Bookcases ... a Thing of the Past?
Friday, July 10, 2009 at 12:00PM 
Okay, not really, but now that I'm getting into this Kindle movement, I have to wonder: What to become of bookcases? Those glorious trophy cases of read (and unread) tomes?
I received a Tweet today from @julesallen who said, "I have read more Kindle books in the past 2 months than paper in the past 2 years." Impressive unto itself, it made me think of what will become of the bookcases that grace our homes and apartments. For the latter, space is a premium, so eliminating a large piece of furniture could be a good thing. For my part, I was happy at the prospect of boxing up all of my ripped CDs and getting rid of our CD case. I someday hope to do the same with our DVD case.
Books are different, though. Scanning someone's bookcase can tell you a lot about a person -- moreso than seeing everyone's copy of "Achtung Baby." It's a statement of personality, of achievement, of scholarship. Having those well-worn books on the shelf is a way of saying, "I did that."
With the Amazon Kindle, however, you're left with a single (very slick) tablet that overtly gives no indication of the types of books one reads. It's not like you're going to have someone over to your mansion to show them the Kindle Room.
I'm not saying this is a bad thing. It's just that there was something so stately about the rows and rows of book spines forming an image of erudition unto itself.
amazon, books, kindle, mattsnod in Technology 
Reader Comments (5)
I love books. I love bookstores. I love my library. But, I'm with Jules on this one - I read way more on my Kindle than with physical books (and I used to read a lot of physical books). I think if there was a service to turn in a paper book and get the same eBook back in return, I'd convert probably 90% of my library without batting an eye.
Bookshelves don't necessarily tell you much about a person. It might not be "I did that" so much as "I want you to think that I did that". I'm much more interested in reading and learning that in having people think that I read and learned. If someone wanted to have me over to their house (mansion or not) so they could show off their library, I think I would think less of them. They could project their erudition in conversation so much more effecitvely and genuinely.
That would be awesome to hand in your physical books for an ebook. The remaining problem I see with Kindle ebooks is that you can't share them. I love lending or borrowing books. And I always went by the old saying, "You never lend a book. You give it away."
That wasn't an old saying. That was from Battlestar Galactica!
Of course you could lend someone your Kindle, but that's sort of overkill.
"Hey man, can I borrow your whole library?"
Re: old saying, I've heard that long before Battlestar Galactica. And besides, since Battlestar Galactica took place hundreds of thousands of years ago, it technically is a VERY old saying.
"And besides, since Battlestar Galactica took place hundreds of thousands of years ago, it technically is a VERY old saying."
Touché!