Beyond Prophecies: The Printed Book Survives

S. Gopalakrishnan; M. Prabakaran; P. Ramkumar

doi:10.51983/ajist-2013.3.1.2606

Authors

S. Gopalakrishnan Librarian, Velammal College of Engineering & Technology, Madurai – 625009, Tamil Nadu, India
M. Prabakaran Librarian, Vivekananada College, Thiruvedagam West – 625234, Tamil Nadu, India
P. Ramkumar Asst. Librarian, AMET University, Chennai – 603112, Tamil Nadu, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51983/ajist-2013.3.1.2606

Keywords:

Libraries future Future book Print vs digital Paperless society

Abstract

In 1948, Vannever Bush gave initial thoughts towards the concept of a public memory in the form of memex – a device named by him for the storage of library documents. In 1965, Licklider continued the thread given by Bush and discussed the concept of networked information environment. The advent of digital documents made many over imagine a situation that may substitute the printed books. Many came out with speculations about the future of libraries which were exclusively dealing with printed books till 1960s. Future of libraries then was discussed in the context of print and paper. All such speculations fixed a deadline for the extinction of the printed book and the advent of a paperless society. In 1978, Lancaster in his paper fixed 1989 – a period of 20 years from his date of prophecy for the death of the book and the maturity of a paperless society. What happened to the prophecies? This paper provides an overview of all such speculations and an answer in view of the real life situation in library environment.

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