REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Deputy Chairman of Research and Information Department of Indonesian Publishers Association (IKAPI) Indra Laksana said Indonesian readers preferred to read print books rather than the digital or e-book. It showed from the sales rate of both types of books.

"Our research in 2016 showed average people downloaded free e-book. When they should pay, they choose traditional books," said he remarked on Wednesday (April 26).   

Indra said global digital book trends were basically low. It had been a new trend in US, but lately people went back to choose the paper books.  

Indra explained that people's habit in reading print books were different to newspapers. They may feel comfortable in reading news through digital media. But, the same feeling did not come when they read e-book.  Readers read books for having deeper and complete understanding. Therefore, physical books became a better option.

"A research in US said there is a sensation when people read a traditional book where it cannot be replaced by digital media. For example, when we touch the books, turn the pages, smell the papers. The eye contact with books and screens is also different," he said.  

However, people's interaction with internet indeed resulted in lower book sales. People interaction shifted to multimedia, not only to texts. People reading interest increased but only in online bases. It impacted on the decrease of the number of book published. 

Indra said nowadays the materials or knowledge people used to get from books could be gained in the internet. By using certain keywords, all the related information would be presented at the computer or cellphone's screen. 

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