Real Books are Still Wanted!

For the Powers That Be in management: Libraries with books are still wanted...and used! An informal small analysis of two rows of the main theater (folks waiting for the show) showed most people reading REAL books. Those on electronic devices were playing games. I saw nobody reading a Kindle and nobody was reading a book on a device. Keep the libraries with books!

 

i am a published author and refuse to have any of my writings available on any kind of electronic device .

One of the (many) advantages of a 'real' book is the ability to just flip back pages to check, say, a previous exchange of dialogue or the name of a minor character........not quite so easy with an e-reader.

 

 

 

It’s actually very easy on my iPad. Can even do bookmarks and searches.

i am a published author and refuse to have any of my writings available on any kind of electronic device .

 

 

I read books on electronic devices and I read print books but from your attitude it sounds like I would not be interested in your writings.

 

Although it seems like I just read your writing on an electronic device.......[emoji849]

Edited February 18, 2018 by Charles4515

i read books on electronic devices and i read print books but from your attitude it sounds like i would not be interested in your writings.

 

Although it seems like i just read your writing on an electronic device.......[emoji849]

 

🤙👍👍

It’s actually very easy on my iPad. Can even do bookmarks and searches.

It's easy on a kindle. That comment was very confusing. It's just as easy as moving the page forward.

I read books on electronic devices and I read print books but from your attitude it sounds like I would not be interested in your writings.

 

Although it seems like I just read your writing on an electronic device.......[emoji849]

I so agree! Love it.

The quiet ambiance of a library and the possibility that you will discover a n delightful author or book previously unknown to you. I learned long ago the joy of reading a few paragraphs of a new book and discovering that I wanted to read more by this writer. That is not possible on ebooks because most people don't buy/borrow books with which they are unfamiliar.

 

I can't answer for 'most people' but I know that I depend far more on recommendations from friends with similar tastes or on well-vetted literary reviews than on picking up random books and reading a few paragraphs.

 

Besides which Amazon has a great feature that's available for quite a few new books and authors allowing you to download a chapter for free to preview it.

i am a published author and refuse to have any of my writings available on any kind of electronic device .

 

 

 

Wow! What a way to limit your market. I would think most people would want as much exposure as possible. It reminds me of a restaurant near me who refused to take debit / credit cards and finally went out of business due to the loss of customers by failing to embrace new technology. I hope you don’t need the money from your writings to support yourself.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Some people like the availability of a good library, others don't. Some like to have a nice spa available on the ship, others never use them. Some people like a good gym to work out in, others never set foot in them. Some like big productions shows, some prefer musicals, and some just like a good comedian. The point is we are all different and we all enjoy different things. It doesn't make one of us right and the other wrong, it just makes us different.

 

It is nice to be different as that is what makes each of us who and what we are. If we were all the same life would be pretty boring. Try to have a little respect for others, even though they may have different views than yours, please.

Times change and libraries appeal to an older demographic. People now do most of their reading on personal devices, phones and tablets. Myself included. It is not only Holland America that has downgraded libraries. It is the same on other mass market cruise lines i have sailed on the last few years. If libraries were currently a major selling point they would not be downgraded. I love the libraries and hate to see them downgraded but that is the reality.

 

I don't understand what libraries provide that you can not bring with you. I have a hundred books on my iPad at any one time and can borrow books on my iPad from the local library. You can also bring print books.

 

Bolding is mine. I guess we are going to have to agree to disagree. You don't know what most people do.

 

Especially those on longer cruises. Those take time and time is usually available to those in either very successful careers or older cruisers ;).

 

I travel with my Ipad and have a couple of books on it. But, I still prefer a real book. I stare at the computer enough as it is (as does DH) and we prefer reading hand held books. I'm not old fashioned, I'm not technically challenged. It's just a preference and judging from the libraries on our longer cruises, we are not alone ;).

 

A 7 day cruise - I don't care. A 30 day with sea days, I care a lot.

One of the (many) advantages of a 'real' book is the ability to just flip back pages to check, say, a previous exchange of dialogue or the name of a minor character........not quite so easy with an e-reader.

 

While this thread should not degenerate into a book vs. e-Reader free-for-all, some of these untrue tropes are trotted out often enough that they should be addressed.

 

It is quite easy to flip pages forward or backward on a Kindle; just as easy as with a 'real' book. The device also automatically remembers where you left off reading, bookmarks anything you want it to, has a built in dictionary, and more.

I do have to quibble a bit with those suggesting that a book read on a Kindle or tablet is somehow not a "real" book. Huh? I'm pretty sure my grandmother (a librarian) would say it is the content, not the form, that determines that.... ;)

 

An e-book is not a real book, which is made from paper, with ink, a binding, and possibly a dust jacket.

 

The content may be the same, but the form is not, hence the need to keep the words distinct.

I love the feel of pages. But if you are flying to a port that is more cost for weight. So I would load up on the kindle and no problem. And forgetting to return the book. The library is so nice for reading and playing cards as well.

An e-book is not a real book, which is made from paper, with ink, a binding, and possibly a dust jacket.

 

The content may be the same, but the form is not, hence the need to keep the words distinct.

 

"Physical book" is a better (and non judgmental) term.

An e-book is not a real book, which is made from paper, with ink, a binding, and possibly a dust jacket.

 

 

 

The content may be the same, but the form is not, hence the need to keep the words distinct.

 

 

 

According to Webster’s Dictionary, an e-book is a book:

 

“a book that is read on a computer or other electronic device”

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

i am a published author and refuse to have any of my writings available on any kind of electronic device .

I find that really disgusting that you have chosen to discriminate against anyone with failing eyesight or blind by not allowing audio books of your work.

Cruising on Brittania April8thto theCanary Island. Myself and a friend anyone tell us a bit more about the ship. Looking forward to meeting anyone also going on this cruise.

 

Regards

Happyoctopus

I vote for real books......call me old fashioned!

The quiet ambiance of a library and the possibility that you will discover a n delightful author or book previously unknown to you. I learned long ago the joy of reading a few paragraphs of a new book and discovering that I wanted to read more by this writer. That is not possible on ebooks because most people don't buy/borrow books with which they are unfamiliar.

Yes, I have happily come across new authors!

No question there are many pluses to carrying an e-book. And I do read from them. That is not the issue. But it does not, nor should have to be, one or the other.

 

Agreed!

I have spent delightful hours on HAL ships reading books I never expected to read, that I found in the ship's library. There were numerous classics I somehow never got to before, books that just 'sounded interesting' when I saw the title and read a bit of the jacket. And a few that another browser recommended based on their readings.

 

The selection doesn't have to be heavy on new authors, or new releases. They just need to be new to me. Or sometimes, not even that! There are books I love to read over again, and a cruise gives me the opportunity to relax and do just that.

 

The HAL library has been part & parcel of every HAL ship I have ever sailed. It's become part of the package for me. To remove them from the ships changes the product to too great a degree.

One of the (many) advantages of a 'real' book is the ability to just flip back pages to check, say, a previous exchange of dialogue or the name of a minor character........not quite so easy with an e-reader.

That is simply not true. Actually it is much easier to find any mention of a character in a ebook. On the Kindle if you touch the characters name it will bring up a list of all texts involving that specific character.

 

 

I think some people who are opposed to electronic reading devices have not explored using them. I am on my fifth reading device. Each one I get is an improvement upon the prior generation. They are wonderful in low light situations or when my eyes are too tired to read tiny print. I just switch to a larger font.

 

 

The cruise director I spoke to on the Eurodam at a book club gathering mentioned HAL is investigating having electronic devices available to borrow from their library. He indicated the library would be stocked with travel reference hard books and have the edevices available for other types of literature.

I have spent delightful hours on HAL ships reading books I never expected to read, that I found in the ship's library. There were numerous classics I somehow never got to before, books that just 'sounded interesting' when I saw the title and read a bit of the jacket. And a few that another browser recommended based on their readings.

 

The selection doesn't have to be heavy on new authors, or new releases. They just need to be new to me. Or sometimes, not even that! There are books I love to read over again, and a cruise gives me the opportunity to relax and do just that.

 

The HAL library has been part & parcel of every HAL ship I have ever sailed. It's become part of the package for me. To remove them from the ships changes the product to too great a degree.

 

I don't know if people would be cool with this idea,or if they like the idea of being able to find authors in alphabetical order but..what about having a couple of featured books that people might like featured in the library.

That is simply not true. Actually it is much easier to find any mention of a character in a ebook. On the Kindle if you touch the characters name it will bring up a list of all texts involving that specific character.

 

 

I think some people who are opposed to electronic reading devices have not explored using them. I am on my fifth reading device. Each one I get is an improvement upon the prior generation. They are wonderful in low light situations or when my eyes are too tired to read tiny print. I just switch to a larger font.

 

 

The cruise director I spoke to on the Eurodam at a book club gathering mentioned HAL is investigating having electronic devices available to borrow from their library. He indicated the library would be stocked with travel reference hard books and have the edevices available for other types of literature.

I also like the feature of finding every mention of a character in an ebook as well as these fearures: ability to look up words with built-in dictionary, time left in chapter, percentage completed, electronic highlighting and bookmarking, backlighting for dark environments, adjustable font size, having access to my all my books and last page read across my kindle, tablet and phone.

 

 

However, I do prefer hard backs for reference books.

 

Sent from my SM-T800 using Forums mobile app

I don't know if people would be cool with this idea,or if they like the idea of being able to find authors in alphabetical order but..what about having a couple of featured books that people might like featured in the library.

 

You mean a special shelf or table that says "try this"? That's why my library does. They have an area where they put out theme books and CDs. Recently it was a double theme, Black History Month and Valentine's Day.

 

The only problem with this idea on a HAL ship is that there's no staff to pull out suggested books.