Why Books?

Why books instead of electronic media?
Why send books? That is a question we are frequently asked. In the West, much has been made about the disappearance of books in the coming years. We are told that computers will soon replace books. Moreover, the global advance of technology is presented as a given, a force with a life of its own that is unstoppable. Perhaps. We don’t deny the important role technology has and will play in society, both ours and around the world. But we are conscious of both the limits of technology and the fact that technology’s growth does not happen in a vacuum, but depends upon a range of issues and services. Currently, political instability, corruption, and a poor infrastructure all limit the role of technology in many parts of the Majority World. Someday the situation will likely change, but that day is not tomorrow. (For more information about the need for books, click here.)

Africa, Offline: Waiting for the Web NY Times Article on the state of the Internet in Africa.

So why books? Because one does not need electricity to read a book. Moreover, the printed text is portable in a way computers are not. Books can be taken into rural areas where electricity is virtually non-existent. They can be dropped, kicked around, become covered with dust, and yet they can still be read and easily shared with others. Compared with computers and electricity, books are relatively cheap and the accessibility they offer will continue to be important for decades to come

Why are most of the books in English? English is the new Latin. In earlier periods Latin was the universal language for theological education; now nearly half of all church related colleges and universities in the world use English as at least one of the languages of classroom instruction. One Eastern European seminary has students from fifteen distinctively different countries. English is the only language common to all the students. Because it is the language of commerce it has also become the language of scholarship. The Theological Book Network recognizes that vast theological and historical resources of the church are currently available to much of the world only through Western languages (principally English) and Western publishers. Until the church can develop literature in vernaculars to serve all of the church it is important to do our best to give leaders and educators everywhere access to the resources that do exist. Just because it is in English, however, does not mean that a book has value or usefulness in other parts of the world; books which have only North American relevance are not included in Theological Book Network shipments.