Sheikh Iraj
Technological advancement has always left its mark on us. It’s persistently changing and reshaping our lives as we speak. Technological advancement brings transformation, making us adapt the new and leave behind the outmoded. Today we live in an era, where we are surrounded by technology and in a way it decides for us what to like and what not to. But does that mean we cannot choose for ourselves? The answer is yes, we can, unless a science fiction movie like The Matrix turns into reality, where artificial intelligence takes over the world. We know that books have existed since the 3rd millennium BC as clay tablets were found in what was once Mesopotamia. On the other hand, internet is a very recent phenomenon. Nevertheless, both books and internet play an integral part in our lives.
Books are a prime source of knowledge and nowadays many believe the internet can serve the same role. These days, many youths prefer to read online. And it’s not only leisure reading, they download various foreign textbooks and other course materials, too. They consider it to be cheaper and easily accessible. Again there are others who believe nothing can replace books. This week, Y&I spoke with some writers, bookstore owners, publishers, librarians and readers to find out about their thoughts on the matter and what they prefer _ books or the internet.
Ashique Mustafa, Writer
From waking up in the morning till we go to sleep at night, technology is present in every step we take. I am a writer, it is only natural for me to have a soft corner when it comes to books, but at the same time, I like to benefit from the internet. For example, I am writing an adventure story and for that, I instantly need some information about China, in that situation I would prefer using the internet than books. Again in some cases, internet does not have all the information I need, so I turn to books. Many of my friends download study materials from the internet and I do not find any harm in that. Technology is here to help us and internet is a part of that. Some of my books now are being sold on the internet and it’s the future, but I believe books will always exist.
Mohammad Shahjahan, Bookshop Owner
I started selling books when I was 10 years old, and I have been selling them for the last 20 years. Due to some family crisis, I was only able to study till class five. Now, ask me about any book in the market I will tell you the name of the author and perhaps, a little about the book. It is true that I started selling books to earn my living, but soon found myself in love with them. I remember once my shop in Nilkhet got destroyed in a fire, I was sad for days, not because of the money, rather for the rare books that were lost. Today, I have many clients who order books which I import from different countries, now that’s an example that people still love books and always will. I have come across many situations where I am buying books abroad, but I do not know their language, just by saying the name of the book we communicate, that’s the power of books. My daughter reads books from the internet and I enjoy that, too. The bottom line is, I believe books offer a whole different world and I want to stay in that realm.
Monirul Hoque, Publisher, Anonna Prokashoni
When a book is published normally three parties are involved in a deed_ the writer, publisher and the one who is going to do the marketing of the book. Now technology is here to make our lives better and we should embrace that, but that does not mean promoting piracy. Abroad, when you are buying an ebook or downloading books you have to pay a certain amount, unless it has been made free by the publisher. Here in our country, we do not have that system yet. It’s completely a different thing if I allow the reader to download the book for free, but when I set a price and one gets it for free, that harms the writer, the publisher and the marketing person. I am quite optimistic about the future, hard copy books will always stay with us but at the same time, we are hopeful we will sell more e-books. Already a number of people who are associated with the book business are contacting us. We are looking at the positive side, for example if we sell five thousand hard copy books, then through the internet we will be able to sell five lakhs.
Noirit Mustapha, Student
These days, when it comes to my studies and research, I prefer to go online to search for references and materials. Bangladesh is slowly approaching and realising that dream of being a ‘digital country’, and with it, how quickly anything can be found with a simple Google search these days, it makes studying a lot easier for me. Libraries have their uses as well, as I see a lot of my classmates preferring that, but finding what I need in a library feels slower than just going online, typing a simple search line and then immediately finding what I want. Google itself also has a separate feature that even allows students to find references and citations easier for their study materials.
Hasina Afroz, Librarian, BRAC University
For our students, we have approximately 40,000 printed books in our collection and we have access to over 60,000 e-books and 50,000 e-journals and databases. Our students can get access to on-campus and off-campus facilities for online journals and databases. We try to provide quality service to our students by giving access to latest library technologies. Now, I have observed that many of our students prefer the electrical copies more. Even if they ask for hard copy books, at the same time, we find them reading using their smartphones. There are some students who only like to read good old books. I think both hard copy books and e-books are quite popular.
Supa Sadia, Writer
It’s very hard to explain but there is something about hard copy books which internet can never provide. The smell, the joy I find when reading a hard copy book cannot be compared with anything else. So far, seven of my books have been published and I believe books are here to stay. Beside being an author, I also work as the public relation office of Stamford University and my work requires me to use the internet. The internet has countless benefits, but I honestly do not see anything replacing hard copy books.
Q Alam, Managing Editor, Bengal Lights Books
I don’t believe that printed books and e-books pose an either/or choice, but instead complement each other. E-books provide a level of convenience that physical books cannot. On the other hand, printed books have provenance and reading one is a multisensory experience. The act of picking up a book, relishing its weight, feeling the texture of the paper, hearing the rustle of the pages turning and inhaling that ‘new book’ smell _ even outside of the book’s contents, these are evocative experiences which e-books, as they exist today, can’t replicate. So, while you might seek the convenience of being able to carry a bunch of the latest bestsellers around with you on your phone or tablet, you will always want physical copies of your favourite volumes to display on a shelf, or pass on to your children. I, personally, am a big fan of e-books. They allow me to access a large number of international titles that I otherwise would not have been able to find in Bangladesh. And as part of an organisation that publishes books by Bangladeshis written in English, I know that the e-book format provides the widest reach, especially to readers overseas. But nothing can replace that incredible moment when our authors hold the first physical copy of their work in their hands.
Jamiul Adnan, Student
Ernest Hemingway once said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” I believe in a broader sense, it’s quite true. Books can give the gift of imagination, the power to develop your brain and make you a better person. I love reading books and collecting them, I got this from my mother. At the same time, I believe we need to embrace the positive change and I am pro-internet on this matter. I am a student and like thousands of others, I too find the internet a better, faster source of gathering information. That doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t enjoy reading books. Now I am travelling and I cannot carry many books with me, but that doesn’t mean I won’t read while travelling. Rather, it’s quite the opposite, I read more when I am travelling, thanks to the internet.