Beyond paper

Abstract

Reading frequently involves not just looking at words on a page, but also underlining, hi&li@ing and commenting either on the text or in a separate notebook This combination of reading with critical thinking and learning is called active reading [2]. To explore the premise that computation can enhance active reading we have built the XLibris “active reading machine.” XL.ibris uses a commercial high-resolution pen tablet display along with a paper-like user interface to support the key affordances of paper for active reading: the reader can hold a scanned image of a page in his lap and mark on it with di$tai ink To go beyond paper, XLibris monitors the &e-form ink annotations made while reading, and uses these to organize nnd to search for information. Readers can review, sort and filter clippings of their annotated text in a “Reader’s Notebook” XLibris also searches for material related to the annotated text, and displays links to similar documents unobtrusively in the mar$n. XLibris demonstrates that computers can help active readers organize and find information while retaining many of the advantages of reading on paper.