And the voltage grows...

Reports from the American Book-Expo confirm the growing influence of electronic books are having on the publishing industry. Although e-books are a small proportion of the market now (only one to three percent of sales) they are a growing presence in the market. Will more book buyers shift to the electronic versions or will e-books always be a minority niche-market for people who commute on trains or travel on planes? That's the question publishers and authors are asking. Those of us who are primarily concerned with young people's reading have an even narrower focus. It seems inevitable that many textbooks will shift to electronic format (California is certainly moving in that direction) but will this shift affect recreational readers too? Will children who have studied science and history on screens want to read about vampires and superheroes in the same format? Librarians who see children on a day-to-day basis will need to watch closely to see what the trends are in their libraries, schools and neighborhoods.