The Perception of Books Dying

They say that books are dying out, and these beliefs spring from the rise of digital media. I buy books for use on my digital reader more often than not, as opposed to actual books. If my family are kind enough to offer to buy me a present, I eagerly say put money on my (can I say it?) Amazon account. (From their point of view, this is a lot easier than them going out shopping, and for me, I get to select my own choices).

Sometimes I make bad judgements, having been swayed by other people’s reviews – are they all real? I sometimes wonder if they have just read the same book as I did! Or are they paid to write stuff by the author? – or maybe they are ‘would-be authors’ themselves, and writing their own reviews? If I had written a book, I would get everyone I know to wax lyrical about it, to boost my sales, whether they had read it or not. And then I wonder - would I buy that book in a bookstore, would I be more swayed by the cover, or the title, or how thick it was and if it looked good value for money?

Are books vanishing into obscurity?

I don’t think so, and some reports are showing that there is an increase in book sales over the past decade. There's something special about holding a book that you don’t get by reading on a screen. Whether artisanal or aesthetic value, they continue to hold their own unique appeal for many readers.

Rumours of the death of books seem to be exaggerated. There is evidence showing that books are more alive than ever before - even digital publishing isn't killing books but transforming them for a new era.

The notion that writers must survive on bread and water alone is also an outdated myth, and today's authors enjoy diverse revenue streams from traditional publishing to self-publishing - and even blogging.

Are Libraries in decline?

They say that there aren’t so many libraries around solely because there are fewer physical books being around. But books still remain cherished objects by many, and the art of book reading continues. Contrary to common belief, libraries are still very much alive, and there are still shelves of books in your local library, with some still having racks of music, films and audiobooks in them despite ‘streaming’ being so popular. Some have desks containing public-use computers too (nope, not everyone owns a computer).

Large and small meeting rooms are often available for community events, with story-hours or training events for young readers. Librarians may be processing new books, cataloguing, and even preparing deliveries to nursing homes and the housebound, and there's ample evidence of continued reading which suggests that book reading persists.

Printing presses are still working

Apparently, a record number of books are still actual printed books. This lends truth to the notion that reading habits are not on a decline at all. Bookstore sales have apparently picked up over time as well – people seem to be rekindling their love for print, maybe the fine craft values found in traditional books is capturing attention once again.

There's also the science behind this, as reading from printed pages is better for recall skills compared to electronic or digital reading. It seems people find comfort in the familiar experience of turning pages and holding a book in their hands while absorbing facts (or following the author’s imagination in fiction). In essence, it feels real; it's something you can touch and own which isn't possible with digital books, and students are sometimes encouraged to make annotations or highlights in textbooks as they are reading.

The digital age brings a different way of reading, with E-publishing seeing significant growth in recent years by offering advantages like portability and accessibility. However, digital reading isn't perfect; it does miss the tactile experience of physical books, and could strain our eyes. But the rise of digital books has reshaped the publishing industry, impacting sales of printed copies while opening doors for self-published authors to reach wider audiences.

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan