Ikea Redesigns Bookshelves To Not Hold Books, The End Is Near

Is this Time article on Ikea's redesign of its classic BILLY bookshelf just another case of "sky is falling" sensationalist journalism regarding the "death" of paper reading material -- or just pointing out the obvious, the death of paper reading material?

"...IKEA will release a new version of its classic BILLY bookshelf next month, one that's focused less on storing books than storing, well, anything and everything else. The company is finding that customers use their shelves increasingly for 'ornaments, tchotchkes and the odd coffee-table tome,' and less so for reading material.

The demise of paperbacks is increasingly imminent."

Having always figured that once the mass market embraced e-reading devices, it was largely over for paper books outside of the specialty market, I might be inclined to agree. I have a great sentimental attachment to paper -- but am also quite cognizant of the fact that what I have clung to out of sentiment does not reflect the bigger economic picture. Even more telling: many friends who I assumed would never abandon the traditional book/comic format have done so, sometimes with great relish and relief.

In this scenario I am increasingly becoming "odd woman out" in terms of my collection of "hard copies" -- but when that pesky solar flare/pole shift/apocalypse hits at least I'll be secure in knowing that I'll still be able to read that dog-eared run of Little House On The Prairie books.