Welcome to the library. Say goodbye to the books.

Boston.com ^ | September 4, 2009 | David Abel

[Wardenclyffe]

“When I look at books, I see an outdated technology, like scrolls before books,’’ said headmaster James Tracy.

[thecodont]

This man is very short-sighted.

[Question Liberal Authority]

Instead of a library, the academy is spending nearly $500,000 to create a “learning center,’’

It's a start. Next logical step is to try to figure out why they even need an academy in the first place. Want to talk to professors? Do it by email. Want to watch a lecture? See it on YouTube.

[Rodebrecht]

Where the reference desk was, they are building a $50,000 coffee shop that will include a $12,000 cappuccino machine.

We're talking about a school for preteens and teens, right?

[Wardenclyffe]

Liz Vezina, a librarian at Cushing for 17 years, said she never imagined working as the director of a library without any books. “It makes me sad,’’ said Vezina, who hosts a book club on campus dubbed the Off-line Readers and has made a career of introducing students to books. “I’m going to miss them. I love books. I’ve grown up with them, and there’s something lost when they’re virtual. There’s a sensual side to them - the smell, the feel, the physicality of a book is something really special.’’

I agree. There's something about books, about going to a library or used book store. In my neighborhood there's a wonderful used book store with old wooden shelves and rickety stairs. I can (and have) spent hours perusing. I hope this knucklehead's idea doesn't take hold. But, unfortunately, the bean counters will see it as "progress."

[Question Liberal Authority]

According to the website, Cushing Academy costs $31,200 per year for tuition. Assuming 15 hours per week of classes and 40 weeks per year, that works out to $52 per hour of class.

If there's an average of 20 students in a class, that means each class costs an average of $1,040.

What are students getting for their $1,040? A teacher standing in front of a classroom is old technology. At least as old and outdated as papyrus scrolls.

[MrEdd]

From families with way more money than most folks.

These kids wont be be reading on the library’s Kindle’s for the most part. Their families will buy them high end Irex readers and tablet PCs. Given equipment of that quality this is a good move. Every student could borrow an assigned book at the same time.

[allmost]

There is no digital, it's a facsimile of what is purported to be reality.

[denydenydeny]

Next logical step is to try to figure out why they even need an academy in the first place. Want to talk to professors? Do it by email. Want to watch a lecture? See it on YouTube.

Exactly. “When I look at college campuses, I see an outdated technology."

The counter-arguments will be the same as the arguments against homeschooling: The poor dears will miss out on "socialization," even if the socialization includes among other things binge drinking and date rape.

[Billthedrill]

Send them to me. I want them all.

[OldSpice]

Want to talk to professors? Do it by email. Want to watch a lecture? See it on YouTube.

This is how it generally works in most top-ranked engineering schools today. MIT, GTech, USC, et al, do it this way.

[Trod Upon]

Being set up rather nicely for the next Dark Ages, aren’t we? These guys claim to be in the education business but don’t see the value in knowledge stores that don’t require any additional technology for use once created? Digital information is a convenience for civilization, but it should not be trusted as a lifeline. A man with a book has knowledge at his fingertips, but a man with an ebook has only the need for a compatible computer, OS, power source, etc.

[IrishCatholic]

And yet,
they still find papyrus scrolls.
I have books from the 18th Century.
Amazon can wipe your Kindle clean by remote control.

Somehow, I don't think books are going away. I don't mind reading online. But I like the stability and permanence of books.

Until people stop reading all together books will be here.

[nufsed]

Can you download kindle books to a CD or your computer?

[IrishCatholic]

Not sure. I wouldn't touch a Kindle with a ten foot pole.
I just made the remark when Amazon deleted everyone's copy of 1984 off their Kindles by remote when they had a copyright issue.
You just woke up in the morning and it was gone from your device.
I mistrust something that others can censor, modify, delete, etc. without your input.
There have been plenty of comments here about Google or Yahoo or even YouTube sanitizing their sites and deleting or discouraging searches etc.
Rely on that format and you could get burned.
The only thing I require to reboot a book is the light on.

[Wardenclyffe]

As another poster noted; e-books can be wiped out intentionally or unintentionally. Computers can crash, systems can crash. But a book is autonomous. A book is a work of art. A book will last a long time if it’s taken care of. I do a lot of reading on the internet, but I always have a few books on my nightstand, in my car, in my house. I don’t get the same feeling reading great literature on a computer. For me a book is a friend.

[PLMerite]

“Fahrenheit 451” here we come!

[skr]

Although I like the idea of being able to change font size for readability, I don’t want to have to rely on electricity or battery power in order to read.

[Nevermore]

This kind of “education” is perfect for the future NYT or CBS reporter. Imagine working on a piece, and all you have to do is a word search for the phrases that will support your predetermined reality. There you have the building blocks of your typical MSM reporting. No need to slog through whole pages or - Obama forbid! - chapters of difficult reading to get a real expanse and depth of knowledge. No point in that when your mind, so full of youthful brilliance, is already made up.

[haroldeveryman]

Digital TV has resulted in books becoming an outdated technology. Therefore, kids will no longer have to learn to read The next great leap in our social evolution will be to place chips inside the heads of students, thereby eliminating the necessity for them to learn to think.