Snippets
December 6th, 2005“If we approach the written word primarily through search-and-seizure rather than sustained encounter-and-contemplation, we risk losing a critical element of what it means to be an educated, literate society.”
I’ve had this article in my drafts pile for a few weeks now and just got around to reading it. For those who are embedded in this Google Book Search discussion (whether it’s good or bad for literacy), reading this article will be worthwhile.
The author, Naomi Baron, argues that being able to search for small snippets of books (actually, searching for anything) takes away from the full piece that is most likely worth reading. She states:
“Today’s snippet literacy efficiently keeps us on the straight and narrow path, with little opportunity for fortuitous side trips.”
While I don’t have a full verdict on Google Book Search (I actually think it might be a good thing, having book content available at our fingertips), there is something to say about lovely side trips. In fact, most of my favorite books that I have read over the years have been those that I happened across while looking for something completely different (This happened to me at the Strand Annex the other day).
There needs to be a balance. While Google is trying to index the world’s content (don’t be fooled: they are and they admit it), I think we need to get beyond that and think about how we can instill the love of literature and books in our children. I want Hallie to be able to search an entire library of books online, but I also want her to appreciate cuddling up under a warm blanket, with a cup of hot chocolate, and a book in her hands.
Interestingly, a blog post in the Washington Monthly about the article brought up different issues:
“It’s not just that I spend less time reading books, it’s that I find my mind wandering when I do read. After a few paragraphs, or maybe a page or two, I’ll run into a sentence that suddenly reminds me of something — and then spend the next minute staring into space thinking of something entirely unrelated to the book at hand. Eventually I snap back, but obviously this behavior reduces both my reading rate and my reading comprehension.”
“Is this really because of blogging? I don’t know for sure, but it feels like it’s related to blogging, and it’s a real problem. As wonderful as blogs, magazines, and newspapers are, there’s simply no way to really learn about a subject except by reading a book — and the less I do that, the less I understand about the broader, deeper issues that go beyond merely the outrage of the day.”
There are 146 comments on the post so it is definitely an important topic. Again, by reading pieces and portions of material (just like I’ve done here, snipping pieces from posts who have snipped pieces from other posts) may actually cause us to lose focus on the tasks at hand. On the other hand, many people get distracted when reading books, which are “better for us”.
So, is Google Book Search going to make us less attentive to longer pieces of the written word? I’m not sure we can blame Google for this, as this has been part of our educational system for a long time (your library carries Cliffs Notes, right?), but it surely won’t help. Then again, I still think that we need continuously instill a love for literature and go beyond whatever Google or Cliffs has done or will do. I’ve said the following to my a colleague for the past 2 years: Don’t let Google kill you.
Reading books is too important for that to happen.