Bye-Bye?

There’s been talk for several years about the possible demise of books. I still don’t see it. Although e-versions of books may become incresainglypopular, the printed book will still have its place. The tactile feel and all that. People like their books. And people like their books in several formats.

Now newspapers? They may be a different story in the long run. We hear more and more of the financial troubles of major newspapers. Buzz about the demise of home deliveries. I myself am going to finally cancel my Boston Globe subscription, after having been a subscriber for more than 30 years. But I will replace it with a Kindle edition.

Now newspapers  are different than books in that books stand alone as an entity unto themselves. A book is a book. Newspapers, on the other hand, rely heavily on advertising revenues to produce printed editions.  A newspaper is not just a newspaper. Old habits die hard (picking up the printed editions of the local newspaper). But I’m not sure the habit has been transferred down to succeeding generations. For many today, there are other (and better – certainly more convenient – way to get their news. This assumes that getting the news is a concern at all. And for some it really isn’t anymore.

Now books. There are still many people who read. Read books. The torch has been passed and the habit lives, I think. I’m really skeptical that the printed newspaper has much of a life expectancy at this point.