Audio files, PDFs, hardbacks, paperbacks. How ever you buy or read them, books are everywhere. Once upon a time, access was limited, so we’re lucky to live in a world where the average person can travel 15 minutes to reach their closest bookshop. A few years ago, the same could probably be said for libraries (but that’s another issue). Regardless, literature is being consumed every minute of every day.
But, with an ever-growing way to interact with books, the ethics of buying them comes into question. For years, the argument of ‘paper waste’ has been used to deter the practice of buying new books, something to be considered frivolous. In defence of it, I would never argue books to be considered a waste of paper, but I understand the perspective. Second-hand bookshops and libraries offer the best alternatives (and certainly cheaper options), and even e-books (like a Kindle) also act as a great opportunity to ‘reduce paper waste’! At one point in my life, my Kindle was an extension of my arm, but alas it’s since been abandoned and gathering dust at the back of a bookshelf. And as we move into an increasingly digitised society, where the same rotating tech giants own our music, TV, and film, it seems important, now more than ever, to own physical copies of the products we buy. Afterall, there is nothing more immersive than holding literature in your hands.
Furthermore, where we buy the books from is equally as important. Amazon might be cheaper, but certainly controversial, and with the likes of Waterstones (or the more university focused alternative, Blackwell’s) and WHSmith constantly hiking up prices, it becomes increasingly limiting to buy books from both cheap and ethical places. Even independent bookstores (which certainly benefit from the sales more so than the big-name companies) almost double the prices of their books in order to keep up with hiking rents. As such, second-hand stores seem like the best way to buy ethically, but there is nothing that can replace the enticing smell of a new book, the shiny cover of an untouched hardback, and the crack of its spine.
Regardless, book buying remains an integral part of our society. We are born to feel everything passionately and all at once, and literature is our way of sharing that – take it away, and humanity loses its ability to communicate. As unethical, or ethical, as book buying might inherently be, the artistic contributions sharing literature provides our society with is worth so much more. The commercial aspect that puts the morality of the practice into question is just the downside of living in a capitalist world.
“Book Piles” by el dubb is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0