Physical vs Digital Books

            For those of you who don’t know, a bibliophile is defined as someone with a great love for books. I am a bibliophile. Throughout the semester, one of the lingering discussions we’ve had in class is whether or not digital books will replace physical books or and which is the better medium. Each medium offers its own advantages and disadvantages over its competitor, making it a difficult choice. As the semester comes to a close, I feel as though I have finally made a decision as to where I stand in this debate. After having been presented with multiple perspectives on the topic coupled with personal experiences, I have decided that physical books are my preferred way of reading.

             While digital books offer a great deal that physical books cannot, they just are not for me. Perhaps the greatest upside to digital books is the convenience they offer; being able to carry your entire library on a small tablet means you can take your collection of books almost anywhere you go. It also allows you to access your books from multiple devices, should you accidentally leave one at home. In addition, one can access online sources with the swipe of a finger if they need to better understand the text. For me, this is where the benefits end. My idea of reading is getting away from everything and reading in silence for as long as I want anywhere that I want. I do not want this time to be limited to my device’s battery life, or have the constant temptation to jump on social media or be bothered by incoming text messages. It is personal preference more than anything, but to me it is a big enough issue to turn me away from digital books.

            As someone who has always read physical books from a young age, they hold a special place in my heart. You can take them anywhere you want, without the fear of a fading battery or losing Internet connection. It provides complete escape from a world overrun with technology and noise. It’s also more of a social device if one prefers, as others can look at your book and immediately know what you’re reading, perhaps leading to conversation. It’s also more personalized, as there are typically multiple editions to most books. Lastly, an author can actually sign your physical book. Recently, one of my favorite authors handed me a signed copy of his book with a personal message inside. This gave me a real appreciation for physical books and how they can be uniquely tailored to the individual.

            The argument ultimately comes down to personal preference, especially whether one prefers convenience or a more personalized experience. I prefer feeling like my experience is a unique one that I can take anywhere I want. Whether that uniqueness comes from a personalized message within the book or rare cover art, it all serves to personalize the experience. Ultimately, though, this issue of which medium to choose is largely exclusive to bibliophiles like myself. As we learned in our class textbooks, the importance of a book comes from the message within instead of the medium it is presented through.