Just twenty years ago—Amazon referred only to a river, telephones were attached to a wall, and computers were large and expensive. Welcome to 2009 where websites, FaceBook, Twitter and hand-held computers dominate our world.
My new motto is: I will adapt. Some days the learning curve seems high but I have read an e-book (a much better experience than I wanted it to be!); I have a FaceBook account and became a friend of Fact & Fiction.; and I own a flash camera and look forward to producing videos for the website. Our website has a whole new look , with the capability of ordering eBooks. This is all a way to embrace new technologies and expand the audience for F&F booksellers.
Recently Sherman Alexie had this to say about eBooks and new technology: “I am one of the last authors whose fiction is not available digitally. I think it’s the opposite of the Gutenberg press, which enabled mass printing, reading, and literary egalitarianism. This will be elitist — poor places will have no access to this technology.”
Is technology distancing us from the book? As long as people continue to read, authors continue to write and booksellers continue to recommend titles—books will continue to fill our shelves, as ink on paper between boards is still the best technology!