My mother has been hemming and hawing over which e-reader to buy, the Kindle or the Nook.  For Christmas, The Boy’s SIL got a Kindle.

I’ve briefly been considering the benefits of getting an e-reader, with my choice falling largely towards the Nook, simply because it is library-loan e-book compatible.

Pros:

• I like having a somewhat-minimalist lifestyle, and the lack of book clutter by way of e-reader is a plus.
• I have an array of books at my fingertips, allowing for reading in any sort of waiting scenario.
• The slim design of e-readers makes it a lot easier to carry books with me.
• The Nook lets me borrow books from the library, minimizing the cost.

Cons:

• Kindle books start at $9.99.
• Yes, you can annotate, but it’s hard to physically write in an e-book, and I remember better when I physically write things.
• You can’t buy a used e-book.
• My library system has a pretty limited selection of e-books.

My biggest problem so far with Kindle is that I can buy a physical book that I can hold in my hands used through Half.com for a lot less than what the Kindle store is selling them for.  I have a really, really hard time paying extra for a gimmick.  I always have: hence, why I don’t own an iPod, Pad, or whatever (I like my Zune 8gb, works just fine, thanks); I don’t really play video games; and I’m really, really trying to wean myself off of the boob tube.

So when I started to lean heavily on the idea of getting a Nook because they are compatible with lent books from the library system, I was sold.  Well, there was that and the fact that I could actually physically put my hands on a Nook in Barnes & Noble, and really enjoyed it.

Currently in Ohio, there library systems are conjoining with the Ohio eBook Project to make electronic media widely available to all of their affiliated users.  I support this initiative because I’m really excited about it.  But in its current state, it is woefully incomplete.  There are very few things in their archive that I am interested in reading, and the items that I want to read are not available on the database.

Given the current landscape for fiscally-savvy e-book reading, I’m definitely going to put buying an e-reader in a holding pattern.