I saw a really nifty graphic on Tumblr the other day, and I found it interesting. It was a poll from The Digital Reader, using information from Fatbrain on why buyers choose paper books over e-books, and I found the results interesting.
I found them interesting because I love my e-reader. I chose a Nook because I can send my family members to buy a Barnes and Noble gift card for holidays, and they’ll know the money is going for books.
I also love “actual” books, and I understand why people stick with them, but I’d like to talk about why I choose to buy most of my books online.
Expense
Everyone reading this blog should know by now that I’m in college, taking out thousands of dollars in loans in my own name, and starting to pay some of them back, despite not being able to graduate for another full year. We also have exactly one bookstore within a 45 minute radius, and they’re very small. Between taking 15 – 18 hours of classes every semester, and working for a student newspaper, I make very little money on a regular basis. As a result, between not having to pay shipping prices for books and the already lower prices for e-books v. hardcovers, since I often buy books within a month of release or I pre-order them.
Convenience
Being a college student, I do quite a bit of traveling across the state, and because I love conferences, I end up going to a bunch of other places, too. It’s incredibly impractical to pack the 3 – 5 books that I would generally read while on a vacation, especially when I’m flying somewhere and my packing space is limited. Having my Nook, which can hold something like 1000 books on it, makes it possible for me to read in the car, on a plane, in a box, with a fox, etc. without having to worry about packing stuff.
It also means that I don’t have to bring an entire bookshelf to school with me to stick in my itty bitty dorm room. It’s a couple of extra boxes that I don’t have to pack and unpack twice a year. And believe me, it makes a difference.
Readability
One of the really cool things about my Nook is that it has an e-ink screen, which means there’s very little glare, no matter how bright it is outside. It also means that it’s not emitting any bright light, so I don’t get headaches from reading for long periods of time, which I love doing.
Being a screen, it also means that I can make the font however large or small as I want depending on whether I remembered to bring my glasses with me or not. It’s awesome!
Library Books/ Book Reviewing
Anyone who’s reviewed a book from Netgalley knows that they come as ebooks – whether it’s for Kindle or Adobe Reader – and that means either reading on my computer, which is not my favorite pastime. I love reading new books, and I love that my Nook allows me to read in my own way.
Also, my library allows me to check out e-books. It’s fabulous!
NO BOOKMARKS
I DON’T HAVE TO KEEP LITTLE SCRAPS OF PAPER FOR BOOKMARKS ANYMORE HALLELUJAH. NO MORE PRAYING THAT I’LL STILL HAVE A BOOKMARK/REMEMBER WHAT PAGE I WAS ON. IT WILL BE THERE. The technology remembers.
Privacy
We all have guilty pleasures – one of mine is that I enjoy really cheesy romance novels from time to time.With my nook, I can read whatever I want, and unless someone is reading over my shoulder, no one will ever know. Plus, it looks like I’m just playing on a tablet, when really I’m reading. People are much less nosy when they think you’re on a tablet. It’s fabulous.
Now, none of this is against traditional book readers or books, of course. I have several bookshelves full of “actual books” (one of which I just finished packing up in preparation for going home on Thursday) but I think that e-readers are a good option, especially as the technology gets better and the options get larger.