This slightly battered iPad cover was made back in 2011 to protect my newly purchased first generation iPad. The Etch-a-Sketch design was a nod to the past – old and new brought together. Perhaps it also says something of my thoughts and attitudes towards literature in both its printed and digital forms.
Despite being an earlier adopter of iPad technology, my knowledge of digital literature has not kept up with the many changes that have taken place over the past decade. I embraced library e-books for their portability and easy access, especially to ward of those catastrophic moments when a good book was about to end and there was nothing else to take its place. Print was still an enjoyable way to read and I switched between the two formats for personal reading, although reading with the children was always from a print book.
As I approach this subject I realise that much has changed in the world of digital texts and that digital literature does not have a neat definition. Prieto (2015 ) works through various researchers contributions and finds some common ground in the idea that works are produced for a coded environment, rather than being transformed for this space, contain features unique to the digital world, and are interactive with aspects similar to gaming. Digital literature exists across a range of different platforms and this has raised concerns by educators who are concerned that decisions about appropriate content may be influenced by “platformization” as a few large corporations gain a large market share and it becomes necessary for teachers/consumers to go with the provider they know rather than branching out (Nichols & LeBlance, 2020). This seems similar to debates about diversity in young peoples literature, with software companies replacing publishers in this instance.
Access to traditional e-books for all ages is a considered an important part of the collection at the public library where I work, however I found that most of the digital texts used as examples by Yokota and Teale (2014) in Picture books and the digital world were only available through iTunes. Having made the career transition from social work to librarianship I have always valued library as a social place, which amongst other things promotes free access to information and reading material which is easily accessible to the majority of the population. Whilst not naïve enough to realise that fines, the Dewey system, the institutional nature of libraries, etc., can all be an impediment – the underlying notion of libraries as a free service for the whole community has always held great appeal. It is not clear whether all forms of digital literature will be made available to all people.
My concerns around electronic literature have been based on the assumption that marginalised communities will find the need for devices, internet access and digital know-how yet a further disincentive towards reading and the benefits that reading brings. Much has already been written about the digital divide with the current pandemic further highlighting this important issue. However, statistics for the Sutherland Shire where I work indicates that 85% of the population have internet access and that household income is higher than the greater Sydney average (Profile ID, 2020). These figures would seem to indicate that residents do potentially have the means of accessing electronic literature and that the public library can have a role in promoting understanding and access to these resources in a way that helps residents embrace the benefits. It is possible that my own background in working with disadvantaged groups could have been unreasonably influencing my attitudes towards digital literature and I am keen to learn more about how this emerging area of literacy could be embraced by public libraries.
In keeping an open mind I am also aware that some of the benefits of digital texts could also produce problems for some readers. The interactive nature can allow exploration of ideas and related concepts but this non-linear approach could also lead to distraction. Jabr (2013 ) raises the question of whether digital texts are impeding our ability to pay attention and think deeply about what we are reading. This is an important question and leads us to consider that reading is not a static concept but has different purposes at different times.
Yokota and Teale (2014, p. 580) provide helpful criteria that can be used to evaluate digital picture books and their appropriateness for a given situation. 1 . Is the story appropriately presented in digital format? 2 . Does the story take appropriate advantage of features the digital world allows, beyond what is possible in print? 3 . Do the interactive features maintain the integrity of the main story? 4 . Do any supplementary features align with the story? 5 . Do the features make sense in terms of how children learn to read and learn in general?
These criteria will provide a helpful framework for evaluating digital picture books as well as other types of digital texts.
Some final thoughts are as follows.
Some of my ambivalence towards embracing digital literature is the potential requirement signing up for yet another account and creating a password. There is no official term for fear of forgetting passwords but I believe there should be.
I learned that Kindle books can be loaned out once.
I learned that only selected Kindle books can be loaned out once.
I learned that none of the Kindle books I own can be loaned out.
References
Jabr. F. (2013, April 11). The reading brain in the digital age: The science of paper versus screens. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/
Nichols, T.P., & LeBlanc, R.J. (2020). Beyond Apps: Digital Literacies in a Platform Society. The Reading Teacher, 74( 1), 103– 109. https://doi-org.ezproxy.csu.edu.au/10.1002/trtr.1926
Prieto, L. (2015). Common Places in Children’s E-Lit. In Manresa, M., & Real, N. (Eds.). (2015). Digital literature for children : Texts, readers and educational practices. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Profile.id. (2020). Sutherland Shire Council: Community Profile. Retrieved from https://profile.id.com.au/sutherland
Yokota, J. & Teale, W. H. (2014). Picture books and the digital world: educators making informed choices. The Reading Teacher, 34(6). Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/3886534/Picture_Books_and_the_Digital_World_Educators_ Making_Informed_Choices
Thanks for sharing, Jo, and I think you’ve found a much needed word: Signumphobia I think might be the fear of passwords so need something to add the forget in there. (: