Staplers have been around for a long time. Their purpose is to pierce and clip papers together. The design of the stapler has changed a little, and the staple itself really hasn’t changed at all. It is still a piece of metal that punctures papers, then folds under to secure.
Clocks remain the same. There has been one big change to the clock display – the digital face born last century – but the original idea ultimately remains the same, and continues to endure.
A lot of things maintain their original attributes – cars have largely retained their original design: motor, seating space for passengers, wheels to ride on and a steering device. Home design has withstood the test of time; they still suit our needs best with appointed rooms for different tasks.
Books haven’t changed, either. What?, you say, what about ebooks that you read on a device? Well, think about it, the book is still read, one virtual page at a time, with “turned” pages, and chapter units. The reading device mimics the tangible original in all aspects except physical makeup – one is electronically delivered in an operating system, the other is made of substance, with real paper pages and ink.
These ideas endure because they work. They fit into our lives. They make sense. Things that possess these properties will withstand improvements, modernizations, revisions.
Books are books, no matter how they materialize, and a good read will always prevail regardless of how it is accessed.
Caroline Poppendeck, Librarian
CCLD, Horseheads