When there are no more bookstores...

[Tussiemussies]

Do you think a time is coming soon when there will be no more bookstores? I sure miss Borders. They had the greatest selection of books whereas Barnes and Noble has very few books in the topics I am interested in.

I find the issue with this is that I won't be able to find new books that I find because of browsing through a bookstore.

Using Amazon leads me to have to know the specific book I am looking for. Sure they give some suggestions, but there may be other books on the topic listed.

I would really miss browsing around and finding something new that I didn't know about...what about you?:)

[rosarugosa]

I fear that this is already happening. I live in a town with a lot of retail options, but B&N is the only bookstore. My favorite small independent bookstore in Portland, ME is gone.

[Rosemary]

My favorite local bookstore closed about 5 years ago. Our B&N seems to have a healthy customer base - there are always people in line when I go there. It also has a used book section which is where I usually look first.

When we lived in Tucson, there was an awesome used book store within walking distance of our house (Bookman's). It was as large as a B&N and had a huge selection, and gave fair purchase value when you sold books. I wonder if that model will become more prevalent. Book retail prices are very high, and book lovers can only keep so many books in their houses before needing to cull their collections.

[ToomuchStuff]

I am pretty sure there are still some used book store chains in my area. I know there are a few mom and pop's, but I don't know of any new book stores left.
There was a post here:
http://www.simplelivingforum.net/showthread.php?5902-Goodreads-anyone&highlight=book+site
that might be of interest to you, as I expect we will see more things like this with online and ebooks, however there may then be less out of your comfort zone book, recommendations.

[Mrs-M]

I've never been much of a reader, though I do miss many of the mom & pop bookstores that once were. So sad...

[Sad Eyed Lady]

Oh no I certainly hope not! And the thought that someday print libraries will be a thing of the past is just beyond imagining for me!

Tussiemussies I know what you mean about the browsing, and here is something I do that might help. DH and I like to take short trips for an overnight or weekend getaway. In any town we are in I seek out the library and browse. I see different books than my local library has and I make a list of the ones that I think I would like to read. Then my library can get what I want through inter-library loan. Sometimes they may have the same book, I had just overlooked it, so it is good to check that out before asking them to order. It's like seeing books in a different setting you come upon new things. I lover perusing different libraries in other towns.

[SimplyL]

It's already happening. :( We've lost two used bookstores that were local owned. They also carried vintage books, some really rare finds. I think the lady may be operating on the internet via Amazon or some other marketplace, out of her home. It's really sad. We've also lost a lot of mainstream bookstores. And if you've been in a B&N, lately.. at least our locations, a sizeable portion of their floorspace is now designated for the e-Readers.

Personally, as minimal as we are compared to our peer group, I like to hold a book in my hand. I like that feeling of turning the page, keeping a few books forever, writing a few little notes on the page, for the ones that I've read over and over. And then, there's the pleasure of having a book and handing it down to one of the children.

I guess you could download your favorite children's book from childhood onto your kid's e-Reader.. but it's not the same.

A fellow aircrewman had a slightly older e-Reader but had upgraded, this past year. They were overseas and husband saw the person motion to throw it in the trash. Husband said, 'whoa, what are you doing?' They said, 'Oh, the new e-Reader came out, so I'm throwing this one away'. My husband said, 'are you crazy, there's nothing wrong with it'. He gave them a $20 bill and brought it home with him. I tried to get into it and can't.. however, daughter was all over it, as school is now allowing them to download books. Now.. THAT, I think is a great idea, considering she's in middle school and is 60 pounds wet and has books in her backpack that nearly exceed her body weight (and we sometimes walk/bike).

However, for everyday reading for pleasure or cookbooks, etc.. I want a book in my hands.

Hopefully, some of these used and smaller bookstores can hold on. I really enjoy them. There's a place for those big chains, too. I just rarely purchase new, so unless we have a giftcard from the holidays, don't shop there. At the cabin, I have 5 that I picked up at tag sale at the used bookstore, haven't got to read yet. Jay Shafer's, Tiny House book was the last thing that I bought new (on my own, no gift card) and that was well over a year ago, before we built our cabin.

[ToomuchStuff]

SimplyL, you have hit certain points. Schools will be a great place tor electronic books. Although they don't have to be just on an ereader, as computers can be used, but that brings up other issues. (dependence on electronics and interaction) Ebooks still are limited in the ability to share and in most of the cases I have found, are more expensive then buying the book used (which I do most of the time), and I don't understand that.

That said, they do have their places. If I have a digital book, I would prefer an ereader (which I don't have yet), verses my netbook in bed. I do prefer them in certain area's, like where one is working with chemicals (can keep on the page I need, instead of on a bench, getting motor oil, etc on it).

[SteveinMN]

The key to keeping small bookstores alive is customers. So long as people are paying a fair price for the goods being sold, they'll be around. We're pretty lucky here -- we have a fairly educated literate population. In fact, I can think of five independent bookstores beyond the B&N and the book departments in Target/Walmart/KMart, just in St. Paul (not so familiar with what's in Minneapolis).

Interesting point I just realized now is that three of those indy bookstores specialize. One sells only children's books, and has kid's book authors come in for readings, dress-up contests for the kids, etc. Another one specializes in used fiction, particularly in the science-fiction and mystery genres. The third is three stories of vintage/collectible books -- no e-readers, no downloads, ... Of the remaining two indies, one is Garrison Keillor's bookstore, so there's his curation applied to the selection. But they're all destinations in and of themselves. And maybe that's what it takes -- enough differentiation to not seem like any other bookstore.

[Stella]

As far as I'm aware, there are still some good indies in Minneapolis, too, Steve. I think you are right, we have a pretty literate population here. I agree with you, also, that it helps for indies to have something to differentiate themselves from the others. One of my favourites in Minneapolis is a very cool children's bookstore, Wild Rumpus, that has a lot of animals for the children to look at, like a cat, a chicken, a chinchilla and, in the spooky section, a gage of rats under a plexiglass section of the floor. So fun! The indies tend to have pretty good book signings too. That's fun stuff.

I think Rosemary is right about B&N here, too. I go to the Roseville one quite a bit and there are always people in line.

That said, I love my eBooks. I get a lot of free classics.

[KayLR]

I agree with Steve---I think they need to try and be a destination or specialize. Here in PDX we have Powell's, who I suspect will be around forever. They also have specialty stores, e.g., technical store, cooking, etc. But it's a hipster cool place to go, complete with coffee shop. They have everything...used and new.

Nearly all the B&Ns here are gone. Can't say I even know where there's a Borders, but I think there's one south of PDX. We used to have Walden's in the mall, but it's been gone forever. I do know of two mom & pops close by, a vintage and a science fiction....they've been around for a while.

[Gardenarian]

There are some wonderful book stores where I live, and when we are buying a gift for someone we use those stores.
For myself, I only buy used books, and patronize a local used bookstore - it's a magical place.

I hate to think of a world without cozy bookstores. I think (despite what the Supreme Court may say) that there will always be a place for used bookstores.

[pony mom]

[QUOTE=KayLRZ;108158]I agree with Steve---I think they need to try and be a destination or specialize. Here in PDX we have Powell's, who I suspect will be around forever. They also have specialty stores, e.g., technical store, cooking, etc. But it's a hipster cool place to go, complete with coffee shop. They have everything...used and new.QUOTE]

I went to Powell's when I visited my sister in Portland a few years ago. Could've happily spent my entire trip in there, wandering around and around.

[Sonora Shepherd]

Not only are we losing bookstores, but there aren't as many books at used book sales anymore. Just in the last two years I have noticed there aren't as many good books at library and school sales. In our town, Florence, Oregon, every summer a student named Taylor Graham puts on a used book sale to benefit Florence Food Share, the local food pantry, and last year their revenue was half what it was the year before.l

[puglogic]

I don't remember the last time I depended on local chain brick-and-mortar booksellers to find books. Well, yes I do, it was Christmas and I was looking for a bargain book for a secret santa exchange. Anyway, I do almost all my specific-title business purchases online (usually used at http://abebooks.com) and patronize the big local independent bookstore just to browse, sip coffee, go to readings/movies, and casually buy whatever appeals to me. I would be distraught if our Tattered Cover ever went out of business. It's lovely.

Don't care for eBooks. I stare a computer screen all day for work; I don't need to stare at it for any longer than I have to :)

[Rosemary]

How could anyone not love Powells, "the city of books?" ...we visit my brother whenever we go to Powells. Um, I mean we visit Powells when we go see my brother. :D

Stella and SteveinMN, the bookstore that I really enjoyed was Bound to Be Read on Grand. I think its expenses were likely too high for sales. It was quite large for an indie bookstore, and folded about 5 years ago. We've been to most of the places you mentioned, too. There's a nice indie new/used store in Stillwater and Mager & Quinn used books in Uptown too. It's hard to beat Wild Rumpus for a destination, though. It's just too funny to watch chickens running around the bookstore.

[sweetana3]

We must be unusual here in Indy. We just had a new used bookstore open downtown and have still large amounts of used books at our library sale, library books and donations. Plus we have four Half Price Books that are being improved and enlarged.

Maybe it is just the Midwest and the fact we are a larger city. We pay for the membership to go to the Founders evening on all the library sales and line up an hour early. Usually find a couple of big bags or more. Well organized and low priced and still the bookstores are in business. It is held about 6 times a year.

Really!!! liked Powells and it was a destination on our visit to Portland. Also visited the huge store in NYC, The Strand?. What is better than books and food which are often the reason for our vacations.

[catherine]

I think B&N is trying to keep pace with the times, at least in my area. They are catering to the textbook industry (they just opened up a branch on the Rutgers campus). In the B&N that's closer to my house I noticed, with some sadness, that the amount of space given to books has diminished, and there's a significant educational toy department. There's also more space given to paper products like cards and journals.

I think you have to have a specialized niche to compete with Amazon. There's a store in Princeton that sells only mystery books. And as some have pointed out, there are some really good used book stores.

I think another disturbing (to me) trend is just in the dumbing down of literacy in general! Thoreau would probably be as easy to understand for some people as The Canterbury Tales. Language patterns have evolved (or devolved) quite a bit with the "twitterization" of the culture. If it can't be said in 140 characters, who has time for it? No time for analysis, synthesis, development of characters or plot.

And if it doesn't look like a picture book, forget about it. I've been noticing even among my clients, most of whom have MBAs and/or PhDs, there is an unwillingness to accept regular report documents. They have to be Powerpoint slides with 50 words per page and lots of pictures. I don't know if this is reporting, or reading a bedtime story. Maybe the Microsoft Word program will die with Barnes & Noble, who knows?

My father had very high expectations of me (probably wrongly so in some cases). When I was in 1st grade he took me to the library, where I was drooling for Tom, Dick and Sally books, like the ones my friends were checking out. He wouldn't let me take out any book with a picture in it. (Weird, because he was artist.) Anyway, he is surely turning over in his grave right now.

[SteveinMN]

I think another disturbing (to me) trend is just in the dumbing down of literacy in general! Thoreau would probably be as easy to understand for some people as The Canterbury Tales. Language patterns have evolved (or devolved) quite a bit with the "twitterization" of the culture. If it can't be said in 140 characters, who has time for it? No time for analysis, synthesis, development of characters or plot.

And if it doesn't look like a picture book, forget about it. I've been noticing even among my clients, most of whom have MBAs and/or PhDs, there is an unwillingness to accept regular report documents. They have to be Powerpoint slides with 50 words per page and lots of pictures. I don't know if this is reporting, or reading a bedtime story. Maybe the Microsoft Word program will die with Barnes & Noble, who knows?
catherine, I think America has accepted dumbing down in general. It's not just twitter, it's ever-shorter soundbites on TV, it's teaching to standardized tests regardless of the student's level of understanding of the material, and it's the increasing partisanship and parochialism of the electorate (which disinvites examination of ideas beyond those others instruct you to follow).

IMHO, it's a shame and one of the most insidious threats to the standard of life we enjoy here.

[JaneV2.0]

I've read that people's working vocabularies have shrunk tremendously in my lifetime; I can believe it.

I admit I'm impatient with dense prose now, expecting lots of margin on the page. Easier to read that way, and easier on the eyes. It's not like we have to make it easy for old-school typesetters.

I do like illustrations, which were rare in books when I was young.

[Gregg]

My favorite, The Stone Lion Book Store in Ft. Collins, CO, moved across the street from their original location and expanded many, many years ago. It was still a great store, but never quite the same. It closed 5 or 6 years ago. I'm not sure if they tried to get too big to compete with the big chains and the cost of inventory killed them or if they just couldn't make it for some other reason, but it was a sad day when I learned they were closed. The Tattered Cover in Denver (original location) was a very close second on my favorites list. I just looked at their web site and it appears they now have 3 locations, which is encouraging.

[creaker]

I think the big box bookstore is going to die - allowing smaller book stores to come back.

What I find truly sad though - between smaller book sales and decades of publishing on non-acid free paper, used books are going to become rare commodities as their numbers decrease.

[notebook]

My local independent bookseller has the best customer service I have ever encountered. The owner greets almost all of her customers by name. I think the only customers that aren't greeted by name are first-time visitors, but they are definitely greeted and welcomed warmly. The attention to detail to remember customers' names AND reading interests amazes me. I recently moved back to this town after a six year absence and the owner still remembered my name! I can buy books easily online from a mega chain and have them delivered to my door at a cheaper price, but nothing beats the feeling I get as a customer in this store. It's also fun to overhear the owner/customer interactions as I browse the store.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I like bookstores in theory, when I was young (teenager and in college) and had time, I defintely spent time there (picked up single issues of magazines, browsed in general, bought books randomly etc.). So they were part of my growing up. But I'm old and employed now :~) And I hate to say it but I like books waiting for me on my doorstep when I come home. I don't have to drive anywhere (if you drive a certain amount for work you'll understand what I mean, I sometimes resent having to drive to buy *food* even!) Books sitting on my doorstep just waiting for me to come home just seems the greatest thing ever. :) A bookstore is definitely better for the community, but books waiting on your doorstep! :~)

[artist]

I miss Borders too. I actually worked there so for me it hit really hard when the doors shut. Not only did I have daily access to books and people how loved books, but I also had the responsiblity of knowing our stock through pre-release copies, which ment that I go to read many of the new releases weeks prior to them getting put on the shelves. It was a great place to work and be. Friends and family gathered and, book clubs met there etc... The atmosphere was wonderful, relaxing and something to look forward to.


I find the use of online sites to be very impersonal. There is no one there to walk you through the many titles to help you find one you like. No brains to pick from staff as to book suggestions. At Borders, when someone asked for a book suggestion we (the booksellers) went on the walkies and every employee chimed in with a title they thought might be of interest. Then we walked the customer over to where the books were and explained what each person said about the book. Now all you get is some titles to pop up but you have to do your own research to find out more about the book.


I'm personally not a huge fan of e-readers, though I do see their advantage and I do enjoy some of the basic features such as looking up words simply by touching them on the screen. Having access to your entire book library at the tip of your fingers and of course the amount of space it saves in your home. A big plus for downsizing or minimalistic lifestyle. For me though, I feel that the e-reader is missing something. I love the feel of a book in my hand, the feel of the paper, the weight of the book, etc.. and while reading on an e-reader is convient, it feels like something is missing.

Not sure when or if paper books will go away, but I am seeing a trend of books only being produced for e-readers and not for print. I was talking to a marketing expert the other day and he said if you want to see print books stick around and are going to buy an e-reader, buy one that is supported by an actual B & M store such as the NOOK. He also said to put in requests for book titles you know are good at your local library. If the library gets enough requests they will purchase the books and that keeps book publishers happy as they see a demand.

Do I think that paper books will disapear? Unfortunaly that seems to be the way the market is turning. However, I do think that it's a long way off. In the mean time support you local bookstore and don't forget about your local used booksellers. At some point they may be our only source of paper books.

[Float On]

Locally we have one used bookstore left (the other one burned years ago). Books-A-Million came to town and seems to do well. A few of the flea markets have booths that are only books. Its an hour drive to B&N or the big Hastings (I think that's the right name - new/used/trades video,games,books).

[Maxamillion]

Our Books-a-Million closed last year. Very sad. :( I'd hate to see the demise of bookstores. Shopping online is great but there's nothing compared to being able to see the book in person before buying, and the ambiance of being surrounded by shelves of new books.

[rosarugosa]

Hey Maxamillion, Books-a-Million sounds like it must have been your perfect bookstore, too :(