Thoughts, writing & snippets

Marguerite Koole, PhD

Using an E-Reader to Manage Your PhD Reading

mkoole, · Categories: PhD Studies, Research · Tags: , ,

I recently went on vacation. The thought of leaving my library behind was creating stress. I knew that I needed to take a break, but the compulsion to make sure I had some reading just in case the mood would strike was compelling. So, I decided to purchase an e-reader and load my entire electronic library. It took me one, full day to complete this task.

Reading the Sony E-ReaderI wanted an e-reader that would allow me to

 

Enlisting the help of my e-reader-owning friends and my husband, I searched the Internet for the “perfect” e-reader. Then, I went to local shops and tried them out. I was seduced by the very small, 5-inch Sony Reader. But, I found that the screen was just a touch too small for the kind of interaction that I wanted to have with the device. It felt like I was moving towards the tiny real estate of a smart phone. I tried the Kobo, the Alurateck Libre, and some others. One last effort took me to a nearby Sony Store. They only had one kind of reader in stock, but, it seemed to match my needs. This model (PRS-T1) had just arrived in the store two weeks prior to my arrival. And, it had wifi which was not on my list, but could be a nice addition.

Now, I have found that I do, indeed, like the e-Reader. And, here are my reasons:

 

Things that I would like to see improved:

 

I really am starting to like reading this way. And, I cannot emphasize how much I love being able to carry around my PhD-study library. I will add more pros and cons as I think of them.

 

2 Responses to “Using an E-Reader to Manage Your PhD Reading”

  1. Ashley says:

    I also recently purchased an e-reader, and I love it for work reading. In the past, I have used binders full of painstakingly printed, organized, and annotated journal articles, which I would have to lug around if I needed them. That’s not very practical, though, because I split my time between two offices. Also, what do you do if you need to work while traveling to conferences, etc? Argh. The e-reader has made my life immensely easier and easier to pack. The model I own is heavier than a standard book, but it’s much lighter than carrying binders plus books every day. I also find it much easier to search for annotations with the e-reader. If I was using printed articles, I would have to remember exactly where the quote or note is – thankfully, I don’t with the e-reader.

    I do wish that my model had better readability in sunlight, but I’ll take the color screen as a decent tradeoff.

    • em says:

      Hi Ashley,

      Thanks for the comments. I’m still struggling a bit with some of the limitations, but I completely agree with your comments. It’s great to slip a huge part of my library into my purse and access it whenever I feel like it. Also, the e-readers take little if any time to boot up. Just click a button and you’re back at the page where you left off. With a laptop, you’d miss your stop on the metro before you can even see the desktop!

      Cheers,
      Marguerite

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