E-books could spell the end for paperbacks

HAVE you got an e-reader? E-books may overtake paper books in the near future. Recent events and figures indicate paperback books are disappearing.

Research in China suggests that between 2001 and 2011, about half of the country’s bookstores closed down. This phenomenon is global. Even the largest book retailer in the United States (美國) will shut down one third of its bookstores over the next decade.

This is happening because people’s reading habits are changing. About one in every five people over 16 in the US are reading using e-readers, according to a study by Pew Research Centre. Microsoft founder Bill Gates also predicts e-books will be the norm and totally replace paper books in ten years.

As for Hong Kong, the Education Bureau has launched the e-Textbook Market Development Scheme. It encourages the use of e-textbooks as electronic learning has become a global trend in education.