With recent rumours that the third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary would be available online only, there has been a lot of speculation on what will happen to the printed book.
The OED have since reassured us that they have not yet decided on the format of their latest edition, which we are told will be available in over a decade. But where exactly will print be in a decade?
There has always been doubt surrounding the idea of the internet replacing books. The main argument against is in defence of the tangibility of the book itself — the paper, the smell, the binding, the weight. Not to mention how books allow for total immersion, whilst it is quite difficult to read on screen.
Yet as technology keeps advancing, we’re seeing the digitisation of books becoming more commonplace. The Kindle e-reader is so in demand, that Amazon are struggling to produce and ship them fast enough. And the Twitter account @THEMEDIAISDYING posts print obituaries everyday.
Opening the window of his cell, he pointed to the immense church of Notre Dame, which, with its twin towers, stone walls, and monstrous cupola forming a black silhouette against the starry sky, resembled an enormous two-headed sphinx seated in the middle of the city. The archdeacon pondered the great edifice for a few moments in silence, then with a sigh he stretched his right hand toward the printed book that lay open on his table and his left hand toward Notre Dame and turned a sad eye form the book to the church. “Alas!” he said, “This will destroy that” (Victor Hugo, Notre-Dame de Paris, 1482)
So, is the current defence of print purely sentimental? Or will it continue, as the church has continued to exist alongside print?
I personally see the appeal of the e-reader, but also love books. However, I can’t remember the last time I used a dictionary. Not a physical one anyway. Between Google’s “define: word” and my computer’s dictionary application, I have found that I never need to refer to a printed dictionary. Ironically, the application I use is provided by none other than the Oxford English Dictionary. Go figure.
