How Accessible is Your Book?

I like to read on my commute.  As a sensory scholar invested in studying tactility I usually do most of my reading with physical books and not with an eReader. There are times where I will download a book onto iBooks but my preference for commutes remains the “old school” soft or hardcover book. This preference often comes into play when I am deciding the order that I will read books in any one week. For example, smaller books become part of my weekly commute, but a book that is the same weight and dimensions as a textbook, usually will be left for the weekend when I can read it at a desk or in a bigger comfy chair. Let’s be honest, it is a lot easier to read a paperback in a crowded subway than a large physical chemistry textbook.

I was reading just such a textbook-sized book this weekend and it caused me to pause and reflect on book accessibility and publishing. I wonder if publishers and authors alike think about how physically accessible a book will be when they are negotiating publishing contracts? I know that when I am writing a book review, the materiality of the book is often something that I will comment on in the review, especially if there is an interesting book jacket or if the book has an exciting publishing detail. Yes more and more we are seeing alternative means of representation of texts using ePub and pdfs but I am speaking more about holding and reading, the tangibility of a paper book. If there are editorial choices made to add more white space to help reading that is wonderful, but a fine balance needs to be drawn if the use of excessive white space then adds 100 pages to the book or even causes the publication size to go from 6x9 to something like 8x10 or 11x13.

These larger books are more difficult to hold while reading, they are heavier to carry, and they often make it more difficult to take notes on the fly as you are reading. As we strive for a more accessible environment that is also sustainable I would be curious if changes in book sizes is a conversation that is being had in the publishing industry. As educational spaces move more towards the use of reviewed and credible open educational resources (OERs) the opportunity for a discussion of accessibility in terms of the materiality of a book may become scarce.  However, if there is a desire to make physical books part of future information and content distribution, accessibility is a necessary discussion point. As well, the need to have these books as part of carefully curated resource libraries means that storage and space are essential aspects to curation and access.

So this week’s question is: do you think about the materiality of the books you are reading? Do you think about the accessibility of a book when you are making book decisions? Does the space where you are going to read a book dictate the books you select?  Let me know!