Books in 2025: The Future of the Book World

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Check out the blog post announcing the group.

Some questions:

  • How will ebooks change reading? Has it changed your reading?
  • How fast will ebooks rise, and how high will they go? Is the paper book dead?
  • Where is social reading going? What's core and what's fad?
  • Will sites like LibraryThing continue to exist, or will ereaders leverage their advantages to make book discussion a platform-dependent activity?
  • Will libraries contract or prosper in an ebook world? What can they do to make sure things turn out right?
  • How will ebooks change the world for publishers?
  • Will writers see increased opportunities--or be decimated by piracy? How will ebooks change literature?
  • Are physical bookstores doomed?
  • What about the rest of the book world--small and informal libraries, agents, rare books, small presses, book reviewers, etc.?
  • Amazon, B&N, Apple... How many will win, and how will they evolve?


Group image by Javier Candeira, released under CC-Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (see on Flickr).

TopicTopicMessagesLast Message 
More digitized books2 unread / 2elenchus, September 2019
ALA Petition against eBook Embargo for Libraries1 unread / 1elenchus, September 2019
U.S. Public Library as Social Infrastructure1 unread / 1elenchus, February 2019
GoodReads versus Amazon's Seattle Store1 unread / 1elenchus, December 2015
Article: New Yorker long-form on Amazon and Publishing1 unread / 1elenchus, February 2014
What will be lost with the closing of bookstores, and can LT replace it?37 unread / 37anglemark, January 2014
Crowd-sourced editing?2 unread / 2anglemark, January 2014
Stross on how readers will discover books in future4 unread / 4timspalding, October 2013
oyster (book streaming service)10 unread / 10grintoul, September 2013
Can Barnes and Noble be saved?23 unread / 23grintoul, September 2013
Amazon's Kindle Matchbook3 unread / 3bestem, September 2013
Segments Pressured By Ebooks15 unread / 15brightcopy, August 2013
ARTICLE: e-book design changes the way we read2 unread / 2Senserial, July 2013
Amazon to Launch Library Lending for Kindle Books63 unread / 63MDGentleReader, June 2013
Digital Public Library of America5 unread / 5lkernagh, April 2013
What is the value of a book?2 unread / 2skoobdo, March 2013
BookTV: Panel on Publishing1 unread / 1barney67, January 2013
University of Missouri Press closes4 unread / 4Proclus, August 2012
Open Stacks Mk II1 unread / 1elenchus, July 2012
The Viral Future5 unread / 5lkernagh, June 2012
Amazon's e-book rental thrust69 unread / 692wonderY, May 2012
Maruice Sendak's opinion of e-books2 unread / 2JBD1, May 2012
Harry Potter and the DRM Free Books (Now with DRM!)1 unread / 1brightcopy, March 2012
Apple is your co-author12 unread / 12brightcopy, January 2012
FREE Kindle eBook12 unread / 12JBD1, January 2012
And So It Begins- Free Devices6 unread / 6majkia, January 2012
Charlie's Diary Blog: Cutting their own throats3 unread / 3staffordcastle, December 2011
Libraries finally balk at e-book-- oh wait, it's the publisher. Never mind.7 unread / 7fdholt, November 2011
Kindle- Time Machine1 unread / 1VisibleGhost, November 2011
Publisher consolidations?6 unread / 6VisibleGhost, November 2011
The emperor's new books3 unread / 3brightcopy, November 2011
6 Reasons We're In Another 'Book-Burning' Period in History2 unread / 2elenchus, October 2011
Amazon, B&N, Neil Gaiman snit5 unread / 5southernbooklady, October 2011
Enhanced eBooks & BookApps (in Science) - livestream 9/201 unread / 1xkyzero, September 2011
ebook gift-giving3 unread / 3brightcopy, August 2011
A Folio Society for ebooks?21 unread / 21vy0123, August 2011
Should bookstores charge for events?3 unread / 3jjmcgaffey, June 2011
Google responds to Apple's 30% subscriptions with Google One Pass5 unread / 5timspalding, June 2011
The Future of the Book World...12 unread / 12anglemark, June 2011
Amazon jumps into publishing "with both feet"2 unread / 2_Zoe_, May 2011
Confessions of a book leech49 unread / 49bnielsen, April 2011
Tomes' time might be up at Newport Beach library9 unread / 9brightcopy, April 2011
Is the group image appropriate? Does symbolism matter?26 unread / 26tcgardner, March 2011
Scalzi's Bingo1 unread / 1Musereader, March 2011
Library-Friendly Designation6 unread / 62wonderY, March 2011
Anybody else sick of memoirs?2 unread / 2krolik, March 2011
The downward spiral of ownership and value87 unread / 87SimonW11, March 2011
Runner-up for group image?2 unread / 2staffordcastle, March 2011
Anomaly or case study of the future?2 unread / 2_Zoe_, March 2011
not looking good for libraries7 unread / 7SimonW11, February 2011
O'Reilly Radar Blog on Future Book Tools3 unread / 3TineOliver, February 2011
What happens to former owners?2 unread / 2SqueakyChu, February 2011
Apple rejects Sony Reader (more to the story)29 unread / 29felius, February 2011
eBooks and Piracy: A thought experiment143 unread / 143brightcopy, February 2011
anyone following the Ebook royalts article on the authors guild site?3 unread / 3SimonW11, February 2011
Social Reading1 unread / 1jenconnected, February 2011
ebook sales overtaking paperback1 unread / 1SimonW11, January 2011
Software which adds value to books8 unread / 82wonderY, January 2011
Will LibraryThing continue to exist?22 unread / 222wonderY, January 2011
Ebook buying Habits3 unread / 3majkia, December 2010
Does it matter if physical bookstores disappear?137 unread / 137DevourerOfBooks, December 2010
Reply to ChrisKubica on ebooks and entrepreneurialism25 unread / 25southernbooklady, December 2010
ereaders: is there such a thing as too much data?6 unread / 6anglemark, December 2010
Problems with Digital Archiving1 unread / 1barney67, December 2010
What's so great about indies?12 unread / 12SusieBookworm, December 2010
"Author Slams eBook Piracy, Son Outs Her As a Music Pirate"4 unread / 4majkia, December 2010
Google eBookstore, also Goodreads Integration7 unread / 7elbakerone, December 2010
Welcome to this group / Books in 2025?113 unread / 113jburlinson, December 2010
Books in 212511 unread / 11thorold, November 2010
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