Benefits of reading

E-books
Nancy Cain
6/29/2022
E-books versus Printed books

E-Books Printed Books

Portable and convenient Heavy
Good for the eyes Set print size may be hard to
read
Less Capacity needed Will need an extra bag to carry
Save shelf space Uses lots of shelf space
Cost efficient Costs more to print
Unlimited access to books Can be hard to find
Maximum comfort Not easy to read in bed
Common Arguments against E-books
• I get a headache looking at a computer screen too long.
• You have to charge it everyday just to read.
• It doesn’t look/smell/feel like a real book.
• You can’t loan books you love out to friends.
• You can’t borrow e-books from libraries.
• E-books cost as much or more than, a paperback that I could
loan to my friends.
To Read or Not to Read
27% of people say they don’t read books

27% read 37% read print

No books books only

7% read
e-books only
28%
Read both print and digital
books

Print books only Both Print and Digital books Only read E-books No Books
With so many benefits to reading, Why is
there a Reluctance to Read – possible
reasons
• Lack the skills of reading, both vocabulary and comprehension
• Have an underlying condition like dyslexia
• Frustrated by their inability to read independently or fluently

• Discouraged by environmental factors at home or school

• Lack reading choices

• Find the format and length of books unappealing or overwhelming

• Bored by the subject and content of books available to them

• Choosing books that are too difficult
How to encourage Reluctant Readers
Read to them Introduce them to audio books
Let them choose their own book Make reading a social event –
start a book club or reading
group

Provide time for reading Encourage them to read about

their interests

Create a cozy reading nook Book talks

Talk to them about reading Use technology

Buddy read Get them hooked on a series

E-books versus Printed books
E-books
Portable and convenient
Good for the eyes, adjustable
print size
Less capacity needed
Save shelf space
Cost efficient
Unlimited access to books
Maximum comfort, read
anywhere
Printed Books
Heavier, but often preferred
Set print size may be hard to
read
Will need an extra bag to carry
Will need shelf space
More expensive to print
Can be hard to find
Not easy to read in bed
Common arguments against e-books

• I get a headache looking at a computer screen too long.

• You have to charge it everyday just to read.
• It doesn’t look/smell/feel like a real book.
• You can’t loan books you love out to friends.
• You can’t borrow e-books from libraries.
• E-books cost as much or more than, a paperback that I could
loan to my friends.
Do audio books count as reading?
Reading and listening both
result in comprehension, which
the brain accomplishes by
translating written or heard
words into words in the mind —
a process called decoding.
Still not convinced ...
• 82% of prison inmates are high school dropouts, and a high proportion of
them cannot read.
• More than one third of all juvenile offenders read below the fourth-grade
level.
• Among adults at the lowest level of literacy proficiency, 43% live in poverty.
• Among adults with strong literacy skills, only 4% live in poverty
• An adult without a high school diploma earns 42% less than one with a
diploma.
• 40 million adults in the U.S. read and write at or below the fifth-grade level.
• Low literacy costs $73 billion per year in terms of direct health care costs. This is
equal to the amount Medicare pays for physician services, dental services,
home health care, drugs, and nursing home care combined.
• Those who cannot read at grade level by the start of fourth grade are four
times more likely to drop out of high school.
Just Read
All reading formats are beneficial and the type of format that you
choose isn’t as important as the decision TO READ. Libraries utilize current
technologies to allow you to read a variety of formats using your library
card. Some reading options (in addition to printed materials) available at
the Carthage-Leake County Public library are:
• E-books (Hoopla and Cloud Library)
Audio books (CD, Play Away, Hoopla, and Cloud library) Movies (DVD,
Hoopla)
• Audio books (CD, Play Away, Hoopla, and Cloud library)
• Movies (DVD, Hoopla)
• Music (CD, Hoopla)
Nancy Cain, librarian at the
Carthage-Leake County Public library
I am an avid reader and proponent of the importance of reading.
Reading should be started early. Children who are read to at a
young age are more likely to become lifelong readers. It’s also
important for children to see adults reading, it encourages them to
read.
I can be reached at nancy.cain@usm.edu with any questions or
comments. To see some of the books that I am reading follow my
blog at https://nancycain.wixsite.com/happilyeverreading