While taking courses centred entirely around literature it has become natural to wonder if literature will continue to develop in the printed form. There has been an exponential growth in electronic texts in recent years. Websites like Project Gutenberg have created a vast database of old texts that are past copyright. This collection is free for all to access and of a good quality. New texts are also becoming increasingly electronic and are offered at a low price for readers. With this new, open and cheap system it really seems like print has become outdated.
But price and availability are not the only factors we should take into consideration. There are many advantages to the printed form. Many people prefer the tactile pleasure of holding a book while reading. In addition to this, books have always been passed around and traded in their physical form and this is cheapened if someone can just download the same text. Finally, the tradition of publication is in danger and its historical significance should not simply be brushed aside for modern convenience.
However, electronic media do have one distinct advantage over print. In the same way that the Internet has wrested much power away from music record companies, the electronic text movement will create more freedom within literature. Publishing houses can no longer demand exacting themes or issues or manipulate readers into buying what they publish. Through electronic texts and blogging, every person who types can become a writer and gain an audience. Of course, this means that in generations to come a 'canon' of literature may not exist and the overall quality of literature will be questioned. But we should not limit the amount of literature out there to prevent this, we should just become better readers.
The publishing industry has its place and we should embrace it and we must also embrace the freedom offered by the electronic alternative.
-The English Student
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