With the threat of getting infected lurking at your doorstep, the benefits of ebooks are more evident than ever.
Amid the current outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the world is quickly turning towards digital content.
After all, renting a DVD, getting a CD with an audiobook, or buying a hardcover from your local bookshop all puts you at risk of bringing the virus back to the safe space of your home.
With the scientists struggling to reach a consensus of what some possible transmission routes are (with some arguing that the virus can last up to 24 hours on cardboard even to two or three days on plastic and stainless steel), what we can do to protect ourselves is find ways of doing what we would normally do in a way that’s entirely virus-free.
Such as watching a movie on Netflix, listening to an Audible audiobook, or reading an ebook.
Now, when social distancing is key and staying at home is a must, yet another important benefit of ebooks is slowly emerging: the fact that it does not require any contact with the outside world whatsoever.
You don’t have to go to a library to rent it, or go to a bookstore to buy it, or even open the door to let the delivery man in. All you need is a steady Wi-Fi connection, and within a few seconds, the download is ready – and you can read, and read, and read. It’s not like you have somewhere to go to either way.
Scroll on to find out some key advantages of ebooks that make them an excellent way to read, especially now, when we have to be extremely cautious.
Advantages of ebooks in the times of virus outbreak
1. You don’t have to leave the house
You probably have a favorite cozy bookstore you like to visit often. Or a public library two blocks away, where you always go to and borrow books for both you and your children.
But now, you are locked down at home. Whether on quarantine, forced to work remotely, or with your restaurant closed for a few weeks, you can’t move around the city freely. And even if you could, all bookshops and libraries in your city are probably closed at this point.
There are probably dozens of books waiting to be picked up and read by you at home, but you might feel like reading something else.
The problem of getting something to read is solved when you decide to get an ebook edition instead of print. You can buy it either in a book-reading app or on a bookstore’s website, and the book within seconds is ready to read on your iPad or Kindle.
2. You know it will be delivered on time
Technically, you don’t need to go to a bookstore to buy a book. Instead, you can place an order online on the bookshop’s website and have it delivered to your doorstep, often free of charge.
Today, however, with the borders gradually closing, flights being canceled, and towns under lockdown, shipping companies are facing more obstacles than ever before.
With people staying at home and relying on delivery services, shipping is almost guaranteed to be delayed, and your print book might arrive days after your quarantine ends – if it gets delivered at all.
With ebooks, however, these problems don’t exist – and almost as soon as you click the download button, you will have the book waiting to be read on your e-reader or in a book-reading app.
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3. There is zero risk of getting infected
While scientists are still trying to figure out possible ways of transmission of the virus, you can never be too cautious. Any object can potentially be a site of transmission: a dirty door handle, a box of milk in a grocery store, or a shipping box with the books you ordered.
It’s better to be safe than sorry – you can avoid that risk by ordering the book in digital format.
4. Ebooks are cheaper than print books
Ebooks are an excellent way of saving money on reading. While paperback and ebook prices are more or less comparable, ebook deals are what really makes a difference. Hundreds of popular titles are often on sale for as low as $0.99 or $1.99.
In fact, there are over 1,000 Kindle ebooks on sale offered by Amazon, with prices ranging between $0.99 and $3.99.
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5. Get an ebook subscription to read even more – for even less
When you suddenly have a lot of time to spare, you can use it to finally devour all the fantastic books that have been piling up on your reading list for a while now. But which ones should you start with? There are just so many!
It is easy to overspend when buying ebooks one by one. Instead, you can get a digital subscription from Amazon Kindle or Scribd and have unlimited access to millions of ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and comics – and save a lot of money.
6. Get free ebooks from your local library
Last but not least: instead of buying ebooks, you can easily borrow them, just like you would with a regular paperback. You would be surprised of how many great ebooks, digital magazines, audiobooks, comics, and even movies local libraries offer free of cost.
All you have to do is find the website of your library and log in with your library card details, search the catalog, download the files, and start reading!
Another way of “borrowing” library ebooks is OverDrive, a platform that provides libraries with digital content. All you have to do is find a supported library near your location, and check whether you can register the library card online.
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