Comments on: Review of ‘The Library: A Fragile History’ by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen

By: nsford

nsford — Sun, 19 Dec 2021 15:53:10 +0000

In reply to Jee Wan. Yes there was a snob element to the book, although I'm sure the writers are perfectly nice people. Their particular interests were foremost in the book and didn't embrace newer definitions of books and libraries. LOL yes a librarian should have proofread it.

By: Jee Wan

Jee Wan — Sat, 18 Dec 2021 21:01:34 +0000

*SMH* Sounds like this was written by book snobs. AS much as I didn’t like the idea of ebooks initially (I’m now a big fan!), but never have I ever deemed them as not ‘books’. Same for audio books. And how could the author(s) inaccurately describe the Dewey Decimal Classification!? *smh*

By: nsford

nsford — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 19:18:41 +0000

In reply to Rebecca Moon Ruark. It had a particular angle, which I'm sure is perfect for readers interested mainly in the early history of libraries and printing, but I'm more interested in recent developments. It was presented as more of a general history of libraries and I didn't feel it matched the concept!

By: Rebecca Moon Ruark

Rebecca Moon Ruark — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 18:01:22 +0000

Wow–always surprising that books like this get published. I didn’t study library science or information studies but I know enough about it to understand that the modern history of libraries has been a technological transformation that really can’t be ignored. Or shouldn’t be, anyway.

By: nsford

nsford — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 14:47:00 +0000

In reply to RoseReadsNovels. If that was so, it would probably be a rather different book!

By: RoseReadsNovels

RoseReadsNovels — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 06:18:24 +0000

Perhaps a librarian should have edited this book.

By: nsford

nsford — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 20:52:23 +0000

In reply to FictionFan. Yes, agreed! Whatever format, if there are words and some kind of narrative or information, its a book. Books as physical items are very nice, of course, and I do prefer the experience of reading them, but ebooks are much more convenient and accessible.

By: nsford

nsford — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 20:50:22 +0000

In reply to NatterBlog. Ebooks are a brilliant invention! I borrow more ebooks from the library than paper books. Libraries as physical spaces are not just repositories of books or they won't survive.

By: NatterBlog

NatterBlog — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 16:11:21 +0000

I love my ebooks and most certainly hope they don’t disappear. Please don’t shout but I haven’t been in a library for a long time. A quick visit, but all those books stacked on shelves where you have to turn your head sideways to browse? I’ve been spoiled by armchair book browsing on a screen.

By: FictionFan

FictionFan — Sat, 11 Dec 2021 13:39:36 +0000

I do hate the kind of book snobbery that dismisses anything other than paper books as not really being worthy to be called a book. I suspect most readers love a beautifully produced paper book, but we don’t all have limitless space to store them, plus ebooks can make books more accessible to people who need to change font sizes and so on.