Newsweek magazine’s Nov. 26 issue includes a story by Steven Levy (no relation) on Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’s new take on that age-old information storage device called the “book.” Although Bezos has made a fortune by selling the paper version, he has now developed the Amazon Kindle, an electronic device that can download volumes directly from the Amazon Web site. The Kindle weighs only 10.3 ounces, but it can hold the equivalent of 200 books, allowing users to carry around the equivalent of a personal library with them wherever they go. Ultimately, Bezos hopes to make “any book — not just any book in print, but any book that’s ever been in print” available via a one-minute download from the Amazon Web site.
You might think that such a development spells the death of traditional books and libraries that house them. However, libraries in the United States have historically been free and open to the public, allowing everyone equal access to information. Unfortunately, a $399 Kindle and the expense of $10 per downloaded volume remain outside many peoples’ budgets. In addition to supplying books and information, one of the Washoe County Library System’s primary goals is to provide a commons in which people can meet, share ideas and enjoy being part of a community. The Incline Village Library offers a particularly inviting commons area with a fireplace, couches, a meeting room and Internet computers — all free of charge. I doubt the Kindle can duplicate the warmth and camaraderie experienced by patrons reading the New York Times or Wall Street Journal in front of the library’s glowing fire.
Steven Levy concludes that although the “awesome technology” of traditional books will be around for years to come, the Kindle and future technologies will undoubtedly change the way people access and read books. However, I can’t help but wonder what happens when one’s Kindle gets dropped in the sand or takes a dunk in the lake — those are a lot of wet, sandy, expensive pages to replace.

Amy Levy is the programming and outreach librarian at the Incline Village Library.