Print vs. Electronic

There seems to be a bit of a debate over print vs. electronic resources. I happen to like both, but for lengthier readings, I prefer print. As someone in my class pointed out, it is much easier to curl up with a book than say, a laptop. Also, constant use of computers can lead to repetitive strain injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome.

While I've never been diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome (perhaps that has something to do with a lack of medical insurance...hmm), I've had some major problems with my right wrist due to computer usage. It began in college, during my English major days when I was constantly writing papers for class. The symptoms became worse during my junior year when our reserve room at the campus library where I worked went digital. Scanning pages and cropping them for hours put me in agony. The constant work involved with the mouse lead to pain and numbness. I worked through it though, and after graduation the symptoms went away.

A year and a half later the symptoms came back when I started a job at a small public library. Working at the circ desk, I had to lock and unlock hundreds of dvds a day. The locking and unlocking put a huge strain on my wrist, and once again found me in constant pain. During a slow day, I would try to unlock with my left hand, but despite working in a small public library, we were hopping most of the time and my left hand is a bit too gawky and slow to deal with the rush times. Using the Internet at home, I would also try to use the mouse and type with my left hand to compensate for the overuse of the right, but still, it wasn't enough.

Today, I deal with this problem by wearing a magnetic bracelet everyday (it works!), and by wearing a wrist brace at night while I sleep. I still have pain (I do right now), but it's much more manageable. And back to the main point, this is why I still am a big fan of print resources.

On the other hand, electronic resources can be wonderful, fast, and easy to search. I also love being able to use links to gain access to other information. If I am reading about something that interests me and there is a link, I will generally click on it to learn more. After all, I do enjoy learning and digging around for research. Guess that's just the librarian in me. However, links can lead to huge time-suckage (as I call it). Sometimes I'll be poking around reading something, and get lost. An hour or two later, I will emerge wondering where the time went...