As I read this section of Franklin, I was wondering about this association with libraries and knowledge. In an age where everything you could want to know can be typed in Wikipedia and gleaned (to an arguably accurate extent), can books really represent knowledge – or do we simply romanticize the book object itself, whereas knowledge is not limited to or solely represented in the book. I believe there will always be enthusiasts, I for example, am probably the only one of us who still buys CDs, because I like the artwork and having them in my car and listening to the album rather than the song and being able to lend them out. Some may argue a kindle would be a more practical form of obtaining knowledge from literature and periodicals (and I can testify they are certainly more practical on the elliptical/treadmill). But there is a lot to be said about having an actual space to go to, where knowledge can be explored tactically, where massive texts can be held in one’s hands, and treated with a reverence unique to a singular book rather than an open desktop window experience. I wonder if that iconic image of a child staying up late, sneaking a flashlight under their blanket to read, is not extinct (more likely to sneak downstairs and play xbox).
I loved the image of Franklin feverishly educating himself until the morning light, something only a handful of books have inspired me to do. “I sat up in my room reading the greatest Part of the Night, when the book was borrow’d in the Evening and to be return’d in the Morning, lest it should be missed of want’d.” (59) Franklin advocates the purchase of books throughout our text. Not only did Franklin create a lending library, and personally devoured books, he also built his career around the idea of physically passing knowledge – the newspaper – rather than simply oral communication, which was how news or ideas were often spread. With the sudden closing of Borders nationwide, I wonder if books are going the way of cd’s or vinyls. I hope not, as I still prefer a worn down, written in, dropped in the bathtub paperback, but I wonder what you guys think? Have the Internet and devices like kindles and online textbooks made physical books obsolete?
