Why books?

I was having a conversation with my friend's father, who is a professor and researcher in the neuro-bio field, regarding my current trip to Sierra Leone and work with Friends of African Village Libraries. I attempted to explain the organization and my project as vaguely as you might explain something in a friendly passing conversation over cheese and crackers with the parents of your friend.  I was surprised to not quite get the normal response.  This individual began to argue and pose questions such as, "Why libraries?" "Why books... why not computers?" "Why not export something like a Kindle and have all books downloaded?" "Books are dying in the information world, why establish an ancient institution, when you could focus solely on new technology?"

I wasn't quite prepared to have a full blown argument about the importance of books in fostering a culture of reading and when I attempted to list the possible/obvious downfalls of bringing Kindle's instead of books to a rural library, I started receiving responses such as "Well, if there is no electricity, why aren't you getting electricity to these places instead? Building roads? Minimizing corruption?" Essentially, instead of using my current "expertise" and intense interest in the importance and effectiveness of community libraries, I should just try to save the world entirely? Now, how effective is that?  A bit flustered at the full on attack of what little I am trying to contribute using what experience I have, I couldn't help but mull on his comments regarding the effectiveness of populating a library with books.
 
If you wanted to read something, would you open up your computer and browse through PDFs on your hard drive or would you rather browse through pages you could actually flip through with your hands?  I know that I would much rather engage with what I am reading.  Even more useful in this argument, what if you were a child, just learning how to read, would you rather pick up a colorful book with a vibrant cover, or browse through files on a Kindle that appears to be much like a toy since you haven't really learned how to read yet.  I think of the primary school students I met in the Mapaki Community Library in Sierra Leone, flipping through pages, pointing to pictures and words and showing, their friends what they saw on the page, tossing one book in a pile only to dive into another.  Can that be done on an electronic screen? Perhaps, but is that really the way to engage a child to become curious about wanting to understand the words in a children's book?  I think not.
  
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