How long will a book live?

In our ever growing and shrinking world, I always wonder how long will a book live? With advancements in information technology, people have adapted themselves to computers and tablets so much, that they even prefer reading newspapers on the internet these days. In the near future, books might just become something that one gets to see only in a museum, on photographs or in movies. A few decades ago books were something everyone dreamt of buying, something only the kings or nobles used to own. There were books which spoke about the origin of vedas, the Gita and its meaning and about many other topics, which stand of importance even today. They have been carriers of information from one generation to the other. Kings and scholars initially started writing about their achievements and experiences on scrolls with the help of a quill. All of their manuscripts have been preserved which tell us stories of our history and give us an insight into the medieval time. But, since change is inevitable, even the books started entering different phases of eveolution.  There was a time, when people started manufacturing paper and consequently schools and colleges began using books in the education system. The transformation of slates and chalk to book and pen caught up pace around the world. A lot of us started gifting books on birthdays and other occasions. After passing through so many phases books are now loosing their grip among people. Today we do have books, but only e-books or virtual books. All we need to do is to download any book of our choice from the internet. People no more find it exciting to carry those fat books or lend and borrow books from their friends, as today, all that we want is just a click away. Libraries are also losing their charm and a few have are even on the verge of being shut down. Internet, a boon or a bane has always been an issue of debate, but amongst all this advancement, the books still have their own charm and feel. But, yet again, how long will a book live?Sanjiti Kapoor is a IX standrad student at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavans