The year is 2013. Sure, there are no flying cars like we predicted, but technology is taking over. Everything from toothbrushes to books has become electronic. Has the information age gone too far?  Are books going to become a thing of the past?

In a school like Towson High, where approximately 68% of the student body has a smart phone that features books that are readily available at the touch of a button, can traditional paper books survive?  Or will they be overtaken by their new, convenient counterpart, the E-book?

E-books are cheap, convenient, and easily accessible to anyone with a smart phone or E-reader. With stats like that, can the physical book hold up? They’re heavy, take up space, and cost more.   It seems like most people would jump right on the E-book train, but don’t be too quick to hop aboard.

From what we’ve seen recently in regard to E-book and E-reader sales, the E-book could completely replace physical books within a matter of years.  This could be a problem for authors who make substantially less royalties on E-books compared to the profits they earn from traditional print copies.   For example, Katherine Stockett lost over 39% profit on her book The Help in its E-book format.  To the publishers delight, they gained around 33% on it.

Publishers aren’t the only ones trying to grab a slice of the E-book pie. Many companies, upon the release of the Amazon Kindle in late 2009, decided to manufacture their version of the popular product.  Barnes & Noble soon released the Nook, followed by a revamped Kindle, called the Kindle Fire.  Smaller companies released their own versions too – while the Kobo, Ematic, Sony, and Hipstreet aren’t as popular as the Kindle or Nook, they’re out there.  And so began the demise of the book as we know it.

Even textbooks aren’t safe from the technological revolution.   According to the BCPS superintendent, Dr. Dallas Dance, each BCPS student will have access to a laptop within the next five years.  Online textbooks are all the rave nowadays.

With all the attention that the E-book has been getting, it could be the dying days of bookstores and libraries.   Did you know that BCPS no longer uses the term “librarian?”  It’s now “media specialist.”  The books on your shelf could be the last of their kind. Who can blame the E-book fans? The electronic book, whether it’s read on an E-reader, smart phone, or laptop, seems to be the obvious choice with its easy-to-read font, attractive technological features, and its light and sleek feel.  But what can compare to the feeling of the dog-eared pages of your favorite book or the smell of an old book when you first crack it open?  Or what about that book you’ve read so many times that it’s become a tattered but lovable mess?

Ask any bibliophile – nothing will ever compare to an actual book, but the E-reader comes pretty close.