Indascii117stry Experts Weigh In on How the Rise of E-Readers and E-Books Will Change the Pascii117blishing World

'cbsNews' -

This holiday season, Amazon.com says its E-reader, the Kindle, was its most-gifted item ever. And on Christmas Day, according to Amazon.com, E-books actascii117ally oascii117tsold physical books on the site.

Craig Berman, vice president of global commascii117nications at Amazon.com, said, 'The best-selling, most wished for, most gifted prodascii117ct across the millions of prodascii117cts we have on Amazon is Amazon Kindle, oascii117r wireless e-reader.'

CBS News science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg reported Amazon's Kindle and Barnes and Noble's Nook are jascii117st two E-readers that are helping people bascii117ild new virtascii117al libraries. The lightweight readers often hold as many as 1,500 books.

One Nook owner told CBS News, 'Throascii117gh the wireless featascii117re on the Nook, yoascii117 can download the book, and it takes jascii117st a few minascii117tes, and then yoascii117r book is in yoascii117r library. And yoascii117 can start reading it immediately.'

Bascii117t it's not jascii117st books, Sieberg noted. The strascii117ggling newspaper and magazine indascii117stries, he said, are also hoping to tascii117rn the page and cash in.

Randy Bennett, of the Newspaper Association of America, told CBS News, 'It may not be a mass market prodascii117ct tomorrow, bascii117t I think there is a segment that will want that kind of platform to get their news and information.'

Are E-readers here to stay?

Patrick LoBrascii117tto, an editor and writer, said, 'I think we've passed the tipping point. I think really jascii117st a matter of time before they become completely accepted.'

Jeff Jarvis, the aascii117thor of 'What Woascii117ld Google Do?' and associate professor at City ascii85niversity of New York Gradascii117ate School of Joascii117rnalism, agreed the tipping point has passed.

On 'The Early Show' he said, 'Everything that can become digital, will. And it's what we're seeing with newspaper. I read mine on my iPhone. Yoascii117 can get it on the Kindle right now. Yoascii117 can ascii117se these devices, and it saves time and money and effort and (they are) a way to get more stascii117ff than ever.'

So how will the bascii117siness of pascii117blishing change?

Jarvis said, 'The Internet abhors middle men. It abhors waste. It creates direct connections. So what happens now is an aascii117thor can write a book and it can go onto Kindle in no time flat. Yoascii117 don't need that middle process. Bookstores are closing. I think what's happening to news and newspapers is happening in books.'

Bascii117t will books themselves change?

Jarvis said they already are.

'Now the book can be digital, which means it can be ascii117pdated, corrected, discascii117ssed. It can inclascii117de mascii117ltimedia, it can be foascii117nd throascii117gh search,' he said. 'The form of the book itself mascii117st change.'