Booked solid

Throughout his career, the English poet W.H. Auden held the belief that "some books are undeservedly forgotten; none are undeservedly remembered." \nAs history has shown, books are powerful forces. They can shape an individual's character, alter people's ideas and even start revolutions. \nFor junior English major Jack Greenwood, a good book can transport the reader to another world. "Good fiction and very good nonfiction ask you to forget what you've heard about everything," he said in an e-mail. \nBut does anyone have the time to read anymore? Maybe in kindergarten, being a literary connoisseur was possible, but aren't college students more likely to turn on the TV after a long day than to curl up with a big, hefty book? \nSenior English major Josh Garfinkel would say no. Although he points out that he doesn't spend all of his spare time perusing dusty, unwieldy tomes, he is a self-declared fan of good books and said, "Reading can be just as enjoyable as watching a movie." \nEnglish department chair and professor Stephen Watt concurred. Although today's fast-paced world might seem better suited to more passive media forms, such as the television and the Internet, Watt said that even in an extremely rushed environment like an international airport, one is likely to see busy travelers reading at a gate, taking a break from the chaos around them. The book as a form is hard to beat," Watt said.\nWendy Rubin, an adult services librarian who has worked at the Monroe County Public Library for 25 years, said she believes that books have a permanent place in today's world and will continue as a major media, partially because of their proven flexibility in being incorporated into new accessible forms. Those who have disabilities or simply face tight time restrictions can opt for a large print book or a book on tape or CD, Rubin said.\nIn addition, public libraries provide unprecedented access of such media to all those with a library card, a service that is free of charge. In fact, Rubin said the MCPL's circulation figures have skyrocketed lately, as more and more Bloomington residents of all ages take advantage of the resources available. In her experience, "there's something very calming about holding a book and interacting with it," she said. "It's an organic process."\nSo just what are people reading these days? \nSeven English majors responded to a mass e-mail seeking their recommended reading list and nearly all of those lists included "classic" novels, such as those that would be read in a survey of literature class. Authors such as Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Mark Twain and Walt Whitman appeared frequently, while William Shakespeare was present on nearly every one. English professor Scott Sanders, whose interests and specialties include history of the novel and creative writing, is among those who rated Shakespeare among his top must-reads. \n"Read these for the characters and tales, yes, but above all for the language, which seems to rise from the very springs of invention," Sanders said in an e-mail.\nStill, language is not the sole explanation for the prevalence of these classics in the hands of readers today. More than one of the students surveyed cited enduring themes as the main reasons for their decision to include many books among their lists of favorites.Christina Patterson, a junior majoring in English, selected William Golding's "Lord of the Flies" for its transcending morals. "(Lord of the Flies is) another classic that centers around the most important battle in everyone's life: the battle between good and evil," she said in an e-mail. \nNot only are classic novels still prevalent today, but modern books are as well, including self-help and children's books. As of Tuesday, all of the top 15 books on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction Best-Seller List were published within the last five years. Typically, books that top bestseller lists tend to be those most recently published or those with some sort of hype, like the opening of a related movie, surrounding them. For example, "Memoirs of a Geisha" and "The Chronicles of Narnia" have reappeared on bestseller lists.\nGarfinkel said mainstream America tends to pass over lesser-known authors with higher quality works, while Watt asserts that bestseller lists usually only contain works by American authors and are thus inaccurate reflections of the best literature current authors have to offer.\nRegardless of which books are topping sales charts, today's readers are able to explore the literary world and decide their personal literary preferences with great ease. An unprecedented amount of available resources flood the modern reader. For example, IU's library collection has more than 6.5 million books, more than 2 million microforms and 61,000 serial subscriptions, according to the IU Libraries 2004-2005 statistical report. \nWith such encouraging numbers prevailing and interest in the written word running high, Rubin is optimistic about the future of readership. \n"There is nothing more valuable (than books)," she said.