Bookstore woes Downunder

Alisha Marie Klapheke · Post by **Alisha Marie Klapheke** » Fri February 18th, 2011, 11:18 pm

It all just makes me sad. My favorite date is dinner and then the bookstore. I love the library, but it's just not the same. I blogged about my dream bookstore--Backlash Bookstore: For the Love of Books--today. It is silly but I wish, I wish...

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Sat February 19th, 2011, 4:39 pm

Lovely blog post, Alisha. I wanted to buy books there. I added your blog to my own blog roll. Also loved the theme.

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Sat February 19th, 2011, 4:40 pm

Just found out that Borders is closing its store on Union Square in San Francisco.

I love that store! It's always busy, too, so I don't understand.... unless the rent is so exorbitant (probably) that it just can't make money.......

Alisha Marie Klapheke · Post by **Alisha Marie Klapheke** » Sun February 20th, 2011, 5:12 am

Oh, Michy. It's just not right! I don't know if my Borders is on the list of closing yet or not...

Thanks, FLJustice, I read yours on the Egyptians and their issue with antiquity looting. My God, I never thought of that occurring in the midst of all their trouble. It's just a shame. Thank goodness the people are rising to protect their heritage. It must be heartbreaking. I will add you to my blogroll as well if I haven't already.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Sun February 20th, 2011, 3:47 pm

[quote=""Alisha Marie Klapheke""]I will add you to my blogroll as well if I haven't already.[/quote]

Thanks, Alisha!

MLE (Emily Cotton) · Post by **MLE (Emily Cotton)** » Sun February 20th, 2011, 9:01 pm

[quote=""Alisha Marie Klapheke""]Oh, Michy. It's just not right! I don't know if my Borders is on the list of closing yet or not...
[/quote]
here's a list of the borders stores closing.

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Mon February 21st, 2011, 2:42 am

It's a worldwide phenomenon. My beloved Powell's here in Portland, Oregon, USA just laid off 30 employees. These are layoffs, not a store closing, and Powell's does have an internet presence. Still, the cause is the decline in customers for bricks-and-mortar bookstores, and not only the rise of buying books online but also the dramatic rise of buying books in e-format, especially for the Kindle.

While I still do not have a Kindle, I do see its appeal. For me, the biggest appeal is not having to decimate forests in order to publish books. Although I hate reading anything longer than a few paragraphs online, I had the chance to look at someone's Kindle on a recent plane trip, and the format did seem to be exceptionally easy to read. All the same, I'm not ready to make the shift from print-and-paper reading to reading on an electronic device. Years ago, I made the shift from hand-writing my own work on paper with a pen to writing on a computer, and while I resisted the change at first, now that I have done it, I will never go back. I suspect I will feel the same way about e-reading devices. Not sure if I will get a Kindle or hold out for a different variety of reader (perhaps not yet developed).

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Mon February 21st, 2011, 4:57 pm

It's just depressing. They're closing both stores here in New Orleans. Sure, we have Barnes & Noble still along with a scattering of smaller bookshops, but I don't like B&N and those small bookshops are all in New Orleans and a pain to get to when you live in another town. Of course the Baton Rouge store gets to stay open, but that's an hour away.

While I did invest in an iPad last month for my birthday, I still enjoy the traditional print. My living arrangements limit the amount of space I have for books so I felt the iPad was a worth while investment. I have two categories for my reading. Books that I want to read and have to own and books that I want to read, but don't necessarily need to own. My iPad will be full of the latter type and when I have more room in the future I will buy the "real" books that I want to own.

fljustice · Post by **fljustice** » Tue February 22nd, 2011, 4:53 pm

[quote=""MLE""]here's a list of the borders stores closing.[/quote]

Just checked and they're closing three of the five stores in Manhattan; but not the one I most frequent at Columbus Circle.