Poll #6: Books

I've been more and more curious about the proliferation of e-readers and e-books as I do two things: look into publishing an e-book, and contemplate buying an e-reader (well, an iPad). I've been planning to purchase an iPad for a while. In anticipation, I downloaded the Kindle app for my iMac and bought my first e-book. The experience of reading it on my desktop was not very pleasant, but it was pretty amazing to browse, purchase, and have a book instantly downloaded from the comfort of my desk chair. I wanted to know how most of my readers currently get their books. Here are the results of the poll:

The two books I'm currently reading for my book clubs.

50% said they get their books from the library, just like me. I rarely buy a physical book, and I have about four books out from the library at all times, both fiction and nonfiction. The library has a fabulous selection, you can order books online and pick them up when available at your local branch, the cost is free, and it's also a clutter-free option.

25% said they read e-books. That's quite a high percentage, I think, and I also think that's the way that we're headed. As more and more devices are available, the advantages and ubiquity will convert a lot of people over to e-books, especially as the younger, tech-savvy generations get older. We'll always have paper books, but e-books have lots of things going for them, from speed and price to not taking up shelf space.

12% said they borrow from friends or buy them from a traditional brick-and-mortar bookstore. No one responded that they bought their books online. I love to go to bookstores, and I do trade-ins at used bookstores all the time, which is a wash for me in terms of clutter. However, I rarely buy books new at bookstores. Instead, I get ideas for books I might be interested in, make notes and then order them from the library.

Thanks for participating in the poll and check out the new one!

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com. Sign up for Lelah's News, a once-monthly newsletter.