We hear it everywhere. Books are disappearing; the digital era is here; we don’t need books any more; print is old-fashioned. In Texas, the world’s first ‘bookless’ library is set to open. They will rent out e-readers and provide e-books for anyone who cares to stare at a screen instead of flipping through the pages of a physical, printed book. You’ll hear that this is the future – digital books. But is this true? Could we really be moving towards an age where printed books are antiques? Many people don’t think so.

Sean McHugh admits in his article that he’s hopelessly addicted to books. He might not even end up reading all the books he buys – it’s just enough to buy them. There’s something special about libraries and bookstores, he explains. Sure, the Internet makes research easier. But in many ways, it can’t match up to the authority that a printed book holds. A book, once it has been published, won’t change. It will be around for years. The internet is constantly changing as people update and add information. E-books aren’t the future. They’re a new medium, certainly. They’re a new way to experience books. However, we will always have printed books. The future is already here.

What is it about books that makes them so special? You can download an ebook, sure, but it’s not the same as purchasing a book that you can hold and smell. It might not even be one that you’ll ever read. As Sean McHugh explains in his article, he might not even end up reading the book – it’s enough just to buy it.

In Texas, Judge Nelson Wolff is making an effort to introduce the world’s first public library – without books. Instead, the library will be completely digital. No paper, no library scent, no sounds of flipping pages – just the clacking of a keyboard and the occasional cough or two. Could this really be the future of libraries? Read Beth Buczynski’s article and decide for yourself.

Surprisingly, a study has concluded that remembering Facebook updates is a lot easier than remembering sentences from books. Scientists took anonymous Facebook updates, random sentences from books, and pictures of people’s faces, and then performed an experiment using this information: which one do people remember better? Read about the results in this article on Huffington Post.

Dick Wolf started out as a TV writer. His famous ‘Law & Order’ franchise kept people coming back for more. When Dick Wolf wrote his book, he tried to do the exact same thing. He explains about the differences between TV writing and book writing – and what he had the most trouble with throughout the switch – in this article by John Jurgensen.

The first month of 2013 is almost ended, and, surprisingly, printed books haven’t vanished. We’re still seeing a love of books, book adaptations, and writing. In this cycle, we talked about the rising popularity of book rentals, the most anticipated book adaptations, and some kindergarteners with style.

• Ebooks haven’t taken over the market yet. We hear that more people are using ebooks, that printed book sales are declining, that we’re seeing the end of print; but what do the numbers actually say? Nicholas Carr writes that the digital is just a new format – not a replacement.
• What do wineries, bookstores, and health clubs across Sonoma County have to do with each other? They all sell books written by local authors! Diane Peterson talks about one woman’s mission to help authors and encourage reading in her town.
• What are the most anticipated book adaptations in 2013? From Beautiful Creatures to Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, Gabe Habash reviews the hype.
• A new books rental program from Amazon is in its testing phase. Read about what’s right and what’s wrong with Amazon’s new Kindle renting program.
• We wouldn’t have books without the authors who write them. These kindergarteners are learning to appreciate those authors and the books that they write after penning their own book.
• Amazon has started a new program that allows readers to simply rent instead of buy a book. As rentals become more popular, it’s no surprise that Amazon is trying to get in on the market. However, there are a couple of flaws with their program that you won’t find in printed book rental programs like BooksFree.

As books grow more expensive, rentals are becoming more and more popular. After all, once you’ve read a book, you’re finished with it (unless you’re like me, with a compulsive re-reading disorder). Renting books is just cheaper. Plus, if you’re a hoarder – as in, the library and your house have been mistaken for each other – renting books saves space. Amazon realizes this, and they’re introducing a new option for their books: renting with the Kindle. This plan is still in its prototype form, and it definitely needs some work, but it’s a sign of how popular rentals are becoming.

Amazon’s program has a couple of kinks to work out. Not only are they only renting digital copies of their books, they also charge the renter money depending on how long the book is rented. A digital copy is nothing like the feel of a solid book in your hands or the smell of a new book’s pages. And with the pay-per-loan length, Amazon isn’t giving renters a good value. BooksFree is a book rental company that rents real books, charging only a fee for membership. And if you’ve been lucky enough to receive (or even give!) BooksFree’s new gift membership, then you know how a book rental should be done. Instead of buying a book for someone, consider giving them access to thousands of books – books they can hold and touch and feel.

Usually, we’re learning to read at the age that these kindergarteners are. However, these remarkable 5- and 6-year-olds are learning to write – and have even published a couple of books. These books about kindness were a joint effort by two kindergarten classes in the Judge Oscar De La Fuente Elementary School, according to this article by Francisco E. Jimenez.