LeGuin and google books

PBS’s Newshour had a segment with one of my favorite authors earlier this week, which might be of interest to any number of us - it put me in mind of a post DawnAZ did on the blog last year about digital publishing/reading opportunities.

This was an interesting interview. I do agree with LeGuin when she stated that print books are not going to go away just because e-readers have been created. I think whatever medium people use to read, whether print or electronic, does not really matter. I do take exception when she stated that the public schools are not doing enough teach and encourage people to read. I work at an elementary school, and see firsthand how hard the librarian and teachers work to encourage good reading habits in the students. I would take it one step further and say that parents need to take a more active role in developing their children’s love of reading. My hubby and I take our boys to Half Price Books and Barnes & Noble regularly, as well as the Public Library in the summer. You have to model good reading habits for your kids, (whether print or Kindle!) so they see the value of reading from a young age. And believe me when I say we spend a LOT of time on the internet/PS3/Wii/Gameboy DS/iPhones in this house! But we still read books, and encourage our boys to do the same.

I do agree with what she said about Google Books. I have looked at that site, and can’t make heads or tails of it. It’s a mess. It would be wonderful if everything could somehow be scanned and digitized to be preserved. But just like the Public Library, you would have to have a card, or something to use to access the books.