Everyone knows that a “real” book is better than a digital copy. Nothing could ever replace holding a book in your hand and physically turning the pages. You can call us old-fashioned, or dismiss us as traditional, but the printing press has been reliable technology for over 500 years. If it’s not broken, no need to fix it. Read on for 10 reasons to justify embracing tradition.
1. Olfactory, tactile, and visual stimulation. The smell of a paper book you hold in your hands brings joy and can stimulate the recall of pleasant memories. Old books or new books—they have a distinct odor. The feel of a textured cover, or a smooth book jacket, or differently weighted pages on your fingers adds another sensory element to your reading experience. In addition, picture-heavy formats look better in full-sized print form. The colors display true and there’s no need to zoom in and out and around on a small screen.
2. Meaning and sharing. The feel of a book in your hands gives literal weight to the task of reading. Physically turning one page at a time gives you a visual indication of how far you have come and makes it easy to flip back and forth between different parts of the book. You can even share your physical book with someone else: just hand it over, no worries about digital rights or being able to digitally send a copy.
3. Getting out of the house. Sure, you can order anything to your door these days, but browsing the library stacks or a bookstore’s displays and actively flipping through pages offers a sensory experience that digital browsing just can’t match. Perfect for introverts who like to browse alone, or extroverts who actively engage library staff or other shoppers, anyone can use print books as a convenient excuse to get out of their house.
4. Building relationships. A physical book communicates what you’re doing better than thumbing through pages on your phone or e-reader. A book cover shows off what you’re reading, potentially opening the door to a conversation, and taking the time and trouble to carry around an identifiable story in your hand clearly models the importance of reading to impressionable youth around you.
5. Exercise. Carrying books back and forth to the library offers both agility and strength training. It hones your mental acuity as well, as you puzzle out how to fit so many books into your bag or balance them in your arms. Not to mention, holding some books over your head while reading is a feat of endurance.
6. Notes. Of course, digital books accommodate digital note-taking, but there is something special about a note in someone’s handwriting, penciled lightly in the margins (of books you own). Physical bookmarks and sticky notes make navigating from one section to another easy, and when you need to refer back to a character or place name, fanning through pages is far superior to furious swiping back and forth.
7. Screen break. No blue light glasses required for a print copy (maybe just your reading glasses) means no glare from the sun. Give your eyes a break from the relentless scrolling and information and distractions of the screens that surround us to dive headfirst into text with no surrounding glow or pop-up notifications from background apps.
8. Decorative and long-lasting. Shelves of books, stacks of books, book covers on display—all add to the ambience of any space. The titles, the organization system, other things on your bookshelves—all of it says a lot about you and your space. A dedicated space is a great way to showcase your love of library books and the library, too. Whether the books are old, new, bought or borrowed, the aesthetic appeal of a book collection far outweighs any digital presence and offers a visual reminder to pick up the book and read it. And unlike a digital copy, print copies can’t be lost if the digital provider is bought out or your device stops working.
9. Learning, memory, and better sleep. Print and digital reading have different effects on understanding and absorbing information. The way you approach reading, combined with different formats, length, and content, creates different kinds of connections in your brain. Holding a print book in your hand creates a spatial map of information that helps reinforce locating that information when you need it again. More details on the difference between print and digital content absorption are here:
- “Will You Learn Better from Reading on Screen or on Paper?” from Science News Explores
- “The Benefits of Printed Books” from Junior Library Guild
- “Reading Print Improves Comprehension Far More than Looking at Digital Text, Say Researchers” from the Guardian
10. No juice required. Print books work without power or Wi-Fi—no need to charge and the screen won’t go dark just when you get to the good part.
Are you ready to ditch the digital yet?
Of course not. We aren’t monsters. While you might have a clear preference, there are definitely reasons to leverage both print and digital reading in your life.
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