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http://www.publishers.org/main/PressCenter/Archicves/2010_February/SalesUp4.1in2009Release.htm From the American Association of Publishers. Books sales were up 4% in 2009. While there have been some dips in the past few years, sales increased more than 25% since the early 2000s. While ebook sales are on the rise, they are still less than 3.5 % of total book sales. Your observations are not totally wrong, but (and I say this with all due respect) ancedotes do not override statistics and according to statistics, there is no book buying crisis in America. Sara Ralph, librarian Asheboro, NC ________________________________ From: Bob Hicks <bob.hicks@USD470.COM> To: Sara Ralph <bibliophile26@YAHOO.COM> Sent: Tue, March 2, 2010 6:10:28 PM Subject: Re: SCHOOL LIBRARIES ARE IRRELEVANT? I am not sure where your are getting your publishing/book figures. My Bowker and other statistics and publishers show a steady decline--3.2% in 2008 & per capita decline--18% in 2005. Even more dramatic is the decline in the percent of people buying and reading books relative to the increased population. A 1,000,000 copies bestseller meant more in say 1960 when the population was much less than today. I'm afraid you are in denial. On Mar 2, 2010, at 3:52 PM, Sara Ralph wrote: We have heard this over and over (that physical copies of books will be eliminated, but more books than ever are being published. I know the Kindle and the B&N ebook reader is hugely popular, but I just don't see it happening. > > > > ________________________________ From: Bob Hicks <bob.hicks@USD470.COM> >To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU >Sent: Tue, March 2, 2010 11:01:01 AM >Subject: SCHOOL LIBRARIES ARE IRRELEVANT? > >Believing this might stimulate interest and discussion, I first submitted this to >"School Library Journal" but to no surprise they could not find space for the >article. >Bob-- Sorry you didn't receive a reply previously. Our editorial schedule is set >for 2010 and, unfortunately, we do not have an open position for your article. >Thanks you for submitting it.--Phyllis. > >Phyllis Levy Mandell >Managing Editor >Multimedia Review Editor >School Library Journal >Curriculum Connections >360 Park Avenue South >New York, NY 10010 >646-746-6763 > >____________________________________________________________ > > School Libraries Are Irrelevant? > >I have extrapolated on the following online article > >Do School Libraries Need Books? >http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/10/do-school-libraries-need-books/ > > >Within a capitalistic system, economics defines and dictates everything: human >behavior, the culture, and societal institutions including libraries. > >Recently, I visited one of the bookstore chains. For a Saturday, there were only >a few people in the store and most of them were in the ever expanding "non-book" >areas: CD, DVD, and computer software. Can these places still even be called >bookstores? I bought a $30 book. Upon returning home, I checked Amazon and >discovered I could have download the same book for $10. Because I am a "Last >Generation Bookman", hard copies have intrinsic and sentimental value thus paying >triple for a "real" book is not a problem. However, if I was under say thirty or >an "internet/computer" generation person having no emotional or psychological >attachment to three dimensional books , I would be angry and feel cheated. > >Did you read or hear in the news that Laredo, Texas, a community of 250,000, was >losing their last and only bookstore? > >In the end, economics trumps everything. Do you remember the "buy America" >movement years ago? The idea was two fold: support American labor and >manufacturing by buying more expensive products made in America, and refuse to >support and reward employers of slave and sweatshop labor by purchasing their >products. Unfortunately, people who would never dream of supporting child or >exploited labor were willing to do just that just o save a few bucks. The >movement quickly failed! Americans chose their pocketbooks over their patriotism >and principles. > >Just as the technology in form of the printing press initiated the "cheap" >book/printed page era, the technology of computers, the internet, eReaders, and >etc. will end it. Does anyone want to bet that "hard copy" books will get >cheaper? Excluding the author and actual "text" costs, consider all the other >costs of getting a physical book into your hands: materials, labor, printing, >binding, packing, shipping, and bookstore costs. What percent of the retail >price? Half? Two thirds? In ten years, what do you think the postage on shipping a >box of books? What if both the author and the publisher of an eBook, digital >book, or whatever you call them made the same profit or even more with a download >instead of a hard copy? Are capitalists known for their sentimentality? > >Have you noticed new books are going out of print faster? Publisher print runs are >smaller. Have you tried to buy a year or two year old hardback lately? Sorry, >out of print, but the eBook is available for $8. In 2009, Carol Buchanan's God's >Thunderbolt: The Vigilantes Of Montana won the Western Writers Of America >prestigious "Spur" award for best first novel. It is a self-published book. Why >pay a publisher? When will an eBook win the Pulitzer Prize or make it on the NYT >bestseller list? Presently, is their a bestseller list dedicated to eBooks? > >Besides the cost difference between a hard copy and an eBook, consider other >existing and potential advantages of eBooks over the Gutenberg template? >Guaranteed availability--no gamble as to whether the store has it in stock. No >worry of it going out of print. How about text keyword and index searching? >What would the YA reader rather have? A hard copy of Stephanie Meyer's latest >tome or a cheaper "Multimedia" eBook which besides text would includes a >read-along audio track, background music track, graphic illustrations or graphic >version, keyword text & index searchability, and a visual "Avatar" >characterization play/drama of the story. Of course, a Spanish language version >is included. Oh, by the way, if you don't want to buy the eBook, you can rent it >for for $1.99 (automatic text deletion after 30 days). Of course, if you belong >to the eBook club and pay the $15 monthly fee, you have unlimited rental downloads >for free. > >Of course, shortly, hard copy school textbooks will be a thing of the past. >Again, cost will determine the preference. Why would a college student or school >district pay $75-$200 for a textbook when it can downloaded to a computer, Kindle, >iPad or whatever for $20? Again, also keep in mind the advantages of the eBook >from keyword indexing and highlighting to the audio/visual features. School >districts will simply pay the publisher a flat fee for X number or unlimited >downloads. > >Since students have classroom computer and/or handheld access to all the standard >"library" reference resources: encyclopedias, magazines and newspapers, both free >and subscription databases, and thousands of specific primary and secondary >downloadable eBooks, why do they need to go to the library or why does there need >to be a library to go to? If a student is doing a research paper on the American >Revolution, he simply downloads the "David McCullough" Revolutionary War Library >of his ten recommended books on the subject. How about info on Mccarthyism? >Access and/or download famous Professor Smith's McCarthyism Book & Magazine >Library (bundle). Do you need information on the development of the gothic novel >and horror literature or simply like horror novels? Access and download Neil >Gaiman's recommended eBooks. All downloads are free to students because the >district pays an annual $ subscription free for unlimited access and downloading! Why would a student waste precious classtime to physically go to the library? > >Remember spending hours and hours in the university library? What is happening or >is going to happen to all those impressive college and university "brick & mortar" >libraries with their miles of stacks of books and back issue journals? Will they >still buy all those academic and technical books and subscribe to all those >esoteric university press journals once they are digitized and downloadable? How >are they going to continue to rationalize such expenditures? How about the >storage and utility costs? Are they or will they become simply huge >computer/internet cafes? Why would a student need to spend time in one? > >How much reference assistance or advice in book selection do students really >need? By they get to middle school and high school, I believe not much. Have you >visited one of the increasing online "ask a librarian or "reader advisor" sites >(see examples below)--you type in your favorite book, genre or book you recently >read and liked and you will get a list of similar books. Do your want to know >what book three is in the -----series? Yes, in certain circumstances, one could >still make a case that a librarian's unique knowledge and experience has >educational value. But, the librarian does not need a "library" facility to >practice reference assistance. A classroom or just an office would suffice. > >Presently, what functions have your actual "library" space morphed into: computer >lab, testing center, back to the old study hall, and/or club and social meeting >hall? If I recall correctly, are not school architects reducing the library >square footage in new school buildings? > >I am what you could call a "transitional" librarian or the last generation of >"traditional" librarianship. Initially, I practiced librarianship basically the >same way the previous three or four generations of librarians had--hand >written/typed catalog cards, wooden drawers, the green Readers' Guide To >Periodical Literature, multi-volumed reference sources & etc. Recently, I weeded >the library's remaining old record recordings and filmstrip kits I had left. >After notifying the faculty, a young, first year teacher stopped by to inspect the >kits just out of curiosity. She had never seen one! > >As library traffic, circulation, and usage continue to decline, it is going to >become more difficult for MLS school librarians to rationalize and defend their >facilities, contributions to the curriculum, and educational value. Any teacher >certified person or even a "para" can checkout a few books and supervise >computers. Having been a high school librarian for over thirty years, I have had >hundreds of student library aides. With my encouragement, some have chose >librarianship as their profession. Currently, I am reluctant in recommending the >profession to students. At times, I see the specter of the buggy whip maker. A >few years ago a fellow high school librarian and friend announced his retirement. >Sounding frustrated, he said he no longer had much to do. > >Flashlight Worthy >http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/ > >The Book Explorer >http://www.thebookexplorer.com/ > >What Should I Read >http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/search > >Bob Hicks, librarian >Arkansas City High School Librarian >Arkansas City, KS 67005 >bob.hicks@usd470.com > > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- >Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. >You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings >by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. >To change your LM_NET status, you send a message to: listserv@listserv.syr.edu >In the message write EITHER: >1) SIGNOFF LM_NET >2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL >3) SET LM_NET MAIL >4) SET LM_NET DIGEST > >* LM_NET Help & Information: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/ >* LM_NET Archive: http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/ >* EL-Announce with LM_NET Select: http://lm-net.info/join.html >* LM_NET Supporters: http://lmnet.wordpress.com/category/links/el-announce/ >* LM_NET Wiki: http://lmnet.wikispaces.com/ > >-------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. 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