Whatever happened to the bookstore?!
Nov 16th 2007TracyBooks & Opinion
I particularly liked this quote from this New York Times article: “Amazon.com has changed the function of a bookstore,” Mr. Herold explained. “Bookstores have always been meeting places, and author events help to differentiate us.”
I concur. As much as Barnes & Noble and Borders try, they don’t have the same look and feel as an independent bookstore. If you’re not on a college campus, it can be hard to find a place to chat about books (particularly ones NOT on Oprah’s preferred list) and to just share thoughts about literature. Certainly, the Internet has made literature more accessible, but at what price to integrity?
With the gift-giving holidays upon us, think about a small bookstore instead of a big chain. Pay it forward by encouraging the recipient of your gift to explore a different look and feel to the world of books. Learn to love reading again and all the aesthetic intangibles associated with it.
Webster’s Bookstore Cafe in State College, PA … I miss you!!!
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