One's experience of reading is always intensely personal.
Some folks like to read with music on, or the television on, or with a cat curled up in their lap. Other folks prefer to read without any distractions whatsoever.
Some folks have no problem holding a book in one hand while they cling to a subway strap with the other hand. Not only can they read without missing their subway stop, they can instantly pick up where they left off if they are jostled by other passengers. Other folks would never, ever, consider trying to read while standing up on a subway.
Some folks can read in public libraries while nearby patrons are engaged in spirited conversation. Others are more likely to seek out a quiet reading room.
Some folks prefer to collect hardbacks (especially if they are collecting for the long-term), but prefer to read paperbacks. Or they may prefer to read hardbacks, but not above a certain size (books larger than octavo may be too weighty or cumbersome for the environment in which they are reading). [Of course, many books--like Audubon's four-volume double-elephant folio, Birds of America, or Bruce Rogers' Oxford Lectern Bible--never were intended for casual reading:]
Early visitors to the Cincinnati Public Library with a volume of Audubon's magnum opus
In short, the reading experience is not just a function of what one is reading, but also where one is reading. For those who have access to such technology, is the experience of reading a Kindle that much different from the experience of reading a book? Here's what some folks have to say about the experience of reading both....
Assuming there is a difference in the reading experience, does it matter in terms of building a private library? What if the books you're reading are not the same as the books you are collecting...?
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