First, how have
reading and books changed since you were a child, for you specifically?
When I was first beginning to read, I did it to impress my
mom and brothers that I could read. I was very good at reading before
Kindergarten. I couldn’t get enough. But once I began going to school and I was
forced to read, it became less fun. I read so much for school I did not want to
go home and read. The only books I read for fun were Harry Potter. There were
quite a few books I read for school I enjoyed, but I still did not want to go
home and read. It was not until I finished college in December 2015 where I
wanted to read and was excited to read. And now that I am finishing my MLS, I
am even more excited to read.
In my opinion, I think forcing children and teens to read is
only going to make them hate it. It happened to me, I saw it all around me, and
I see it in my children and teen patrons today. This isn’t happening to all
youth, but for it is for many. When reading does not feel like an assignment,
it is more pleasing in my opinion. And I can understand why many choose not to
read. As Ursala K. Le Guin states in the essay “Staying Awake,” books require
more focus and more attention compared to watching TV or other activities, so
it is not surprising people have a hard time reading. (Le Guin 37). Reading can
be like this for me, especially if I had a long day at work. But I like knowing
I can read a book whenever I want, rather then knowing I have to read a
specific book by a specific date.
Second, talk a little
about what you see in the future for reading, books, or publishing - say 20
years from now. Will we read more or less, will our reading become more
interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing? This is a very
free-form question, feel free to wildly extrapolate or calmly state facts, as
suits your mood!
I don’t see too much change from reading habits now. I think
print will still be preferred by most. I think more people compared to now will
be reading ebooks as people become more used to technology, especially if ebook
devices become more user-friendly. Again, I think print will continue to be
more popular.
I found the paragraph about the high point for reading the
U.S. very intriguing. It’s not something you think about often, and it makes
sense. That is when more and more people began to read, and that is when many
public libraries began, including the one I work at which opened in 1896.
Reading at this time was also a popular activity (Le Guin 34). Today we have so
much more to do in our spare time. So of course people do not read as much as
they did or as much as they’d like.
I believe traditional publishing will still be a thing and the route
that would be most successful, but I also believe more people will self-publish
using the internet. I think people will continue to watch out for the best channels to
get their work out there. I see a bright future for independent authors. However,
like we discussed in this class, I think self-publishers will have trouble getting their work out there and reviewed compared to traditionally published
books.
Work Cited
Le Guin, U. K.
(2008). Staying Awake: Notes On The Alleged Decline Of Reading. Harper's
Magazine, 316(1893).
