IKEA Sees Death of Print, Changes Bookshelves

Not IKEA, just a bookshelf

IKEA is changing the design of their BILLY bookshelf to incorporate deeper shelves and possibly glass doors for decorative item show space.  The LA Times sees this as IKEA noticing the changing of the times as ebooks become more popular than print materials.  Referencing the closing of Borders as well as reports by Amazon citing an increase in ebook purchases, they may have a point.

I can see this as true.  Look at your grandma's couch versus your own.  The weird vinyl thing with a dust cover was a decorative centerpiece and is far apart from the cushion-covered almost-bed that lives in most apartments I have been in that functions as a place to focus on the television and Xbox.  Even the desk had to open up to allow for computers and other devices to populate their surfaces.  Hell, my desk does not even have one of those pencil drawers.  Things gonna change, I guess, and it fits that the folks that fabricate most everything are the one's noticing first.

Britannica Goes eBook And I Don't Feel So Good Myself

Britannica has launched a service called Britannica Digital Learning that gives students and libraries access to ebooks from the Britannica Library.

"Each e-book contains the entire text of the print edition and illustrations - many of which are striking, high-definition and full-color. Tables of contents, indexes and glossaries are hyperlinked and fully searchable. [SFGate]"

I like the idea that Britannica is reaching out to kids and libraries, giving them knowledge and stuff all while saving them some dough, but does this sound like a PR stunt to anyone?  Sure, any free offer is a PR stunt or a tax write-off, but this just... I dunno.  The great encyclopedia peddler might be grasping as straws here so it does not follow its cousin, the Americana.  Of course, in a world where the first entry you get to a given Google search is Wikipedia and rarely do those online articles source Britannica, I would start getting desperate, too.