Reading between the lines

Virtual revolution
While die-hard fans of physical books wax lyrical about the tactile pleasures they afford, traditional books aren't likely to regain their pre-digital era popularity.

OverDrive is a global e-books distributor providing services to more than 81,000 libraries and schools in 106 countries.
"As we've seen in Hong Kong and throughout the world, the number of readers of all ages discovering and enjoying digital books continues to grow, and many new readers download e-books every day," notes Lisa Zhang, the company's regional manager for northeast Asia. "Borrowing from a public library and downloading a popular or educational e-book is very convenient. (They are) available 24/7, and can be read on mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktops."

Natasha Carter, library manager at Law Ting Pong Secondary School in Tai Po, says Hong Kong's public libraries are well equipped with e-books, thanks to generous funding from the government.

"I don't believe the pandemic has converted children to reading books in digital formats, but the latter does come with its advantages," she continues. "(E-books) are easily accessible, affordable and occupy less space."

Nonetheless, fans of physical books are not that hard to find even among digital natives. Avid readers Leanne Lo and Isabelle Lo of Quarry Bay School enjoy their visits to the library and say they prefer physical books to e-books. Chloe Chau from Diocesan Girls' School and Charmaine Chau from Christian Alliance International School also prefer physical books, though their trips to public libraries have been less frequent since the pandemic began.

Digital love
The decline in public library patronage can also be attributed to the growth of online sales. According to the International Publishers Association, 203,000 new books were published in China in 2018, with online book sales increasing by 27 percent while bookstore sales declined by 6.7 percent.

In Hong Kong, Shonee Mirchandani, owner-operator of Bookazine, a major local chain of bookstores, also reports a greater share of sales tending toward online: "Up until last year, we saw an upward trend for both online and offline, but definitely a sharper upward trend for online ."

The city's Public Libraries Advisory Committee contends that both e-books and physical books have their own distinct advantages that children could benefit from.

"It is important for children to maintain the love for physical books in a digital era," says a PLAC spokesperson. "Accessing e-books, audio books and multimedia learning material can boost a young person's reading skills, (especially since some of these come) with interactive features. On the other hand, cuddling up with a book together with a parent, or gathering around a teacher to listen to a story being read aloud helps foster a child's interest in reading and builds closer ties."

Scratch beneath the surface, and you will find Hong Kong's bibliophiles. While they may not be frequenting the city's public libraries in the same numbers as they did before the digital revolution, the SAR's keen readers are clearly responsible for HKPL's e-book collection having gained a dedicated following - a development that speaks volumes.