What's next for books in the digital age? Outlook unclear

Abstract

Among my many other activities these days, I\u27m working on a new book … or something like that. That qualification reflects the uncertainty of the times. As volumes printed on paper evolve to newer media – at some point, a printed volume seems likely to become a luxury item – we\u27re obliged to think about what constitutes a book in the digital age. I used to think I knew the answer, but I\u27m no longer remotely sure. Two recent events have not cleared things up. After listening to smart and well-informed speakers at a "Future of Publishing" panel in California late last year, as well as at last week\u27s "O\u27Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing" conference in New York City, I found myself, if anything, less certain. It was easy, not so long ago, to say, "This is a book, and this isn\u27t." From the early Codex to hand-penned Bibles (created by "scribes"), Gutenberg\u27s printing press through the late 20th century, a book was a collection of bound pages. But as has happened with other media forms, digital technology has blurred the lines we once took for granted. On the internet, media formats easily cross boundaries – something we\u27ve all seen in recent times. In the news business, for example, what were once print-only newspapers now create videos, and television channels have added articles that could easily appear in print. Everyone is using new tools, such as map/sensor mashups, to create a vast variety of forms that are native to the online world. We can still identify a newspaper if it\u27s dropped at our doorstep – and some of us still get the New York Times delivered on Sundays – but take it online and it\u27s clearly something else. The book\u27s boundaries have moved as well, but not as far. It still functions as a linear, self-contained unit. It has a beginning, a middle and and end. Read the full article >   Photo Credit: david__jones via Compfight c