Books have always provided people with an escape from the real world.
They allow readers to fall into another world unlike their own, giving them a chance to explore an imaginary place filled with adventures.
“Reading is the pathway to someone’s mind. It’s about getting lost in another world,” said Jennifer Caron, a real estate administration assistant and former DC student.
A paper book is a treasured item that creates a nostalgic response within the reader and can be a collector’s item on your bookshelf.
But paper books have a competitor.
E-books are relatively new to the market and can be read on many different platforms including, computers, tablets, phones and e-readers.
This makes e-books a convenient, compact and lightweight way to read books on the go. With an e-reader you can also store all of your books in a small space.
With the Christmas season fast approaching what should be on the ‘to buy’ list, an e-reader or paper books?
Paper books have a lot of positives including the fact that they are traditional and everyone is familiar with them.
“I don’t know about other people but for me, it’s the feel. Reading a physical book sparks four out of five senses. Sight, hearing, touch and smell,” said Jessica Galway, a future Durham College student.
Paper books can also be displayed on a shelf and shown as a collector’s item.
E-readers and e-books have positives too.
They are very light and easily accessible. You can carry around thousands of books without breaking your back or wallet.
There are online resources that allow you to purchase e-books such as, Amazon.ca and KOBO, and for a fairly cheap price, averaging about $10 a book.
E-books are also interactive whereas paper books aren’t because e-books can have links for reference, define words right on your device and link to videos to further explain a topic. This gives e-books an interesting quality, according to Nathalie Zhou, Reference Librarian at Durham College.
“I think e-readers are becoming more popular because we live in a society of conveniences. People love new technology, including me,” said Galway.
Even though e-readers are popular right now, it’s unlikely paper books will die out, according to Zhou.
Paper books and e-books are both amazing ways to expose you to literary masterpieces but they have their own shortfalls.
Paper books are expensive, at an average of 25 dollars a book. It can be costly to have a large collection of books.
They are also very heavy, so carrying more than one is really out of the question when it comes to being comfortable.
E-books also have their own flaws.
While e-books are cheap in price, they require some other device such as, an e-reader so you can use them. This inflates the price of using e-books.
E-readers with a backlit screen can disrupt your sleep when used too closely to the time you are going to bed. It can mess with your melatonin levels causing your body to think you have enough of it, stopping your body from creating the right amount you need.
Melatonin is a hormone that helps control your internal clock. When you don’t have enough melatonin in your system it can cause restlessness and insomnia.
Paper books and e-books both have their perks and downfalls but they have something in common. They both provide access to the information and the stories that the author was trying to portray.
Nine in 10 Canadians read at least one book of their own choice per year, while half of them read over four hours a week, according to Canadian heritage.
The number of kids aged six to 17 reading e-books has doubled since 2010, and 80 per cent of kids who read e-books still read paper books for fun, according to Kids and Family Report done by Scholastic Books.
“E-readers are trending, but like everything in the world, the original is always the best,” said Galway.
