books and research

Well, I'm done packing and moving. Now I'm unpacking and preparing to move again. I'm only posting while taking a brunch break, and to talk about two different book things.

First, I've started keeping track of my books through an online database designed for that purpose. I can search by the book, instead of having to type in all the various publisher info myself. I can add my own tags, my own private notes about the book, and keep track of what I've read, what I'm reading, and what I plan to read. It also (although I haven't done this yet) allows you to share your database with others, so they can see what you have. If you keep your list up-to-date, it can be used to check gift purchases. The best part, though, (and yes, I know many of my readership don't have Portable Internet-Enabled Devices (Pieds?)) is that I can look up my list online on my phone when I'm out and about.

Second, the booklist for the fall is out, and I have done extensive pricing research. My bookstore on campus has closed and as a result, the school has gone with an online seller which is advertised as giving a discount, giving a portion of the proceeds to the seminary, being able to sell back your books at the end of the year, and being able to . They also rent books. Renting would make sense for a college, but we hardly ever use textbooks as you would think of them: the big, bulky, overly priced books that you would hardly ever use again. We use mostly trade paperback-sized books, and a few hardcovers. And I always keep my books, and discovered during internship that I reference them often.
I have done the pricing research and discovered that between Amazon, B&N, Kindle, Nook, and the online store the school endorses, the last is the most expensive, ranging from $32 to $116 more expensive. There's lots more math, but the bottom line is that I'm going with a Kindle for next year. Although I will miss being able to put the books on my account, the amount saved from the recommended retailer to the Kindle is actually enough to cover the cost of the Kindle itself. Only three of the books don't have Kindle versions. (And 7 I already own.) That means I'm going from having to handle/carry/deal with 24 books for the semester, to having one Kindle and 10 books

I am taking a class next year that is all about the history and progress of publishing. It's taught by our wonderful librarian, and includes classes in the rare book room of the library. I can't imagine his face (and discourse) when I show up to a class about the historical significances of the development of the printing press and further publishing technology, with nearly all my books on an ereader. It's going to be awesome.

(I am also, for myself, that class, and my paternal other (who is studying educational technology), going to document the process of moving to the Kindle for school. The research phase, learning to use it, pros and cons of studying and using it in class, and so on. I'm hoping that in the second semester I'll be able to increase my Kindle-to-paper percentage to be even better than its current 58%.)