My Personal Opinion with Regards to

Web Based Books and e-Book Readers

Web based books, magazines and newspapers are difficult for me to read because I enjoy holding the text in my hands and being able to flip through pages. When I’m reading online I find myself not being able to follow the lines as well and I get more easily distracted. When I’m on a computer I like to have more than one window up at a time, and I find myself checking email and listening to music. If I’m reading a book it’s more peaceful to read by candlelight or by a stream. Therefore, I find print to be more desirable for me than online publications. I think I will use online resources for my students at times, especially for research. Since I know how distracted I get, I will probably end up using print materials more than online resources when dealing with activities that involve magazines, books and newspapers.

I do not own an e-book reader. At this point in my life I am not interested in purchasing one because I enjoy having books on hand and having a library that I can physically go to and pick out a book that I want to read. Using e-book readers would most likely give me headaches from looking at the screen and from what I’ve heard medically it’s not a good idea to be looking at computer screens or television screens before going to bed due to the mind not being able to go into REM mode because of over-activity of the brain. One thing I enjoy doing is reading until I fall asleep, so if I have a book in my hands I can do this without having to worry about not getting adequate sleep. If a library patron came to me for my expert opinion I would ask them what their preference was while reading. Some people swear and declare by kindles and other e-books and love to have any book at their fingertips. It really is up to personal preference, and I would have a conversation with the person to determine what their personal preference is.