I chose a few years ago to build a digital book library over a paper one. There are a few books that I prefer to be able to hold and feel but, by-and-large, the convenience of carrying 300 books with me on an iPad (or whatever eReader you prefer) is the greatest selling point.
One Big Problem:
I read for pleasure, but I also read to help me lead, learn, research, and grow. I also highlight new or interesting ideas and make notes in the apps that help me to implement what I have uncovered. The problem is I couldn’t always find that idea or that quote I was looking for. It was trapped somewhere in a vast digital book pile.
I tried all the tricks I’ve read on the internet: make notecards in the Kindle app, import clips into Evernote, copy and paste into a working document. Each solution has merit and also several limitations like a publisher’s restrictions on the amount of text you can view/copy from Kindle.
I even tried creating my own personal database of quotes and passages (who has that kind of time?) and realized that there has to be a better solution.
The App for Readers:
I came across Readwise.io and it changed the game for me. It helps you sort, tag, and remember those quotes from the books you read this year and the last 3 or 4. I use it to organize and recall all manner of information. Need a quote about passion? Just type it in the search bar and you have highlights across all your books to help tie together your thoughts. They say this about their product:
Readwise is software built on top of existing reading platforms — such as Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks, and Instapaper — that conveniently resurfaces all the things you found important while reading. This interrupts the natural process of forgetting, creating repeated opportunities to actually do something with what you’ve read.
I’ve been using it for quite some time now, it save times and helps me recall so much more of what I’ve read over the years. Some of the books on your shelf may have some popular highlights others have uncovered, so as an added bouns- they can throw some of those in for you too. Readwise is a great tool to have as a leader in any organization.