According to Gass, books are more material than words on a screen and this helps to give them more meaning. While words on a screen disappear with just the click of a button, words in a physical book linger on their pages and the books usually outlive those who originally possess them and make their way to someone else. There is also something special about the look, feel, and smell that cannot be replicated by screen as well as the concept of ownership. Even while science community appears to be posting more and more information online, there is still much to be found in the library. There, people can wander books and found that which catches their eyes. They can sift through books and possibly find things more interesting than what they had been searching for before. Overall, even while some who claim to be “forward thinking” say that print is a thing of the past and that everything will become digital, Gass believes that the printed word will live on.
I bought my small sketchbook from the Blick on State St. about four years ago now. I had been wanting a nice one for awhile at the time and finally decided on a black Moleskine that would fit in my oversized purse without taking up too much room. It was perfect and I loved it, making sure that no harm came to my nice little sketchbook. Of course, I spilled coffee on it within the first week and had to scramble around to make sure it was not too badly damaged. I got lucky, it was hardly noticeable. About two years later, it was filled and no longer in near perfect condition. I’ve bought new sketchbooks since, of course, but I still remember my excitement when I finally filled it. It was the first sketchbook that I’d actually filled and not lost or forgotten about as I became distracted by another. Now, it has a small but noticeable rip in the spine and the pages are a little frayed as it sits tucked away somewhere only to be disturbed when I decide to go back and make faces at some of the terrible sketches that fill it.
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