There is something great to say about the advances in technology that we have today, and the convenience of being able to write down a thought without having to find a notebook or the pens that always seem to disappear into the couch. It's fast, easy, and it saves a lot of paper. It is undeniable that without having to write essays on paper, and with the growing popularity of online classes, there are a lot of trees being saved. The positive impact on the environment is a great thing, but what about the experience of cracking open a new book?

When I was a kid, there was nothing I enjoyed more than spending hours at the local library. I would pick out as many books as I could carry from the children's section and beg my mom to rent them for me, always with a pout on my face if I didn't get my way. However, my favorite part of the library was going into the adult section and flipping through old stories that I couldn't even read. The flipping book fanned the dusty smell of ancient pages into my face and I would try to make sense of the impossible words. Today, it seems like everyone has a Kindle or Nook to build up their electronic library. I may be old fashioned, but I love tradition. There seems to be no value to paper books for most people, but I think that this attitude is a loss of a beautiful art.

A book is irreplaceable--a magical world to disappear into for a day, a journey to take over a week, or maybe just a few minutes of therapy in a few perfectly worded sentences. The electronic library doesn't have the same personality and grandness as a library full of shelves. Paper books tell a story on their own, one of what influences their owner, where they have traveled through life, and with which characters by their side.

The convenience of a Kindle is not lost on me, but I think there is a beauty in the disappearing art of paper, whether you bend your pages, doggy-ear the corners, or collect first editions.