As a child, one of the biggest highlights of the new school year was going to the annual book fair set up in our small elementary school library, where I eagerly scanned the tables in search of the one special book that most struck my six-year-old fancy. In retrospect, it’s clear that events like these largely contributed to what would become a lifelong love of reading.
As electronic publishing continues to increase, what effect will this have on traditional book fairs, like those I remember so fondly? In all honesty, I just can’t imagine my childhood experience having been reduced to merely sitting at a computer screen and clicking through a long list of titles, without the joy of actually feeling each book in my hands as I passionately debated the literary merits of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.
Have book fairs played a role in your life, whether as a child or as an adult? Do you see e-publishing as a threat to these types of events?
(Graphic Credit: National Book Festival)
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