More And More People Prefer To Read eBooks Rather Than Paper Books | Band 9 IELTS Essay Sample

More and more people prefer to read e-books rather than paper books. What are the reasons for this? What problems can this cause for libraries?   

Here is a band 9 IELTS essay on this topic? Need help with IELTS writing? https://www.ielts-practice.org/writing-correction-service/Get your IELTS essays, letters and reports corrected by me.

Band 9 IELTS essay sample

Nowadays, eBooks are replacing paper books. This is mainly because they are cheaper and more eco-friendly than printed books. On the flip side, the growing popularity of eBooks is threatening the very existence of libraries.

eBooks are becoming popular because they are a lot less expensive than paper books. A lot of them can also be downloaded for free. Another reason for their popularity is their eco-friendliness. Their production does not require paper and hence they do not harm the environment. Consequently, many people now prefer eBooks to paper books. The fact that they do not occupy physical space is another factor attracting readers. Also, unlike printed books, eBooks can be updated any time. As a result, when facts change or new information arrives, eBook publishers can instantly launch a revised version. In the case of paper books, readers have to wait for a new edition to arrive and this may take years. eBooks also possess other features like the option to increase font size or highlight text. They are highly portable too. Thousands of eBooks can be stored on a handheld device like a tablet or smart phone.

On the downside, the huge popularity of eBooks has raised questions about the need to maintain libraries. Traditionally, libraries used to be the place to keep a huge collection of authoritative books. They attracted regular readers and scholars alike. Now information on just about anything is available online and hence many libraries have lost a large number of visitors. Many of them have already shut down or are facing huge losses. In this scenario, in order to stay relevant, libraries have to invest in advanced technology and replace books with computers or eBook readers. This, of course, depends on the availability of funding and those libraries that cannot do this will soon go out of business.

In short, the rising popularity of electronic books can be attributed to their cost efficiency, portability and eco-friendliness. Unfortunately, they are posing a threat to the existence of libraries.

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Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.