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Reading In The 21st Century

Manilla Bulletin Publishing Corporation (Website) - 9/5/2009 by BLOOEY SINGSON
Reading never goes out of style, even in the age of technology.

In the August 1894 issue of Scribner’s magazine, an article by Octave Uzanne, predicted “The End of Books,” proposing that in the 20th century, the printed page will be replaced by “storyographs,” patented cylinders containing recordings of books. Uzanne imagines today’s libraries transformed into “phonographotecks” or “phonostereoteks,” repositories for the “storyographs.” He also imagined portable players that he called “pocket phono-opera-graphs.”

While Uzanne’s predictions almost accurately cover audiobooks, ebooks, mp3 players, and personal ebook readers, he was wrong on one count: the introduction of these technologies did not herald the end of books, but rather gives the 21st century person new ways to enjoy the printed page, and enhanced the reading experience.

The Manila International Book Fair lists the top 10 reading technologies, proving just how relevant reading still is in the 21st century.

As the Manila International Book Fair, the paramount event of the Philippine book industry, marks its 30th anniversary this year on Sept 16-20 at the SMX Convention Center, it once again welcomes book lovers to celebrate it celebrates the written word in all its forms.


4) Online Book Trading – Swapping books with other readers across the globe can be done through book tradings sites. Some sites, such as BookMooch.com, operate on a points system, others, like Paperbackswap.com and Titletrader.com, operate on request queues. Other sites, like Bookcrossing.com involves randomly leaving books in public areas for other people to find.