The Internet: Its Effects on Reading Habits, the Printed Book, and What It Means for Libraries

Abstract

This article discusses the impact of the internet on reading habits, on the position of the printed book, and on the future role of libraries in a digital environment. The available pages show that it addresses online browsing and purchasing, changing user behavior, the continued presence of the printed book despite the growth of networked media, and whether the internet represents a threat to libraries or an opportunity to redefine their services. The fragment also deals with issues such as the digital divide, access to information, the relationship between electronic books and printed books, lending services, and the library’s role in providing community information support.

The visible conclusion indicates that the internet is not a passing phenomenon and that its effects on reading and libraries will continue as patterns of access to knowledge and reader expectations change. However, this file does not contain the beginning of the article, its title page, or the author’s name, and its pages are arranged in reverse order, beginning with the conclusion and moving backward into earlier parts of the text. The present description must therefore remain provisional rather than final.