2012 is the National Year of Reading in Australia. It is also the 200th anniversary of the birth of one of the great English language writers, Charles Dickens. As I sat thinking about this interesting convergence, my gaze was naturally drawn to the wall of books that forms one side of our lounge room. I remembered by husband’s pride as he crafted this great bookshelf, capable of holding hundreds of volumes of literature and knowledge.
Staring at the bookshelf I had to ask myself a question... “why are we keeping all of this out dated technology, today’s equivalent of a vinyl record?” As I am the type of person who seldom, if ever, re-reads a book, even a great one, it seems an odd thing to do.  In fact I have in the past tried to sneak one or two of my husband’s ‘forgotten’ books out to the second hand shop and create some space, although within days he invariably has an urgent need for those very same books!
Ironically, one of our dreams when we moved to Australia was to own our own small book shop. That dream has given way to the sad and inevitable realities of commerce, but I am one of those diehard book fans who steadfastly refused to accept the electronic alternative. At the time it felt ‘right’ to have so many printed words close at hand, comforting even.
Then, last Christmas, my husband bought me a Kindle, and I am afraid that I haven’t looked back. When he bought an iPad a few months later, I was right behind him and when we next travelled it was as man and wife, iPad and iPad!
I struggle to remember the last time I physically visited a bookshop and purchased an actual book. My ‘iFriend’ is my daily to-do-list, diary, mind map, satnav, recipe book, tutorial on anything I can think of (yesterday how to make a button hole on my sewing machine), calculator, online games with friends, email, skype, tv, radio, translator, magazine and, yes, my ‘library’. I have 6 books on the go at the moment, many more ‘piled up’ waiting to be read and more still waiting to be reviewed and added.
Shame, shame, I hear you cry. Charles Dickens would be horrified! But would he really?
Dickens wrote for the masses. His stories were serialised in newspapers so that more people could access them. Until recently the high cost of printed books, particularly in Australia, was a limiting factor for readers, particularly young readers. Now words are again freely available to everyone for a much lower cost. Surely this is a good thing?
I still have access to Dickens stories, in fact greater access, and I still love his language. Reading in the digital age doesn’t change this. And strange though it may seem, even to me, I no longer feel that I need to hold a physical book and turn paper pages to have that connection with the English language. Of course, this is a whole different ball game to my absolute refusal to do online grocery shopping - I still need to feel the fruit in my hands before buying!
So what does all this mean to my students coming through the Centre? Teenagers seem to be reading less and less (unless you count Facebook!). My advice to new mothers has always been to read, read, read to your child from birth! I still believe that this is critically important, but we also have to recognise that things have changed. Everything from news to entertainment is delivered at a faster pace, and this generation of children is growing up IT literate and capable of a level of multi-tasking that simply wasn’t necessary for previous generations.
Universities are switching to iPads for all course materials, including reference books, and primary schools are heading the same way. Kip McGrath has invested heavily in new technology, and this will include iPads. Leaving aside the romance of the printed word, this is an opportunity to connect with students in a way that has not been possible before; more accessible, lower cost, easily upgradeable, portable so that studies can take place at school, home or anywhere else. As an educator I am excited.
Of course, as a closet book lover and wife of a bookshelf builder, I will always have a soft spot for good old-fashioned books, so our wall of books is here to stay. At least until people start noticing that all our books are ‘pre-iPad’ that is…
On Saturday 28th August 2012 at 6.00 pm, families right across this wonderful nation of ours will take part in Reading Hour. It is a bit like Earth Hour, when we all turn off the lights to conserve power, but this hour is all about reading. How many, I wonder, will be reading digitally?
In this digital age, it has never been more important to learn to read from an early age. The students I have tutored recently are improving, and they are motivated to read. One in particular says that he can now play his Minecraft game with kids across the world. He can now take part where he couldn’t before. Is that progress?  Yes, I think so!