Photo credit: Paul
Have you stopped marking-up dictionaries, saving how-to manuals, and turning the corners on reference books? Has the Kindle, Evernote, Instapaper, or even social networks changed the way you collect, annotate and archive reference material?
I’m a voracious reader, and although I continue to invest in non-fiction written on dead trees (Chris Brogan’s Trust Agents and Mitch Joel’s Six Pixels of Separation are on their way!), I’ve noticed that my stack of reference books – those resources I return to over and over again for formulas, diagrams, definitions, and templates – are no longer increasing at warp speed. I think my last reference purchase was the American Practical Navigator three years ago.
I continue to add to my collection of topographic maps (there is no way I’ll rely on electronics in the backcountry), but I can’t deny that the composition of my reference library has evolved over the past 18-months. Feed readers, web applications, social networks, and mobile devices have shifted my focus away from bound paper towards electronic documents and virtual connections. These new technologies and social networking opportunities have had the positive effect of facilitating rapid search and improving access to information. In addition, I’m no longer constrained by physical book shelves and storage bins.
I’ll still collect knot-tying books and travel guides, but I suspect these will also be replaced by their online equivalents.
Have new technologies and the widespread availability of digital content changed the composition of your reference library? What about audio books, video and camera phones? Is your social network your new reference library?
