Reading is a habit that stays with someone for life. It is a lifelong source of delight and an affordable pastime for anyone who wants to take up the journey.

The way books are published and distributed has gone through many changes - from books written and copied by hand to Gutenberg's invention of the printing press.

Booklovers' reading habits have also been affected through the innovations. And, in this era of connectivity, digital technology has a deep impact on book publishing and the way people read.

This digital revolution has also introduced a new trepidation that the traditional way of reading will come to an end as many of the readers have been switching to reading on the internet, tablet computers and e-books.

But there’s hope too. This year's Amar Ekushey Granthamela remains a glaring example that paper books still dominate the readers' choice.

At the just finished month-long book fair, the publication of books has nearly doubled and

sales have increased by almost seven times compared to five years ago, according to Bangla Academy.

A total of 4,591 books came out during the fair and the total sale was around Tk 70.50 crore. In 2013, the number of new books was 2,963 and

the sale around Tk 10.14 crore.

The Ekushey book fair witnessed a huge presence of readers. While talking with many of the booklovers throughout the month, it was seen that the youth were more inclined to reading books online or using e-book services.

But most of the visitors said they still prefer the old fashioned way of reading and enjoy the touch and smell of a physical book.

"Paper books have a lively feeling... It's like living in the moment. Digital books cannot offer the same sensation," said Meer Raihan Masud, a journalist.

Munira Dilshad Ela spends most of her leisure time at the public library. The Dhaka University student said, “I feel comfortable holding a book... It's a unique pleasure. It's not the same with a PDF-version or e-books."

The design of a book, the way it smells and the quality of the paper, all of these can heighten a reader's sensory details, said the avid reader. "You can't have that experience while reading a digital book."

Freelance writer Sadman Sakib said, "A digital device is used for multipurpose, which can hamper attentive reading. Also, digital version of all standard books is not available. At times, reading it not comfortable due to the resolution or quality..."

Young poet Aleem Haider Dhrubo echoed

him. While reading in a digital format such as blogs, social media or e-books, it is hard to pay that much attention, Aleem said.

Many of the publishers and booklovers said the book fair also proves that love for books, especially paper books, is increasing and every year, a new generation of book enthusiasts are falling in love with reading.

Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor told the news agency that the book fair will be extended to the root level for reaching the readers across the country. He also said they had been stressing the improvement of the library facilities and the number of libraries.

He said they will pay a special attention to the specialised libraries on different subjects. "There is no alternative to reading in the library."