Book readers are vanishing !!!!...

I love books and the library. The kids and I go to the library just about every other day. I love the library for more than their books, they have board game nights, like chess, movie nights, they do contests for writing and drawing, they have collection displays that get us interested in new things. The library in my town is a very social place. We love it. I have been a reader my whole life, learned to read before I went to kindergarten. My children, so far, are all dyslexic and reading is hard for them, but we have fun doing it anyways. They really like to be read to and my oldest is reading his first novel, The Pigman by Paul Zindel. I read that one a long time ago. Loved it. Usually I have at least a couple of books going at any time. One for fun, right now it is They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon; a couple to further myself in the right direction, right now they are Raising Dairy Goats, Farmyard in Your Backyard and Solar, Wind and Water Energy; and a couple for homeschooling my children, right now they are What Your 2nd and What Your 4th Grader Needs to Know, 100 Stories Every Preschooler Needs to Hear and Arts and Crafts For Every Age. I do a lot of research online to narrow down my book list but when I choose what to read it is always in real book format not on the computer because of all the reasons others have said. Books travel well, work in candle light, can be read in a comfortable place and no one minds waiting their turn, at least at my house. lol.

Hi tintukm. Theres nothing like holding a brand new book in your hand. You forgot to mention the wonderful fresh smell of a new book that makes you want to eat it (sorry, i meant read it) immediately. Its just like freshly baked bread straight from the oven. I suppose only a book lover can smell that wonderful aroma. Even if its an old book, it does not matter, the anticipation of having something new to read is the same as waiting to see whats inside an enticingly wrapped box of chocolates. I don't think you have anything to worry about tintukm. There was a time that reading was sort of dying away. However, once again I see children filling book shops and going to libraries finding things to read and I think we have J.K. Rowlings to thank for that. She got children back into books. You're also so right when you say that pdf's and e-books or reading a story online or listening to it audio just does not give you the same feeling as turning the pages and reading a great book and of course taking a sneak peek at the last page to see if the hero or heroine is still alive.

I do still read, several books a week usually. I am considering getting an ebook reader, I have so many pdfs that I haven't read because it simply isn't comfortable reading them at a computer, and printing them all out costs quite a bit.

i agree with you. most people that i know here dont read books that much. i've always been a reader ever since i was a child, and i love reading books, when i had a family of my own, i started buying books for my daughter, but unfortunately she is not a reader like me, same with my second and third child. none of them have gotten the love of reading that i had when i was a child. and also its true that digital books or ebooks cannot compare to the real one, where we can touch and smell the pages, read sitting or lying down, and bring the book with us anywhere. with books there are so many things we can learn from them.

Books are still very popular in my home! My wife and daughter read like crazy!!! My son likes to read in bed of a night time but does love his computer games more. My daughter likes computer games, but prefers reading to any other sort of relaxing activity. Her idea of a pefect day would be to read all day! My wife would agree with that too! I enjoy reading as it takes you away to another place and gives you a strong imagination as you picture what you are reading in your mind! These days with all of the visual things like computer games and DVD movies, kids are not using their imagination nearly enough, which I feel will affect them in later life!

Well...this is one book reader who is not vanishing....I love to read and it has been a passion of mine since I was a child. I also have been working in the library field for over eighteen years, and I love it. So, I would say, readers have not vanished from the libraries, at least not where I work. These days with the economy the way that it is, libraries are more in use then ever. Whenever I have the time, whether I am at work or at work, I am usually reading. I spend my time between the computer and books. If it came down to choosing, I would choose books every time. I agree about books given a person pleasure and imagination. By reading a book, you are entering a world that is not our own and we can learn so much from reading. As I said, I have a passion for reading. Where ever I am, I am usually seen with a book in my hand or near me. I am not sure what I would do if I did not have a book to read. I would most likely be the most bored person in the world. What can I say, I love to read. Always will.

We are still here. Fewer but not extinct quite yet. My gift lists ALWAYS includes books! I am always reading, and always have a book in my hand. Amazing. I don't like reading books online, but a friend of mine is trying to get me to try the kindle (I think that is what it is called), where you can still read the book, just not in book form. I dunno. I really do love having my books.....

I love to read and because of what you described, I am always pushing books on people I know. Every time I read a book and I know someone that would like it, I give it to them. And then I bug them to finish reading it so that they could tell me what they think. I think a big problem is that kids just aren't being encouraged to read. My cousins are in elementary school and the teacher gives them internet resources for projects instead of books!!!

Did you mean books on real or book on computer's? like pdf? Well i'm realize it also, and even i want to start open discussion like this before when i see yours, i'm just replying here ... You are right, nowadays people is like computing and other entertain gadget's, people start to forget book's as information that they need, if this things continues then maybe we don't use book's anymore forever, it's really start vanishing ...

I will always have a place in my heart for books! I love books and I treat them with the greatest of respect. I don't go to the library anymore, I used to do this in order to use the Internet but now I have the Internet at home. In relation to books I have a stockpile! I love reading for pleasure and pure escapism! I love reading mainly fiction and Stephen King is my favourite author! I don't think that books will ever disappear entirely! Andrew

I dont think people are reading less, I think they are reading more. When I go to the library during the weekends, there's always long queue to borrow books. Since our libraries system is very advance, we do not even need the service of the librarians. We just let the machines scan our card, and then scan the barcode of the books. Even then, there's still a long queue to borrow books. I think there are much more readers during the recession than economic boom. I guess those people want to save money on electricity at home, so they spend more time reading and less time on computers. They also spend more time in the library. Maybe they have more time to read now. I certainly have more time to read.

I love to read books still. I love to read romance novels and mystery books. I do not go to the library as much as I use too. I have the internet at home and I have books I brought at actions, yard sales, and the store at home so when I want to read I just get a books out.

Hi Tintukm, I will always be a reader of books simply because I can't read large amounts of text on-line, so could never fully change my allegiances. I really like the freedom of being able to move when I read since it seems to help my concentration, so sitting at a desk and reading on a laptop is hard for me, especially with things over half an A4 page in length. I did once try walking around while reading something on my laptop but after walking into several walls I quit and decided it was never going to work lol! It made me sad to read that libraries are going out of business. I think so far in the UK we have been quite lucky as it is our post offices that seem to be vanishing due to lack of use! Should libraries here ever be targeted though I will do what I can to keep my local around, I can't imagine not being able to pop down the road when I want a new book! Insanity lol! All the best, Dranz

agree. it's the innovation. we tend to adjust to what's hot and what's not. some authors come up with releasing their via internet. in my case, i prefer to read it printed. so glad i still love books. even when im fond of the internet, i make it a point that i always have a book in my bag. i love sidney sheldon's, paolo choelo's and even harry potter series. i also became a fan of self-help books lately. i just hope i could share it with my nephews and my future kids! ü

I am a voracious reader, as is my daughter and my grandsons love their books too. We are always buying books at the thrift stores (because they are cheap) for us to read. I love to hold a book in my hand and read. Reading on the computer is not as fun or relaxing for me. Our libraries where I live are open less and less but not because readers are vanishing, it is because money is vanishing and the government keeps taking it away so they can't stay open anymore. It is very sad. I love the library and I miss it. I spent many happy hours at the library when I was a little girl growing up.

I admit the computer is replacing the tv on stuff but I am still a big reader myself; matter of fact, I want to get a Kindle by next year because buying paper books are costly and keeping them around my room takes up space so to me, nope, I'm still a reader; will keep on reading.

I love reading a lot, i have been into reading from quite a long time.I read continously even if i am on mylot or my computer the whole day.Its not that if computer is with me i will forget my books, yeah i do agree that sometimes i dont even touch my novels for a week say.But then i still try to read them, now i havent touched my books since a month but soon will start. :)

People should read more to learn more. Sadly most individuals prefer to do it the easy way. I have nothing against technology but reading exercise the brain therefore one must make it a point to memorize one or more phrases everyday. No wonder many of us has Alzeihmer's today.

Well,it has been a controversive topic nowadays.Facing high-tech products,people feel confused sometimes.They are fascinated by virtual world and large information.But for me,I still like reading.I like historical books and novels best.Reading books will lead you to imagine the plots.Books are mysterious to some certain degree while TV hasn't.However, computers and TV can bring you huge data and information in a short period of time.Both have their own advantages.Last but not least,we should not forget the vast knowlege we get from the books.Maybe we will find the balence between both sides in the near future.

I will never give up reading books, for me a computer can never replace that. I am always a bit shocked when I hear an adult say they only read 2 books this year or something.....I don't know how you even do that, as I have about three on the go at any one time... I think it would be very sad if libraries disappear completely. I would definitely get up some sort of campaign to save it if one in my town was closing! I don't want children to be brought up without the experience of a good book, thats just a horrifying thought, that it could happen in a country that could easily afford books but maybe one day won't care. I hope not.