Since I began in classical studies, in 1995, I have used digital texts. Yes, I have studied Latin and Greek, ancient history, the classical liberal arts, philosophy and theology, but it hasn’t been with dusty old books in dark libraries. It’s been with powerful document databases, websites and PDFs. The greatest libraries in the world offer millions of books, journal articles and other resources, online.
I am currently studying at Harvard University. My courses are online. My study materials are online. Professors provide students with free, digital texts. I have four children in college at three different colleges and I never hear them talking about buying books. Their classes and study materials are online.
Many speak of preferring printed books, but let me ask this:
- Do these people write books?
- Do these people teach others?
- Do these people influence those around them?
Usually, those talking about books today are not actively writing, teaching or influencing others. They are just collecting books, and this is not the work of Christian study, which is “to contemplate and share the fruits of contemplation”.
Students who are serious about real studies and who intend to write, teach and influence others need to learn how to study with digital texts.
I. PDF Documents
PDFs or “Protable Document Files” allow us to store and view documents on all devices–but much more. With software like Adobe Acrobat, we can highlight and make notes, add bookmarks.
I download PDFs onto my devices, them study them in Adobe Acrobat, adding notes, highlighting important passages, etc. When I write, I can easily find passages I want to reference, copy and paste the text into my own documents, etc..
When we think that all books in the public domain are being scanned and converted into digital PDFs that are accessible for free, we will realize that digital resources give us convenient access to content we would never have access to in printed form unless we were going to buy every book we access or travel back and forth to libraries. Moreover, libraries are scanning books still covered by copyright and giving temporary access to them–from anywhere in the world. Even more, one is not limited to local resources, but can access the online resources of the world’s greatest libraries.
Sites to find PDFs include:
II. Kindle Books
Amazon sells millions of books, many (or most) of which are available in electronic “Kindle” format. These digital copies of books are read in Amazon’s Kindle app, which offers some of the tools described in Adobe Acrobat above. Kindle books are usually a fraction of the cost of printed books and can easily be purchased and stored in one’s Kindle “library” for anytime access.
Kindle is especially valuable for modern books, newly published and covered by copyright. The Kindle app can be added to any device, making your Kindle library available everywhere you go.
As an example, the textbook for my current philosophy course at Harvard this semester (written by my professor) was available in Kindle format and I’m reading it on my tablet.
III. Audio Books
It is often difficult to sit in a chair and read for long periods of time. Really, it’s not a good use of our time and it’s not very healthy, physically. In the past, there was no option and reading was known to destory the body, as Solomon warns in the Bible:
“Of making many books there is no end: and much study is an affliction of the flesh.”
Ecclesiastes 12:12
Today, audio books make this affliction unnecessary. For example, I took an American Constitution course last fall and did all of the reading for the entire course using audio books while I walked for exercise out in the fresh air every afternoon. (See below)
Most of the world’s greatest works, including the Bible, the Divine Office, the writings of the Church Fathers, the writings of St. Thomas Aquinas, classical philosophers including Plato and Aristotle, all of the world’s influential literature, histories, etc., are available in audio format for listening.
To keep myself very well-read, but also physically fit, I do any reading I can using audio books while I exercise, work in the garden, do other office tasks, drive, etc. I’m not talking about recreational reading, but real study. By listening to the books read, I can become familiar with ALL of the content of the books and then, when I settle down to master the studies, I can pursue things that caught my attention while I was listening. I listen to audio books for hours and hours every week: the Bible, Aquinas, Aristotle, Plato, etc. This is how I know the content of these works as I do.
Sources for audio books include:
Note that some interent browers can also read the text of websites for you, so if a work is online, you can listen rather than read. The Microsoft Edge browser is especially good for this use.
Conclusion
Whether you’re a full-time Catholic Classicist like me, a young student working through high school, digital texts and other modern tools give you access to learning that other generations could never have dreamed of. Much of it is free or more affordable than printed books. A laptop or tablet–even a phone–allows you to study and access your library any time, any where. Being able to copy and past text from your readings allows you to write and provide evidence from your sources easily. Some can argue that they don’t care about all of these benefits, but I guarantee they won’t be writing. If you want to study and share your learning with others, digital texts make it most efficient.
