Thought for Thursday: Print is Thriving Not Just Surviving

Are printed materials going the way of the dodo?  Some of my colleagues believe that print is starting to die, but I have to disagree.  And it's thanks to two things, two observations.  One, teachers and professors are trying to get their students to understand the value of accurate and reliable information that comes from print resources.  Now, while some print resources are also available in digital format (such as newspapers, magazine articles, or even encyclopedias), they are still considered reliable resources.  I think the professors are also trying to get their students to look for the narrow scope within the immense amount of information thrown at them on the Internet.  Then again, that's what librarians are there for, to help the students narrow down their searches to retrieve results within the 2-digit range rather than the 4 or 5-digit range.  

The other observation I've made is that people are still buying books.  They want to hold a book in their hands, flip through the pages, and have books displayed on their bookshelves.  When I look at my own home library, I just cannot imagine everything on my full shelves being contained on a small device.  What would that leave me with?  A lot of empty shelves and a "library" the size of a thin book.  Now don't get me wrong, I do like having a Kobo (though I might be upgrading to a different ereader in the future) especially when some books are only available in digital format.  I'm looking at the self-published authors and indie authors that I like to support.  

Still, I want you to think about it.  Put it in perspective.  

To replace this:

And this: 

With only this?

I'm glad to say that I believe Print format is thriving because a solely digital future seems a dismal possibility.   Truth be told, print and digital go hand in hand quite well and personally it's best to have both books AND ebooks on an ereader.  

Do you think print format is dying?