The Convergence of the Codex Book and the e-Book

- We are proposing a platform for a new form of the book, the sBook, which is a combination of the codex book and the e-book. The sBook combines the advantages of these two formats of the book as well as some additional features that we have designed for this new hybrid book. We describe one possible form of an sBook, which is a codex book that has been “smart tagged” so that the book directs one’s Enabler to a Web site that contains the digital form of the text of the codex book. The Enabler could be a desktop or notebook computer, a PDA or a smart phone such as the iPhone. As a result the sBook system - consisting of the codex book, the Enabler, and the Web site - is readable, searchable, networkable, updatable, smart and promotes “active reading”. The book is very readable because the sBook still retains the codex format of ink on paper. Because the “smart tag” directs the reader to a Web site with the digital text and room for comments by readers and updates by the author, the sBook is searchable, networkable and updatable. Finally by incorporating a recommender system installed on the Enabler the sBook can match its content to that of the reader’s research and information interests. The recommender system can also search the Net for pertinent information. This paper explores some of the possible applications of the sBook and its impact on authors, readers, publishers, booksellers and libraries.