I turn the rusting gold door knob, and a gentle jingle bell welcomes me into a room of dusty, splintery, old-furnished floors that creak as I enter the warm lighting. The comforting aroma of bibliosmia (also known as vintage book smell) washes over me, and my eyes flit across the rows upon rows of stories waiting to be discovered. I had no idea such a uniquely cozy and almost dream-like place was dedicated solely to books.
However cliché this typical bookstore experience may seem, it might not be commonplace in the coming years due to the rise of electronic, audio, and e-reader media. This is deeply upsetting because reading printed books has created sustainable communities. Libraries are known for being trusted institutions of information and entertainment, and also act as pillars of the community for all learners to feel welcome and heard. In addition, in schools, many book clubs and other social organizations and programs rely on these libraries as spaces to express and share ideas. If all books went digital, these physical havens of creativity, innovation, and various perspectives would ultimately cease to exist.
Without a place to express ideas and communicate with others effectively, people turn to the internet, which is notorious for being a place of hostility, as hateful comments, purposeful disinformation, and the overall sense of courage a person can find from hiding behind the screen create a negative environment.
Students, learners, and young curious minds are gradually losing the opportunity to experience these displays of documented literature, which is extremely unfortunate because the written word is a quintessential part of human existence. Since the creation of the Gutenberg Press in 1436, books have allowed ideas, languages, and stories to be expressed in a tangible, irreplaceable form. Physical texts and books have also drastically improved human critical thinking and function.
A 2023 study conducted by the Review of Educational Research shows that those who read physical books have six to eight times better comprehension than those who read digitally. This highlights that reading from paper helps improve how much information a student is able to retain on exam or test day. Additionally, according to Child Life Specialists from Psychology, today, page-turning and feeling the weight of the book in one’s hand helps the brain map out what has been read. This process works because the mind assigns information to a page the reader has absorbed with the senses. This process is unique because any type of e-reader or electronic media cannot replace this ability. According to the Center for American Progress, students with access to fully-stocked libraries and qualified librarians have reached higher standardized test scores and academic achievement.
Not only can reading physical books have mental benefits, but it also prevents physical damage to the reader. The Mitchell Refractive Surgery and Eye Center describes how the “retinal damage” attributed to long hours spent staring at a screen can have a significant detrimental effect on one’s eyes.
The value of books has been proven time and time again by real experiences of people across history. During World War II in Nazi Germany, books were burned to keep citizens uneducated by preventing the spread of “non-Nazi” ideologies and beliefs such as pacifism and Judaism. These books were written by incredibly talented authors like Lion Feuchtwanger and Rosa Luxemburg, who expressed anti-Hitler sentiments. If these authors’ work did not have great value and knowledge, the governing forces would not have tried to eliminate them, proving the power of the written word.
In modern-day society, where access to documented literature is again at risk, educators, librarians, and students find themselves fighting for the right to read. The very act of book banning suppresses a person’s constitutionally protected right of free speech. Students have a right to the information and knowledge available in the books being banned, and to prevent them from accessing it goes against the value of an informed public our democracy is founded on. The written word should bind us together and keep us all on the same page, not tear us apart. However, right now, there is a sense of urgency and a scramble to read physical books while students and libraries still have access to them.
Not only do book bans threaten physical texts, but in today’s times of screens, the push to create an eco-friendly society also endangers books. While the environment is also a critical issue that requires effort and funding from the global economy, there are more beneficial and effective ways to reduce our footprint and impact on forests rather than getting rid of books. This includes focusing on decreasing the amount of waste that comes from larger corporations instead of smaller consumers. Furthermore, so many tasks in daily life are now dominated by a screen: communication, payments, school assignments, and even permission slips. Maintaining an aspect of the real world in our everyday lives is as important as the ease and necessity of digital tools. Even though reading could quickly and easily become digital, there is still something valuable about reading and having access to physical books.
Ultimately, reading physical books is a privilege, not a given. Readers everywhere must band together to protect and exercise a right that should be constitutionally protected but is slowly fading out of existence. It might seem boring or a waste of time, but reading keeps the world spinning. So, go to the library and pick up an actual book.
