Aussie Readers discussion

YES! We still need libraries..now more than ever. As you say Michael, there is so much more that can be done in a library now. For older people who don't have access to a computer at home, being able to pick up any amount of books they want from the library will save them the dollars they can't afford to spend, to purchase the new releases, or indeed, older published books.

I love my library, from picking up books to our monthly book-club, to the friends I have made...also the authors I have met as well:)

A lot of the author meet-and-greets are held at libraries, and it's an easy venue for the majority of people to get to, as they go there anyway.

One of the things I miss with living overseas - particularly in a non-english speaking country, is access to a good library. I was always a member at my local library and would use it on a regular basis.

That would be devastating Michele, not being able to just pop into the library! It would also be a good place for you to make new friends in a place where you didn't know anyone...how sad!

No Michael, no bookshops either :(

Oh Michele, that's terrible!! You need to return to Australia IMMEDIATELY!!!

LOL Brenda! I think about that all the time and trust me when I am near a bookstore I go crazy and need an extra suitcase :)

Oh you sure would!!! Is the date booked for your return;P

No, we have no return date in mind and no idea where we will end up after here. We do have at least one trip back each year though - so that helps with the homesickness :)

Well, barring books...you should be having an amazing time!!!

Michele wrote: "...trust me when I am near a bookstore I go crazy and need an extra suitcase :)"

Michele, forget the suitcase, all you need is an ebook reader, like a Kindle, or a smartphone running the Kindle app. I live in rural Australia and God knows where my nearest book shop is! But I have dozens of books with me wherever I go these days with vast libraries of free books (like Project Gutenberg) and huge online book shops (like Amazon) to keep my phone well stocked.

So keep travelling and having that amazing time but don't feel you have to miss out on books at all.

Hi Graham, I do have a Kindle, but still prefer the feel of a book. I am currently in the process of getting rid of some of the books I have been carting around the world with me - my husband thinks that 10 boxes of books is too many! So in the future I think my Kindle will get more of a workout. I must admit that they do make life much easier when there is no easy access to bookstores.

Yes Brenda, it is pretty amazing, I feel very fortunate :)

I hope so much that book stores DON'T disappear! We NEED them, even though our on-line ordering, and e-books are the way of the future. That's also an interesting thought, with A store with only one physical copy of each book and when you buy, it gets printed while you have a refreshing cuppa. You could have it as a gift or have the author's signature inscripted for you, see the book on the big screen as something totally unusual, but again, the way of the future.

Honestly? I think bookshops are overrated. I've never lived close to one so they've always been inconvenient to get to. When I do go to a big town or city and find a decent-sized book shop, their stock is very limited. Great if you want a cookbook or one of those creepy self-help books, but lousy if you want poetry, plays, philosophy, science, or sci-fi (especially Australian sci-fi). The category systems the shops use seem designed to waste your time. You go to "Literature" and find it's actually just "Literary fiction", "Reference" is basically a set of dictionaries and some school crammers, and "Science Fiction and Fantasy" turns out to be one shelf and it's 90% fantasy. (At least the Amazon "Science Fiction" category is only 50% fantasy and you're pretty sure to find what you're looking for in the end.)

For me, it won't be a great loss when they've gone. I buy almost nothing but ebooks these days anyway.

A lot of good points there Graham. I think you're right about the lack of variety in bookshops...and with you living away for big cities, the convenience of on-line would over-rule everything else.

And that is where people who aren't 'mainstream' readers, (the ones who like mostly fiction and non-fiction) like Graham, have trouble with the bookshops, even Big W, K-Mart, Target, because those stores just stock what is the most popular! And there are a HUGE amount of people who love the sort of literature that Graham is talking about. So I think there's always been a problem there, and with the on-line and ebook range of books, it'll get worse, not better.

Of course, having said that, I really would miss second-hand bookshops!

Graham wrote: "Of course, having said that, I really would miss second-hand bookshops!"

Oh they are wonderful:)

Could we have a store that stocks a wide range of books? A store with only one physical copy of each book and when you buy, it gets printed while you have a refreshing cuppa. You could have it as a gift or have the author's signature inscripted for you, see the book on the big screen or join their loyalty programme. Maybe even try out the latest interactive e-book.

Buying a book and having a coffee while you wait is already here and has been for some time. The book production is so fast your coffee could still be hot by the time the book comes off the line - all done in minutes. I came across this system when I published my own book with Lightning Source - check this link
http://www1.lightningsource.com/ebm.aspx and watch the film and then try http://ondemandbooks.com/


I still prefer second-hand book shops :-o)