When not destroying the heartland and ripping down the fabric of small town America, Wal-Mart likes to give back to the community. For example, the Arkansas Boys and Girls Club of America, got a $10,000 grant from the giant to buy books, magazines, and most notably, Kindles.
There will be 50 Junior High and High School children involved in Bright Spot. This reading center will contain not only books, but also other forms of literature. Magazines, Kindles, and music will be available for the children to enjoy and read. This program encourages teens to continue reading in their everyday life.
“The Walmart Foundation’s Bright Spot for Reading Initiative is essential in preparing youth for academic and life success,” continued Shelby Kriz, Director of Education, “We are grateful to The Walmart Foundation for the opportunity to create an environment that will encourage and allow our youth to enjoy and develop an affinity for reading.”
Why is this interesting? Well, it marks one of the first moves by a learning organization to focus on ebooks rather than standard dead-tree titles. The words “magazines, Kindles, and music” should send a bolt of icy fear through the hearts of publishers as they come to realize that yes, it’s finally happened: kids will no longer want to pull hardback off the shelf of their local library or teen center when they have Kindles available for loan.
Obviously the Kindle isn’t replacing the book outright, but given the speed with which it’s encroaching on non-ebook territory I’d say were about half a decade out from the tipping point.
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