Whitechapel - Death of the Library 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/ Lussumo Vanilla & Feed Publisher Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=335#Comment_335 2007-11-28T10:55:57-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Netheus http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=149 Those of us that get more than a little bit turned on by large collections of books are going to be in search of a new sexual trick. article and the actual collection: Library
article

and the actual collection:

Library
]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=342#Comment_342 2007-11-28T11:03:05-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 warrenellis http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=2 Well, at least it IS an actual library. I'm still bugged by someone referring to the bloody Kindle as a library the other day... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=354#Comment_354 2007-11-28T11:18:50-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Josh T. http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=202 Now if only they could reproduce that old book smell. Then I'd be in heaven. Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=355#Comment_355 2007-11-28T11:20:46-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Ariana http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1 Or the sound and feel of cracking the spine... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=358#Comment_358 2007-11-28T11:24:22-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Kinesys http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=213 Perhaps a spray of some sort. "Bibliophile" By estee lauder or some shit. Hell, in the digital age we need libraries more than ever. One good solid EMP burst and it will make the loss ...
Hell, in the digital age we need libraries more than ever. One good solid EMP burst and it will make the loss of the library of Alexandria seem incredibly small in comparison.
Granted, the intertubes are nostril deep with crap, but also with more art, music, and thought than you can ever actually see all of. And more dead tree books are being added every day.
Considering that the human race seems incapable of keeping information in it's HEAD anymore, i think libraries are going to become increasingly necessary.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=364#Comment_364 2007-11-28T11:29:29-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 aluyen http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=265 I keep a digital collection of about 25,000 various e-books for references or inspiration, but the sheer display value of six bookcases full of books; is irreplaceable. I love sitting here in my ...
I love sitting here in my library to read or write, and you can't possibly immerse yourself like that with a digital book (well, unless you happen to be living the plot of "Tron").]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=373#Comment_373 2007-11-28T11:36:40-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 hank http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=79 I had the privilege of moving the most complete Esoteric Library on the US East Coast last August on a 100 degree(f) day. My back hasn't forgiven me, but I have a whole list of new books to acquire. Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=374#Comment_374 2007-11-28T11:37:10-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 jrivka http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=256 I've definitely complained within minutes of each other that I have to exist in a physical body, and that libraries no longer have physical card-catalogues. Books make me nostalgic.
Books make me nostalgic.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=377#Comment_377 2007-11-28T11:38:00-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 harchangel http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=134 I think Chip Kidd says it best http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/kidd_on_kindle_8226.asp
http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/kidd_on_kindle_8226.asp]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=380#Comment_380 2007-11-28T11:39:47-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 MontiLee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=261 I love sitting here in my library to read or write, and you can't possibly immerse yourself like that with a digital book (well, unless you happen to be living the plot of ... I love sitting here in my library to read or write, and you can't possibly immerse yourself like that with a digital book (well, unless you happen to be living the plot of "Tron").

Aluyen - I respectfully disagree.

I have a Sony Reader (PRS-500) with a collection of currently 50 books and I can certainly loose myself in it's "pages". I can pop it into my bag, and no matter where I am or what mood I'm in I can read something funny or scary or serious. I leave my paper reading for the tub (because bubbles and books go well together) and I do have a rather impressive collection of hard and soft cover books from my favorite authors. No, there is no visual replacement for bookcases lined end to end with colorful covers and familiar names, but I'm not taking my hardcovers on the bus. Thems for home readin'.

There's no reason why we can't have it both ways - paper books for curling up in a favorite chair and a portable collection for those times when the DMV line is forever.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=382#Comment_382 2007-11-28T11:39:51-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 hank http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=79 My Girlfriend does not understand the allure of a hardbound book full of good words matched to good ideas. Though the is an avid audiobook person. *sigh* More shelf space for my books!
More shelf space for my books!]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=405#Comment_405 2007-11-28T12:03:34-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 KitsuneCaligari http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=248 Hearing about the Death of the Library reminded me of the tales of woe that came from the transfer of the San Francisco Main from its old building to the new - the new building was designed by a ... Patience and Fortitude, if one wants to read a bibliographic horror story....]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=417#Comment_417 2007-11-28T12:18:14-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Pooka http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=216 i very much dislike sitting at a computer or staring at a screen to read a book. I'd much rather have a nice solid edition to put on my shelf after I'm done reading it. Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=426#Comment_426 2007-11-28T12:24:14-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Mark Seifert http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=3 Anybody with experience with the Sony or any other reader - how durable are they? I like they idea of being able to relax while reading ebooks, but I'm afraid I'd fall asleep and end up destroying ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=463#Comment_463 2007-11-28T13:00:45-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Sarpedon http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=113 "One good solid EMP burst and it will make the loss of the library of Alexandria seem incredibly small in comparison." and on the flip side, a book of matches and 30 seconds of ripping ... and on the flip side, a book of matches and 30 seconds of ripping could do some damage to physical libraries.

"There's no reason why we can't have it both ways - paper books for curling up in a favorite chair and a portable collection for those times when the DMV line is forever."

I'd say perhaps, we should have it both ways, since physical books have a number of advantages over electronic and vice versa, even without considering the reader's preference. It's a lot cheaper and easier to store catalog search organize and distribute electronic texts than it is physical but the fact that physical books are just that, physical, gives them value. I read somewhere that a person suggested giving you an electronic copy of the book via the kindle if you bought the hard copy. This is exactly what bands have been doing, shell out for 180gram vinyl and you get mp3s. Giving me the ability to search a text I own would be valuable but there's issues with reconciling the two media and at the end of the day it's a different experience, you'll read in a different way, I suspect, just like you don't listen to music the same way in a record player than walking down the street with your mp3 player. It'll be interesting to see what happens to libraries but if things like what Kitsune mentioned happen I'm going to sign up for an MLS just so it doesn't.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=468#Comment_468 2007-11-28T13:07:55-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Kinesys http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=213 Personally, i don't expect that E-readers will really take off until they are incorporated into gear that is geared for media consumption. When Kindle and Ipod spawn and give me something that ...
But of course, for that to happen you'll have to see technological leaps that make "Disk Space" and "Battery Life" null concepts, or nearly thus.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=498#Comment_498 2007-11-28T13:37:21-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 monkey king http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=319 I enjoy e-reading quite a bit, however, the medium has a ways to go, I am sure that the Sony reader and Kindle are very impressive, but at 300+ green ones, I'll stick to killing trees. I just don't ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=541#Comment_541 2007-11-28T14:34:33-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 matt d http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=262 damn good point, that is. Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=560#Comment_560 2007-11-28T15:12:24-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 euchrid http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=367 I doubt very much that the Kindle or whatever comes next will replace books. As some people have already pointed out, they'll become something for specific situations, like trains and places on the ...
The foreseeable future being a shorter span of time every day, of course.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=581#Comment_581 2007-11-28T15:47:36-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Carnadine http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=56 I get along just fine reading ebooks on my three-year-old Palm, a Zire 31. Palm's newest product in the line - the Palm Z22 - is only $89 on Amazon. Add an expansion card, and - imo - you have a ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=599#Comment_599 2007-11-28T16:12:57-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Stitchy http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=125 I have to say I was just writing a research paper today and after about an hour of searching the internet I found absolutely nothing substantial or worthwhile. In turn, I decided to try out the ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=680#Comment_680 2007-11-28T18:32:47-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Miss http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=306 I have trouble reading large blocks of text from a screen, and whenever I do editorial work, I do it on a hard copy first. Feeling and smelling pages is nice. Having overflowing bookshelves is also ... Feeling and smelling pages is nice. Having overflowing bookshelves is also nice. Compressing the reading experience into a slimline sardine tin doesn't seem nearly as appealing.

That said, I never liked libraries much, as I do not want my books seeing other people.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=708#Comment_708 2007-11-28T19:09:28-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Bexx B.S. http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=444 I use e-books for my smut. No need to have the dirty laundry of books on lay-about the haus right? With that said - *I* devour books as if they are my last meal. The man of the haus puts up quite the ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=729#Comment_729 2007-11-28T19:50:42-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 david.marks http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=8 I use e-books for my smut. No need to have the dirty laundry of books on lay-about the haus right? Excellent view on a sticky... ... subject. The accessibility of ebooks is invaluable for reasons ... I use e-books for my smut. No need to have the dirty laundry of books on lay-about the haus right?
Excellent view on a sticky... ... subject. The accessibility of ebooks is invaluable for reasons that are obvious. On the go an ebook is awesome. I love to be able to reference a book or get in a small read from my smart phone whenever I'd like. But lets be honest, in a private home setting I would much rather read a hard copy. My eyesight is so horrible that I am beginning to see back in time more vividly than what is in front of me. I just can't physically commit to reading from a screen anymore than I already do.

I worked with a fine printer for a few years, have a BA in Literature, and possess my own collection of books and comics, but I'm not as excited about the smell of a book as some here are. There are healthier alternatives to ink and glue fumes, like pot, skydiving, or abusing small children.

PS Warren, thanks for putting me on to Hollow Earth Radio, now playing Leadbelly.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=743#Comment_743 2007-11-28T20:13:58-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 hank http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=79 And thank you fo r delivering the Hollow Earth Gem to me! Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=798#Comment_798 2007-11-28T21:39:43-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 darthsnugglebunny http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=501 Besides the fact that I just enjoy physical books, I find that I don't get as much from reading things on a screen. For anything longer than your average blog post I just don't read as deeply or ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=807#Comment_807 2007-11-28T22:03:44-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 gwferguson http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=495 Weren't we cautioned about all this in Vernor Vinge's Rainbows End? Rainbows End?]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=808#Comment_808 2007-11-28T22:03:45-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 david.marks http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=8 I'm half and half. Didn't have the internet, or at least it was not as easily accessible, until I was just about in high school I guess, and I'm a few years out of college now. I read in short ...
I would rather print out a long novel and trash it afterwards than sit in front of a screen for an extra few hours a day. I get that fried feeling after too long. Not so with printed material. Thus in terms of reading for pleasure, hard copies are plainly more comfortable to handle. Whereas a digital copy read from a screen is more functional and useful for work and quick pleasure.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=814#Comment_814 2007-11-28T22:16:50-08:00 2007-11-28T22:18:03-08:00 gwferguson http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=495 "...I just don't read as deeply or remember as much. I've heard much the same from my contemporaries, so wonder if it's a generational thing though - do you suppose the current kids being raised ... "...I just don't read as deeply or remember as much. I've heard much the same from my contemporaries, so wonder if it's a generational thing though - do you suppose the current kids being raised on the internet have that problem?

It may well be generational (again, see Rainbows End). I'm 52 and for the life of me I cannot proofread onscreen text anywhere near as well as I can hardcopy, while all the little college students seem to do just fine. Of course, they're shallow as hell, they can't spell worth a damn, and they believe punctuation marks are nothing more than decoration, but still, they don't seem to have any real problems with e-text.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=815#Comment_815 2007-11-28T22:19:10-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Mark Seifert http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=3 MontiLee or anybody else with the Sony -- that has the e-ink technology, right? (and so does the Kindle, apparently) I'm curious how effective that is in addressing the issues of screen-reading ... e-ink technology, right? (and so does the Kindle, apparently) I'm curious how effective that is in addressing the issues of screen-reading fatigue.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=818#Comment_818 2007-11-28T22:27:15-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 tmofee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=522 The good thing for me with these ebooks is living out in the Bush it's hard to get a book when you want it without having to order. Well, unless you're a bestseller fan. Lost my copy of "Holy ...
Dymocks, a book chain in Australia says by the end of this year they'll have some sort of reader out in Australia, no announcments yet to what it will be (they said it won't be the Kindle), but I'll probably be getting one.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=829#Comment_829 2007-11-28T22:46:37-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 graphicartistx http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=525 Is it just me, or is reading words on a piece of paper a lot easier on the eyes than an LCD screen? I don't think e-books, or e-comics for that matter, will ever replace the real deal. Call it ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=843#Comment_843 2007-11-29T00:13:58-08:00 2007-11-29T00:20:34-08:00 david.marks http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=8 "...curling up with a Kindle." Kind of unnerving when you put some thought in to that idea. Laying down with utter trust next to any object with those sorts of capabilities, albeit ...
Kind of unnerving when you put some thought in to that idea. Laying down with utter trust next to any object with those sorts of capabilities, albeit artificial. The Kindle is no more capable then the computer I'm typing on now, but that visual is disturbing. Books cannot read you, but I can picture nightmarish scenarios: Big Brother hacking in to your webcam , you buying mum a Kindle for christmas, next thing you know she is having a babyshower the likes of Rosemary's Baby. Cheers of coolant go around.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=875#Comment_875 2007-11-29T03:51:46-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 darthsnugglebunny http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=501 gwferguson - To clarify, I was thinking of "generational" in broader terms. Like david.marks, I'm a few years out of college and didn't have the internet until I was in high school, i.e. ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=885#Comment_885 2007-11-29T04:29:41-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 C.O. http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=561 I have a pretty big physical library too, but I also have a nice digital one. I have a fairly shitty ebook reader, that I used once on vacation. I'd like one of the new Sony Readers, since they've ... Sony Readers, since they've come down in price...but they haven't come down far enough.

All that said, I prefer an analog book to a digital one any day. If I had one of those nice readers, though, my mind might change...]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=898#Comment_898 2007-11-29T05:54:24-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 tmofee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=522 Does anyone know of a decent, reasonably affordable reader?? Im just curious what Dymocks are going to see as they have their own digital download site so they won't be going with the proprietary ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=972#Comment_972 2007-11-29T09:43:38-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Willow Bl00 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=604 TED speaker on dictionaries. I think it relates. TED speaker on dictionaries.

I think it relates.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=989#Comment_989 2007-11-29T10:30:27-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Ariana http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1 Oh my god, Willow... she's so EXUBERANT. Some good points (and some crazy ones) but her comments about current web dictionaries (and many books online) just mimicking paper probably bears much more ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=999#Comment_999 2007-11-29T10:40:17-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Willow Bl00 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=604 Ariana, I especially like the point about serendipity ... that's why I still use books even when I'm only looking at a chapter or two - context has a lot to do with every construction. We are ...
I also love seeing people geek out.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1004#Comment_1004 2007-11-29T10:46:22-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Ariana http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1 Willow, I came straight from The Falling Times back over here to your post. So it's going to be that sort of day, looks like. The Falling Times back over here to your post. So it's going to be that sort of day, looks like.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1018#Comment_1018 2007-11-29T11:02:41-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 MontiLee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=261 Mark - The beauty of of my Sony is that there's no back-light or glare from the screen. It really is just like reading a book. Much like I hate sitting in a dark room with a computer screen because ...
I don't get eye fatigue from reading on my Sony like I can get from hours spent on my computer.

I'll admit - my sister works for Sony and I got my Reader for free. It's stupid durable, because I've dropped it several times and it still works.

Personally, I don't like the idea of having all of my electronics on one device. To me it's one device that when stolen or broken or simply borked is an entire life gone. I've watched my sister go through Blackberry withdrawals and it's not worth it to me. My Sony has a mp3 player and I never use it. It's headphones only and frankly I don't listen to music when I read, though it's nice to pretend I'm listening to something so people leave me alone.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1040#Comment_1040 2007-11-29T11:26:04-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 munin218 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=246 Personally, e-books just don't turn me on. I am a bibliophile, I like real, physical books.
I am a bibliophile, I like real, physical books.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1047#Comment_1047 2007-11-29T11:33:17-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 thom_wong http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=432 I also agree that it doesn't have to be an either/or debate. I find it ridiculous that environmental issues are linked to the publishing industry, or at least to the extent they are - hardcover books ...
And I believe it was David Quammen who once said, yes, we may eat fish into extinction, but I will eat the last one. Basically - you can pry my books out of my hands with my dead fingers.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1115#Comment_1115 2007-11-29T12:50:12-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 muse hick http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=483 all this talk on one medium destroying another seems pointless -- they change each other, they don't destroy each other. the internet mutated the radio and is in the process of mutating the tv. tv ... the message that one medium is dead because something new has come along is sales pitch and only that]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1197#Comment_1197 2007-11-29T14:18:39-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Willow Bl00 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=604 So it's going to be that sort of day, looks like. Serendipity of a different sort, I suppose. (PS, I'm having so much fun today! I haven't had this much brain juice going since, well, last ... So it's going to be that sort of day, looks like.

Serendipity of a different sort, I suppose.

(PS, I'm having so much fun today! I haven't had this much brain juice going since, well, last Friday, but still! It oozes out my nose! Or that's just me being sick)]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1231#Comment_1231 2007-11-29T15:34:00-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 badger http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=666 agree with muse hick. electronic media will only complement books... in our lifetimes at least. Too much of the world remains offline. ebooks will probably evolve into a different medium from books ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1238#Comment_1238 2007-11-29T15:41:43-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 xtal http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=625 I love bookcases full of books. I'm anal about how they are arranged but once I have them on there right...well, it's glorious. I also keep my favorite books of the moment out on the coffee table and ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1260#Comment_1260 2007-11-29T16:40:51-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 tmofee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=522 When you live in a small two bedroom house, it's hard to have a place for all the boooks, DVDs, CDs without it being a mess. Something like this is handy for me.. I've moved from Broken Hill to ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1317#Comment_1317 2007-11-29T18:07:58-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 lamuella http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=676 the death of the library has been predicted ever since there were more than about 48 computers in the country. It's a fallacious argument because it rests on the presupposition that the library's ...
It's a fallacious argument because it rests on the presupposition that the library's main stock in trade is information. This isn't really true. I'm sitting at a reference desk in a library right now (in a department actually called Information Services) and information is not our major product. It's certainly not our killer app.

Yes, we have a lot of information, and access to a lot more though journal archives and databases that aren't on the regular Internet, but that's not really what we supply.

What we supply is knowledge.

anyone can offer you access to information. There's more information on the Internet than a million people could read in their combined lifetimes (hyperbole, incidentally). The problem is that there's so much information that people don't know where to start looking, and so they resort to Google, which is fantastic as long as you are trying to find what Google thinks you should want. Where the library comes into its own is that librarians can tell reliable information from crap. They can find stuff that is citable, they know what a scholarly journal is and how that differs from other journals. And they've got mad skills when it comes to searching for things.

The fundamental misconception is that the library provides a product (in other words books or information). We don't. We provide a service, namely helping you find stuff out. The exact method we use and the exact form of the stuff may change, but the job is just as vital as it ever was.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1642#Comment_1642 2007-11-30T12:38:23-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 MontiLee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=261 And we really should be careful what what we term a "real book". Something printed on paper with a cardstock cover shouldn't make it anymore "real" (tangible/acceptable/normal) ...
I have many of my books in both formats and they are quite real to me.

I may not have discovered many of my now favorite authors had it not been for digital versions available for my various readers. I embrace both formats because I understand that there will be people on both sides who will refuse to read the other, but I can't excluded one group or readership over another just because of personal preference or bias.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=1643#Comment_1643 2007-11-30T12:40:28-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 graphicartistx http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=525 And we really should be careful what what we term a "real book". Something printed on paper with a cardstock cover shouldn't make it anymore "real" (tangible/acceptable/normal) ... And we really should be careful what what we term a "real book". Something printed on paper with a cardstock cover shouldn't make it anymore "real" (tangible/acceptable/normal) than a digital version.

I have many of my books in both formats and they are quite real to me.

I may not have discovered many of my now favorite authors had it not been for digital versions available for my various readers. I embrace both formats because I understand that there will be people on both sides who will refuse to read the other, but I can't excluded one group or readership over another just because of personal preference or bias.

This is a given. My definition of "real" simply meant tactile. I can turn the pages.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=7245#Comment_7245 2007-12-12T01:57:47-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 tmofee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=522 Here's a question, would you save up the cash and buy one of these e readers or buy something a little cheaper/smaller and more useful like a PDA?? Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=7255#Comment_7255 2007-12-12T03:03:40-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Cat Vincent http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=447 I carry about a gig of books on my 4-year-old Palm OS machine (Sony Clie UX50, for the gadget nerds who want to know). Perfect for those odd moments where you need either a massive occult tome or ...
And at home I have a library of about 5000 dead-tree books.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=7258#Comment_7258 2007-12-12T03:12:34-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 tmofee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=522 Im thinking the same.. Well, the TX anyways... It just seems a very stupid move to buy something thats dearer than a palm and does nothing else. Most of the time Ill probably be reading on the lappy, ...
Whats it like to read with? too hard on the eyes??]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=7262#Comment_7262 2007-12-12T04:24:19-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 TechnocratJT http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=558 I find my division between electronic and physical book is very use dependent. For purely information reading - including lexis professionally - I rather use a computer. I want search commands and ...
For purely information reading - including lexis professionally - I rather use a computer. I want search commands and large amounts of information sorted easily. Hoverer, and despite what I may have said in other threads about digital comics (where I was making an argument), I vastly rather have a physical book when the reading is for pleasure.

The question becomes if my tactile need for a book is a generational thing and if the technical advantages of digital readers in keeping books in print will outweigh aesthetics.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8448#Comment_8448 2007-12-17T01:51:34-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 tmofee http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=522 Dymocks Australia just released the Iliad for 900 Australian dollars. That's about 770 US. Insane. I'm glad I got myself a PDA. Half the price, and it can do a hell of a lot more... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8453#Comment_8453 2007-12-17T03:22:25-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Unsub http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1446 Within a year you will be able to use a full colour 130$ Nintendo handheld as a E Reader and lot of other things. You will even be able to make margin notes. It is a wild guess but is to good and ...
It is a wild guess but is to good and easily workable idea not to happen. It would also be the perfect excuse for the kid wanting his parents to buy one.

I do read some comics on CDisplay. It lets me try stuff I can't get and fill holes in my collection. I also download whole collections so I can read them without digging through a bunch of sealed boxes and bags. One thing about TPB's is they are much easier to reread. Just today I downloaded the complete(not really but close)Neil Gaiman collection from Pirate bay. I also got the full run of Transmet ,the walking dead and preacher. Other than most of the Neil gaiman and the first few issues of the Walking dead I already own the comics. I will probably buy the trades of the Walking dead I don't have out of completism.
The CDisplay works rather well and is quite intuitive. I think it will be a great way to get people into new titles and maybe even comics themselves. It is sure better than trusting the bastards with my precious.

I do love printed books though.

My local public library stocks first rate graphic novels. They have Hellblazer ,Watchmen ,and even Warren's Ocean. I did not think I liked Neil Gaimen until I started the sandman series from the library. They have the entire thing. I just finished Neverwhere and have yet to return it. They also have fables and Y the last man.
Hardly anyone takes them out but me though. People don't seem to read for fun much anymore although the anime thing is encouraging(sort of).]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8509#Comment_8509 2007-12-17T10:06:26-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 JuanNavarro http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1155 I think I'm not so obsessed on format as much as Sociality and Setting: I had a Palm Treo full of books which I read at work (On the tarmac at an airline) which was hugely helpful and I found very ... I had a Palm Treo full of books which I read at work (On the tarmac at an airline) which was hugely helpful and I found very helpful. I re-read a whole plethora of Vonneguts books after his recent death all the while walking around A300s, 747s, and 737s taking off.
Now I do take with me the occasional paperback also, when I can't find a PDF of a book I love and thats not bad either.
I think what I like is being around books readily available with info. No formats, no DRMs, no nothing, open them and boom your there.
My problem is that Libraries, a place full of ideas, most have no new ideas! Little stupid things like putting a acafe, or putting WIfi and using the place to socially gather folks in a place to trade ideas.
I live in Miami, and we woefully crappy libraries here, but I came to osme of them with ideas about using the space to show films by locals or to show artwork, or to host gatherings and to make things more dynamic.
I looked like a mad man to them.
So I keep prodding till now.
But this is what I think a library should be: not just a depository of ideas but an Exhange of Ideas, a social real thing in Meatspace for people to come and look at things and exchange.
I need to work harder on this now.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8516#Comment_8516 2007-12-17T10:17:57-08:00 2007-12-17T10:18:14-08:00 Mark Sweeney http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=10 I just got a Palm TX w/wireless keyboard, and paid for the $29.99 upgrade from Documents to Go 7.0 to 10.0 Premium Edition (Usually $49.99). One of the great things about it is Docs to Go 10.0 ...
Cost about $290 - cheaper than an e-reader, and does so much more. With the SD card slot, you can put the newest 8GB SD cards in (about $55), and hold tons of stuff.

The built-in wi-fi and bluetooth are great. Browsing the web is slow, but decent. Can check email, SMS, IMS as well. With Missing Sync, it works perfectly with OSX, though you can still use the Palm Desktop software for OSX.

Does video, mp3s, and more as well.

For reading, you can read either portrait, or landscape, and adjust the size of text.

Beats e-readers, iPhone, iPod touch hands down.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8523#Comment_8523 2007-12-17T10:42:29-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 PseudoSherlock http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1510 Yes, obviously one of the biggest problems with the internet is that it can only hold so much per page or else no one would sit long enough to read it. There may be 10,000 sites on the Civil War, but ...
What's worse is that these children who are so plugged into the internet will grow up and they will have their own children and what could they possibly tell them about patience, books, and taking time to learn a subject?

Far worse, in my mind, is that we have all these fancy electronic gadgets that are supposed to save us so much time. But instead of being free to go down the street to the local library, now we have no free time to do anything but huddle around our flashy LCD screens and absorb half-assed crap 24/7.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8525#Comment_8525 2007-12-17T10:44:26-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 robb http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=518 paraphrasing my boss: "print is 100 years ahead of the screen and web: if the type is too small or blurry, lift the book closer to your face." Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=8563#Comment_8563 2007-12-17T13:13:54-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 JuanNavarro http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1155 I think it comes down to is that in print its truly "put your money where your mouth is" and hence can't take chances at the truth like Web deos in it's misinformation. Sure you might have ... Sure you might have skewed BS in many books coming to print now, but the amount of SLAG in print is nothing to the amount of garbage SLAG on the web. Check some freaking WIkis and you'll see. If you going to print about Spanish you better have better ideas about it than Wikipedia does, so in the face of that matter, I take books with a little breath Authoritative-ness only because I know people put up chunks of money for it. I mean Encyclopedia Britannica maybe god awfully expensive but at least i can be sure they're right, right?

I mean someone mentioned the whole idea of an "Escape from LA" style world encompassing EMP shitting out digital records into non-existence so we may have to turn to books anyway if we hope to cleave any sort of society from it. Then again it might be the best friggin' thing that can happen, no?]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=201927#Comment_201927 2009-11-12T07:46:52-08:00 2009-11-12T07:47:12-08:00 steevo http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=2415 School making bookless library. Is it just me, or does taking the free-ness of books out of the equation kind of ruin the point of a library? Have fun buying your Kindles kids! bookless library. Is it just me, or does taking the free-ness of books out of the equation kind of ruin the point of a library? Have fun buying your Kindles kids!]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=201956#Comment_201956 2009-11-12T08:31:08-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Steven Thomas http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=462 @ steevo: ARGH!!! That story infuriates me. The statement "When I look at books, I see an outdated technology" is (and maybe it's just me that feels this way :P) an outdated way of ...
ARGH!!! That story infuriates me. The statement "When I look at books, I see an outdated technology" is (and maybe it's just me that feels this way :P) an outdated way of thinking in which every new device, toy, invention, gadget, vehicle, fashion must inexplicably and unquestionably replace that which came before with no forethought. Why is there no value given to striking a balance between old and new technology and methodology? Reuse and merge. Synthesis. A weighted and understood balance instead of disparity or drastic extremes in how we learn or share information, education, construction, agriculture, etc.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202154#Comment_202154 2009-11-12T17:15:56-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 mister hex http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=4411 I work at a library wholesaler. We do all right. Know what's booming in libraries? Comics. Manga, especially. There will always be people who like books, ink-on-paper, squire.
There will always be people who like books, ink-on-paper, squire.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202157#Comment_202157 2009-11-12T17:43:46-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Fan http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=6919 Alexander Coyle, chairman of the history department, is a self-described “gadget freak’’ who enjoys reading on Amazon’s Kindle, but he has always seen libraries and their hallowed content as ... Alexander Coyle, chairman of the history department, is a self-described “gadget freak’’ who enjoys reading on Amazon’s Kindle, but he has always seen libraries and their hallowed content as “secular cathedrals.’’

“I wouldn’t want to ever get rid of any of my books at home,’’ he said. “I like the feel of them too much. A lot us are wondering how this changes the dignity of the library, and why we can’t move to increase digital resources while keeping the books.’’

If for example someone were to inherit or to want to bequeath a private library like that ... consisting of maybe 4000 scholarly books and such about Ancient (mostly Roman and Greek) History ... do you have any suggestions on what to do with them? Approximately 400 linear feet of shelf space.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202160#Comment_202160 2009-11-12T18:05:20-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Steven Thomas http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=462 @ Fan: Hmm...if i were to receive such a prize, I would re-imagine the space of my home (IF i had a house or a loft, not the apartment i have now). Drawings and paintings would be secured flat ...
Hmm...if i were to receive such a prize, I would re-imagine the space of my home (IF i had a house or a loft, not the apartment i have now).
Drawings and paintings would be secured flat to the ceilings...the bare walls become home to shelving from floor to ceiling...built-in casework.
Some drawings or paintings or photos could remain...books akin to the images arrayed around it, framing it visually.
Entire new partitions dividing larger spaces...walls of books.

Of course....the structure would have to actually be able to HOLD the load brought on by their weight!
I heard today about a library recently finished where the structural engineer didn't properly calculate the weight of the books.
So for now, until additional framing and support is provided, they have to stack books on every other floor.

Umberto Eco makes mention of his collection here:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,659577,00.html

I've been reading Eco's work for a long time...and I'm still not sure how serious or satirical he's being in that article given his wry wit.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202162#Comment_202162 2009-11-12T18:18:09-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Sarpedon http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=113 @Fan I think if you're determined enough, you could give them away, it would take some trying but you could find a library that would take bits and pieces here and there, though the cost associated ... I think if you're determined enough, you could give them away, it would take some trying but you could find a library that would take bits and pieces here and there, though the cost associated with taking in a huge collection of new(old) books can be prohibitive for some institutions (small public libraries) and for the ones where that's less important (a large university) then they may already have a lot of your collection. There's always someplace for the books to go.

Why is there no value given to striking a balance between old and new technology and methodology? Reuse and merge. Synthesis. A weighted and understood balance instead of disparity or drastic extremes in how we learn or share information, education, construction, agriculture, etc.

Steven Thomas, I think your sentiment is generally echoed in the approach of most people in the Library profession. we're really big on NEW COOL THINGS that get information to users faster, easier and more broadly, but there's a lot of concern with sacrificing the long term viability of the library to short term shifts in technology.

If you took all your movies and transfered them from film into Betamax because Betamax is new and better and awesome then you would be in a huge pile of shit right now and I think there's some danger that wholly embracing the digital with this kind of immediacy in any broad sense in problematic at best.

One of several big problems I've got with this in general is that we're not very good at preserving digital materials, books are pretty easy to preserve infrastructure wish: place on shelf in cool, dry, dark place. Digital materials have a number of disadvantages for all of the amazing advantages over print. There's still a lot of working out to be done with all of the digital "texts" and "books" and everything. "May you live in interesting times," indeed.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202163#Comment_202163 2009-11-12T18:25:51-08:00 2009-11-12T18:27:55-08:00 Rootfireember http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=1551 4000 scholarly books and such about Ancient (mostly Roman and Greek) History ... do you have any suggestions on what to do with them? Approximately 400 linear feet of shelf space. I'd take ... 4000 scholarly books and such about Ancient (mostly Roman and Greek) History ... do you have any suggestions on what to do with them? Approximately 400 linear feet of shelf space.

I'd take them!!!!! I have no idea what I'd do with them (Beyond read them) but oooh my ghosh.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202196#Comment_202196 2009-11-12T21:46:23-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 munin218 http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=246 Heh. Interesting seeing my comment in '07 about not going for ebooks. I've recently purchased a Sony Reader because I live in a shoebox and there's already no more room for my (already halved) ...
I've recently purchased a Sony Reader because I live in a shoebox and there's already no more room for my (already halved) book collection. For books I don't want to read a million times and treasure forever, a digital copy isnt so bad. The Reader is a nifty little gadget.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202225#Comment_202225 2009-11-13T01:33:04-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Audley Strange http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=4475 Bah! Light doesn't stick to your brain the same way print does. Fuck E-Readers, they are pointless, it's not like books are so problematic, if you don't want to keep them, sell them, give them to ... Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202239#Comment_202239 2009-11-13T03:11:30-08:00 2009-11-13T03:18:13-08:00 Twist http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=4276 @ Steven Thomas: The Frank's solved this problem with some awesome shelving units (The Frank's being the owners of one of the biggest privately owned sci-fi and fantasy art collections). It involved ...
As for this ULIB site... I'd be more impressed if it worked. They DO appear to be doing maintenance so I will try again tomorrow, but every time I'm directed to one of these things I end up being bitterly disappointed with the results.

Edit: Because my typing sucks.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202283#Comment_202283 2009-11-13T06:16:09-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Steven Thomas http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=462 @Sarpedon: That's encouraging to hear. I have a couple of friends who have worked or managed libraries to some degree and they're exactly as you described yourself also. Perhaps the Headmaster of ...
I was discussing this with some other friends and not only is his choice a complete shift in the physical manner of reading, studying, and gathering information (giving up 1 method and relying only upon another instead of utilizing both)...but it's also a shift in the architecture and the space. He's going to replace a secular space devoted to silence and respect and contemplation with a coffee-shop/office-space.

@Twist: I've quickly looked around online but can't find any images of The Frank's gallery. Will look some more later, but what you described sounds very cool.

About E-readers for students:
Another friend and i discussed this and we decided, sure...for textbooks and reference materials, etc. perhaps it's a great idea. Looking back i remember the mountains of text book duplicates stacked in each class room...each one becoming progressively older or already out-dated. Chances are they were donated and what wasn't taken was burned or shipped off to the dump before recycling became more popular. I don't know how schools typically manage them these days (any teachers here know?)

BUT...if that's what's done, make the text book e-readers into BIG THICK E-READERS, like old early 90's laptops. We had to lug around books that were practically bible-thick! Dang kids will have it too easy these days with some slim little gadgetry. I'm joking...okay no I'm probably not. ;)]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202312#Comment_202312 2009-11-13T08:03:11-08:00 2009-11-13T08:06:53-08:00 bjacques http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=2157 I want to make my house look like the Sir John Soanes Museum. Th explosion of information available electronically forced people to consider the different kinds of information and how they would ...
Th explosion of information available electronically forced people to consider the different kinds of information and how they would keep it, or not. This is not a new question--some people who failed to answer it ended up buried alive under stacks of newspapers in their homes--and it doesn't have to be settled one way or the other. Speaking of which, you'd think the private school would, you know, try the all-singing all-dancing paperless library of the future as a pilot project, just to see how it worked out.

I'm all for electronic libraries, mostly for reference material. As someone who collects old prints, I've downloaded volume sets' worth of PDFs of out-of-print reference books (h/t archive.org), and the odd newspaper article digitized out of the morgue. I'd Bit-Torrent the entire Hollstein's if I could, but it costs a lot to produce and there's a museum library in town that has it, so it's for the best that I go to visit it. Hard luck for textbook publishers. Students are going to pirate e-textbooks like there's no tomorrow, especially since many of them go out of date in a few years. I can see schools being the field for some vicious copyright and DRM battles, even more so than with mp3s.

But I'm reading those PDFs on a Powerbook and not a Kindle or any other specialized device. Established formats like PDF work for most purposes, and the makers of new e-book formats can't seem to resist adding DRM, while those making e-book readers would prefer to lock out non-proprietary, or at least non-DRMed content. (If the .jpg was being invented now, the usual suspects would try to DRM the living shit out of it. The inventor of the GIF enforced copyright but it became moot.) In any case, the Kindle and devices like it look like where portable computers have headed physically and pricewise, so why buy them?]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202316#Comment_202316 2009-11-13T08:16:38-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Verissimus http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=3379 The public library here in town is a thoroughly depressing place. i wouldn't mind seeing it go. However I'm pretty sure there's still a niche for libraries with special collections: rare books, ...
However I'm pretty sure there's still a niche for libraries with special collections: rare books, old books, that kind of stuff. Book stores also seem to be doing well, I always see lots of people browsing, though I admit I don't know whether they buy anything...]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202780#Comment_202780 2009-11-15T09:58:48-08:00 2009-11-15T10:00:21-08:00 ian holloway http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=6961 i love libraries - and book shops for that matter - just being surrounded by that many books is something i get a real thrill from. i'm not opposed to these new fangled electronic versions i think ...
also without our love affair with the dead tree we'd risk losing places like these.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202782#Comment_202782 2009-11-15T10:13:41-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 jonni http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=6097 My main problem with digital books is the fact I can easily read 5 books in a week, which I get for free from my library mostly, but there is no way in hell I can afford 5 digital books a week, even ... Then again, I am so one of the people who gets a rush from libraries, my first trip to Senate House library in London I was totally in awe, I had to remind myself not to laugh out loud when I was in the British Library.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202785#Comment_202785 2009-11-15T10:40:38-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 icelandbob http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=5250 After years of being completely underwhelmed by Libraries in the UK, we joined the Reykjavik city library. And i could certainly see the difference. Even though it was a non-english library, the ... All of this was certainly an eye opener for yours truly. personally believe that this is all down to the importance that Icelandic society places on Novel and the written word. They certainly seem to support and use their libraries more than people in the UK. Nobody in know here in Iceland has ever heard of Kindle...]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=202942#Comment_202942 2009-11-16T03:21:40-08:00 2009-11-16T03:29:32-08:00 bjacques http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=2157 Coming one day soon: digital books with ads in them. There's so much specialist information published that a non-specialist library can't hope to keep up. To find catalogues of 16th-century ... digital books with ads in them.

There's so much specialist information published that a non-specialist library can't hope to keep up. To find catalogues of 16th-century engravings you have to go to an art library. The best a general library can do is provide a large collection for general material and be linked with other libraries for inter-library loan, and provide an atmosphere conducive to browsing, studying and some socializing. If you're in Amsterdam, check out the big library that opened next to Centraal Station a couple of years ago.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=203011#Comment_203011 2009-11-16T11:01:10-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 Steven Thomas http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=462 @ian holloway: Thank you for that fantastic link. I've bookmarked it for later but at a glance, those are fantastic spaces! I'll definitely spend some time diving my eyes within them. Louis ...
Thank you for that fantastic link. I've bookmarked it for later but at a glance, those are fantastic spaces! I'll definitely spend some time diving my eyes within them.
Louis Kahn's Exeter Library, still one of my favorite buildings, is akin to those in spirit...the "secular cathedral" within a modernist language of forms.]]> Death of the Library http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/comments.php?DiscussionID=23&Focus=203149#Comment_203149 2009-11-16T15:58:22-08:00 2013-05-22T21:40:57-07:00 ian holloway http://freakangels.com/whitechapel/account.php?u=6961 my pleasure. beautiful aren't they.