With our enhanced world full of technology, it’s no shock that other things are changing as well.  But nothing seems to be changing as rapidly and as significantly as school libraries. There are no longer sprawling libraries full of rows and rows of books from our elementary school days. Computer stations and tables have begun to take over our library, like ivy on an old building.

The new computer stations and workspaces are a great addition to our school because they give students a place to work on their computers, which are being used more and more. The new tables and comfortable chairs are a great place to hang out with your friends and read in after school. But all of these new improvements shouldn’t take away from our library space and the amount of books our library holds.

Though many students and reluctant readers prefer the e-book to a regular book and have no issues with the diminishing library, there are also many people who treasure the feel of picking up a book and flipping through the pages. They enjoy the feeling of running their fingers across the spines of a book and the sight of the amount of pages on the left increasing and the amount of pages on the right decreasing.

But it isn’t just the nostalgia factor that makes hard copy books better and the diminishing library size so frightening. The Guardian reported on an experiment from Norway where people were given a short story to read either on a Kindle or in a paperback book. When they were quizzed later, those who read the paperback were more likely to remember plot points in the right order.

Reading a hard copy book has positive effects on health and memory. It is said that reading an actual book before bed can help you sleep while reading an ebook can keep you awake much like a phone or other type of screen.

Whether you have a sentimental attraction to hard copy books, or you couldn’t care less, you can’t deny the changing library size, and the effects it has. The smaller libraries get, the less people are reading hard copy books, and reading a hard copy book has many good effects on our minds.