Now and then: Technology leads readers to turn the page

People read on Kindle e-readers at an e-reading coffee shop in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, on Sept 1, 2014. [Photo by Wang Luxian/asianewsphoto]

Pros and cons of e-reading

Traditionally, we have read paper books in libraries and bookstores, but the rise of e-books has expanded our reading options exponentially.

In 2013, the first bookless, all-digital public library was opened in San Antonio in the United States. The library provides patrons with e-readers and digital content rather than physical media.

Last year, a junior student from Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, opened a coffee shop that offers Kindles to attract young patrons who prefer this new mode of reading.

E-books have become more and more popular because digital materials are much cheaper, and can store greater content. Some e-readers also provide audio books which benefit visually-impaired readers.