In
author Nancy McCormack’s recently published article published a journal article
titled Are E-Books Making Us Stupid? Why Electronic Collections Mean Trouble
for Libraries and Their Patrons, she questions whether this migration to
digital is causing both librarians and their patrons to lose a few brain cells.
We’ve
all likely done something in the last day or weeks that made us shake our
heads, such as walking upstairs to get something and having no idea what it was
once the top step was cleared. Some, such as McCormack, claim this lack of
focus has followed technological advances.
Google’s search capabilities has for years been assessed blame. The younger generation, accustomed to immediate answers and reactions, has little patience waiting for answers that take more than a few keystrokes. Thus, they lose interest after just a few moments of searching.
Now, e-books are beginning to be targeted, just as Google has. As more people turn to e-books, public and academic libraries are migrating to provide those digital items. In the process, vanishing are the original print-and-paper books that once filled shelves. In an effort to deliver e-books to patrons, McCormack wonders, are libraries actually taking the next step in killing our ability to concentrated?
Printed books have for years helped people focus and think deeply, which has led to all these great advancements in technology. Could those accomplishments now be the undoing of our ability to concentrate?
To access a free copy of McCormack’s article, go to www.igi-global.com/newsroom/archive/digital-technology-new-wave-stupid/1464/.
