LETTER: Books are best

WHEN I read the article ‘Sad Farewell to Dictionaries - and Knowledge’ (March 2011) it made me think of the good old days when we had to look up words we didn’t know in heavy and huge dictionaries at home and at school. At my school, our teachers actually made it mandatory for all students to carry a pocket dictionary with them at all times. And unlike today’s smart phone wielding kids, our research was done in the libraries. Since dictionaries were not allowed to be taken home, my friends and I would sometimes rip out pages to take home with us! But all that is in the past since the introduction of www.dictionary.com and www.wikipedia.com. I must admit, it is handy to have quick access to the internet, but nothing beats the smell and charm of old books!