Aug 1, 2009)

I hope not. I own a kindle, but it needs to be charged daily, which is a pain. A real book does not, plus I have a pretty sweet book collection/library in my room.

Big behemoth textbooks being available electronically, now that's something I can get behind.


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## WhoDey85 (Sep 6, 2006)

This will never happen.


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## huh (Mar 19, 2007)

heyJude said:


> I hope not. I own a kindle, but it needs to be charged daily, which is a pain.


That must be the Kindle Fire? I charge my Kindle about once a month.


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## heyJude (Aug 1, 2009)

^Yeah, Kindle Fire. I love it though.


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## Cletis (Oct 10, 2011)

I think there will always be books on paper but most will be electronic in the future, I'm afraid. I also think newspapers will become rare.


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## coldmorning (Jul 4, 2007)

Books will stay around for a long time.


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## scarpia (Nov 23, 2009)

That's the kind of thing people were saying about cars never replacing the good ol' horse and buggy.


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## Nada (Dec 19, 2004)

I believe there will be a time when printed books will just be a collector item.


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## will22 (Mar 28, 2011)

I think there'll be a point when both books made from processed trees and kindle like devices will be collector's items. 

As nerdy as this sounds, systems neuroscience, computational neuroscience, and mind-brain interfaces will at some point make many different exciting kinds of direct "mind uploading" possible. Of course, this applies to any sort of medium we use to obtain and enjoy data. 

No books, no blue-ray's, probably a complex internet of brains exchanging all kinds of information, or even feelings themselves.


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## Meta14 (Jan 22, 2012)

I like reading a book for 3 hours without my eyes turning red :S


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## Dane (Jul 27, 2009)

No, I think there will always be paper books, although I'm sure they will decrease in number and probably everyone (practically) will own some kind of e-reader.

As someone else mentioned, it would be really nice to have a cheap e-version of those hundred dollar textbooks, and any other printed material that a person only has a temporary use for. For books that you plan to keep permanently, though, I would always want a physical copy. 

One other disadvantage to the e-book that hasn't been mentioned yet is that it could be lost or destroyed a lot more easily than a physical copy.


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## northstar1991 (Oct 4, 2011)

I hope not! I prefer to read books on paper rather than on a device. I like to have the book in my hand.


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## Who (Jul 29, 2010)

I hope soon.
Silverfishes living in old books are pretty gross.
The way they wiggle when they move ugh icky.
Whenever I pick up a book at a library or a book store I hope I don't find a silverfish crawling out of it. I've been to Australia, I've seen a HUGE silverfish.

Though, it'll probably hurt my eyes looking at the screen more.


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## Daft (Jan 5, 2012)

I think some people still like the charm of old books and to get their eyes off the good old glowing screen once in awhile, but eventually paper books could definitely disappear. My guess is that people still reading books like it mostly for familiarity, to get off the computer, because they like the atmosphere and activity of going out to a bookstore, etc, but as more and more generations are being born already immersed in technology and alternatives they may not have that and there probably won't be enough people to keep companies and stores in business.

I guess there's the issue that books can't crash and lose data (replacement policies...?), and I know that a book can survive a quick drop in the pool while I'm not so sure about a Kindle.


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## pita (Jan 17, 2004)

Dane said:


> As someone else mentioned, it would be really nice to have a cheap e-version of those hundred dollar textbooks, and any other printed material that a person only has a temporary use for.


E-versions of textbooks are great. Who wants to hulk around some heavy rectangle that's badly designed and printed on sh*tty paper anyway?

< not me

But the cost will always be fairly high for those things because editorial costs of textbooks are massive. I think of the amount of work that goes into one, and I am glad I don't work at an educational publisher anymore.


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