Week 15 Prompt

 How has reading and books changed for me since I was a child?

I think reading has changed a few times for me since I was a child then a teen and now an adult. When I was really little I enjoyed storytimes and seeing puppet plays. The interaction I got while a book was being read to me made the book so much more fun. I enjoyed reading books with others and being able to talk about them with my parents. Then as I grew older reading was split in half. It was required for school through textbooks and then it was something I did for fun. When it came to textbooks and required reading for school I despised it. I have never been a fan of being told what to read and how long I have to read it. I think it is because I am a slow reader. If I was told in school that I had to read a book I almost automatically disliked it and did not want to finish it. I have also never been big into literary classics or Shakespeare so odds were I was not going to care for the required reading. On the other hand I loved mysteries, fantasies, and science fiction. I saw them as an escape from the world and often chose to read a book instead of watching a show or movie growing up. I was that weird kid who convinced her parents that a small box of books was the way to go for Christmas (my sister did not like that this became a tradition all through our school years). Then, in 11th grade I had a teacher who changed my perspective on required reading and changed my attitude slightly. He was new at our school and did not get to pick our summer reading. I did not like the book at all and he automatically won me over when he looked at the class and told us he'd give the book a 5 out of 10. We still did a few assignments with the book but he made me know that I could say my opinion of a required book without being told I was wrong. He even let us come up with books for the next year's required reading and put them to a vote. I still don't like all my required reading but I have an appreciation for reading outside my comfort zone. Now that I am an adult I almost only read for pleasure. I have started doing more reading about how to do upkeep on a home and some other essential things that come with adulthood but I enjoy it now. I respect that not all my reading is exactly fun, but I can make myself engaged with a monotonous topic. I also don't have loads of free time to read. This is sad but I have responsibilities and when I do have time to read it is so much more enjoyable.

What do I see in the future for reading, books, or publishing -20 years from now? Will we read more or less, will it become more interactive? What will happen to traditional publishing?

This is a big question with so much unpredictability. 

I think there are always going to be two types of people. Those who think libraries will become extinct in the next few decades and those who continue to go to libraries to find a new favorite author. I think it all depends on who is choosing to read. I know with the younger generations many prefer the convenience of an eBook or eAudiobook. They do not have to visit the library to get the book and they can still enjoy all the perks of having a library card. I am starting to see the value of online materials, and I used to only read print materials. I think those who dive into reading in the next few decades will happily embrace online formats more than ever. I also think younger school age children will end up preferring eBooks because many schools have done away with a majority of their print materials. I know where I went to school had started phasing out print textbooks in 2012 and by the next year my sister had almost no textbooks. The first college I went to only used eTextbooks (I'm not sure if that is a word). This makes me sad because there is a different atmosphere that comes with reading a book in print. I can see print books in libraries forever, but I think there will be a shift towards online content in budgets if it has not already happened. 

There will always be readers who enjoy the mainstream authors. I think there will always be people who want to read print because it makes more sense with formatting (graphic novels). I do however think more and more books are being published as only eBooks and see this being more normal in 20 years. I also hope that reading will become more prominent. I think the pandemic helped many people get back into the habit. I am curious to see if the increase in library use will continue. With the closure of local video stores, less movie theaters, and rural areas not having access to quality internet, I could see an increase of reading in rural areas due to lack of internet. I can also see people valuing their local libraries due to the rise in costs for living and entertainment. Time will tell if this is true. I hope more people read in the future.

When it comes to publishing I think we will see a greater percentage of independently published books. It is becoming more common for new authors to publish their own works on Amazon and promote them through online avenues and local schools, libraries, and shops. I could see this as a new hip and trendy way of publishing works and will require libraries to be more flexible with how they purchase materials. I think publishing will change immensely over 20 years but I can honestly say I hope it is for the better and the benefit of the authors and readers who consume the works. I have no clue what publishing will look like but my assumptions are that it will have many new ways. I still think all the authors who write thrillers, mysteries, and romance that use the same formula for all their books or authors who are considered book factories will be popular but I think there will be a shift in publishing. I just hope it is not similar to how shows and movies keep doing remakes. I have faith in authors to write original works and hope that publishers see the value in them.

Interactive reading will become more important for authors to consider. There are so many options for books and people who read for pleasure enjoy the interactive nature of a book. I think this will become one of the most important factors as time goes on. I already think it is but maybe that is because I think you have to be interactive to actually read a book and absorb the contents of it.