Most book lovers in Australia would be aware of the closing of Borders Book stores and Angus and Robertson stores. I have read a number of articles in various newspapers and magazines about the current state of the bookselling and publishing industries, and the fear that the book industry is facing its worst threat yet, with online book sales and ebooks taking over. 
One of the most balanced articles on this topic was in the Weekend Australian recently, discussing the reasons behind the book store closures, and the positive side of the rise of Australian online bookstores. I also really enjoyed a piece in Bookseller and Publisher (see page 15), with author Max Barry describing how ebooks help you find your next good read and how the paper book and ebook can co-exist. Philip Adams also had a point in a recent column, that we love the old ways as well as the new. What do you think? Will the internet and ebooks be the death of the book (and libraries)?
Off the Shelf 
Those doomsayers have been predicting the end of the library since about 1995…it ain’t happening. We all know the library is about more than just books!! Bookshops, on the other hand…
Thanks for the article links. It would be great to see the TTGL hosting some events in this space, maybe a panel discussion or a debate…just in time for the National Year of Reading??
Yes, we certainly don’t think that Libraries will die, just continue to evolve and embrace the new technologies, along with access to the old. A discussion or debate around the issue is an interesting idea; perhaps the debate could continue in this forum in the meantime?
Next question for you, what do you think Libraries should be doing to move with the times?