As I read my local newspaper and see that another two local Borders stores are closing, I have to wonder: Are books going the way of VHS? Are they going to disappear?? For the first time that I can remember, my local community, which is quite populated, will no longer have a bookstore. B. Dalton disappeared first, then Waldenbooks, and now Borders. The nearest Barnes and Noble is about fifteen miles away through heavy traffic. I purchase most of my books online nowadays, so I'm not completely devastated by the loss, but I'm going to have to find another way of purchasing my monthly dose of Combat Aircraft, Air Forces Monthly, Fly Past , and all those other outstanding UK publications. Can't run by the Borders on the way home from work anymore.....
I really don't know how I feel about this. I love having actual REAL copies of books lining my shelves. I pay $29.95 for one, I can hold it in my hands, get it autographed if the opportunity arises, and I can also sell it later for some extra cash if need be. I guess it also depends on the type of book. I am willing to purchase hardcover bestsellers in an electronic format, but NOT my aircraft reference material. I just can't fathom paying all that money for "books" that I cannot actually touch. And I'm sure all those "books" can be accidentally lost from the gizmos memory. On the other hand, when I look at all the space that my books and magazines take up, I can't help but think of all the extra models I could build and display in that space.
If the transition from hardcopy books to electronic media does occur, I hope it goes better than the VHS to DVD move. I can't begin to name the number of great movies that have never made it to DVD but were available on VHS (can you say Strategic Air Command?).
How do others feel about this?
One good hour working on a model erases 8 bad hours at work!!