Techie vs. Bookworm

My husband is a computer geek. Not a gamer or a software guy, he designs networks. But he is immersed in technology, constantly upgrading everything in our house. We own about four computers, three laptops, a server, router, switches, and all sorts of things I don't know about.

We also own a lot of books. That is where I come in. We discussed last night about whether or not the book will eventually be replaced completely by digital text. My argument was, am I really going to lug around an unwieldy device (computer) to read a novel, like on the beach or on the train, or at my son's baseball games (in the future, he is only 2 1/2)?

My techie husband's answer was yes. My laptop is portable, he says. This is coming from a man who admitted to me that he has never read a book for pleasure. I was not convinced.

He pointed out that I could have 5,000 books downloaded onto my laptop to peruse at my leisure. I pointed out that the laptop or mechanical book reader may get wet if I were laying by the fictional pool in our backyard.

The debate continued, and we never really did resolve anything, but we were able to come to the conclusion (and compromise) that things are definitely changing. Books will still be around, but their traditional uses will be altered. This experience got me thinking about my future as a librarian. Although my love of books is what lured me to the profession, the technology is what will get me through it. Although I have my doubts, if a marriage between a Techie and a Bookworm can exist, then I know I will able to make it work in my career as well.

As the years go by and more technology continues to advance, the likelihood that I will get my husband to read an actual, physical book made of paper is dwindling.

Just when I thought I had an "in," the Da Vinci Code became a movie.