Books as History Review

Check out a great review of Books as History: The Importance of Books Beyond Their Texts posted on Nigel Beale’s blog Nota Bene Books. In his review he says, “Though a stronger case than the one outlined can be made for e-books (what they will be capable of, how they will be able to record unique responses), and the importance of marginalia overstated (surely a notebook is a more efficient, capacious recorder of reader response and, as such, more valuable), Books as History ‘highlights an important aspect of the life of books in the context of the ongoing debate about their future,’ and as such, is well worth reading.” Thank you for an excellent review, Nigel! Click here to read more of the review, and click here to order Books as History.

Education of Book Conservators

Recently, we’ve been posting our thoughts on the future of the book. Check out this blog post from Jeff Peachey outlining the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Book and Paper Group, Library Collections Conservation Discussion Group, and the Models for Educating Library and Archives Conservators. Held last Thursday, the panel of representatives from three art conservation programs including Margaret Holben Ellis, New York University Institute of Fine Arts and the Morgan Library and Museum, Lois Price, the University of Delaware—Winterthur, and Judy Walsh, Buffalo State, discussed the future of the book through their ideas on the education of future book conservators. The panel discussed new education programs, curriculum, and opportunities various organizations are offering to facilitate and encourage those interested in becoming book and library conservators.

Click here to read more!

Click. Delete. The book is dead.

Bob recently gave a presentation at The Grolier Club titled, “Good News! The Book is Dead.” While this title sounds dreary, his speech presented a very positive outlook on the future of books. With this topic being on our minds here at Oak Knoll, we began sharing our thoughts of how we think books will change in the future. Read to see what Cara, an Oak Knoll intern from the University of Delaware thinks about the future of the book.

Click. Delete. The book is dead. One key stroke is all it takes to erase an entire industry and culture. Or is it? Can the book ever truly be stripped from our hands and replaced with fluorescent screens? Are we forever finished flipping the page and instead content with scrolling down? As a 21 year old student, a girl caught between my childhood of renting dusty library books and my present life of MP3 players and GPS cell phones, I don’t think we are quite ready to close that chapter.

I’ve heard the stories, read the articles, and watched the news. I know all about what people are saying. However, I’ve also talked to students, the main advertising market for those oh-so-fabulous e-books, portable Kindles, and iPads. Although every kid likes a new toy, they do grow tired of its plastic exterior and over-processed quality. They eventually always return to their old favorite friend, that tattered stuffed animal or beaten-up doll. So it is with e-books and actual books. Yes, we are fascinated with these new gadgets, but I know that we will return to what is familiar and friendly.

This does not mean that things aren’t changing, because they are. Publishers will have to discover new ways to keep current by marketing themselves with the ever-moving electronic age. However, I know that there are still people out there, myself included, that will always prefer the hard copy to the digital page.

-Cara