Bookstore Closings

“A bookstore is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.” –Jerry Seinfeld

Independent booksellers have been struggling for years in their efforts to compete with the big box bookstores and Amazon. However, now even the big box stores are starting to close down.

David Streitfeld offered a good explanation of why this is happening. According to his December 27, 2008, article in NY Times.com, bookstores are going belly up due to the thousands of individuals who buy and sell books on the internet. Millions of books are now available for prices as low as a penny.

The good news is you can most likely find any book you want and save a lot of money. The bad news is that publishers, authors and local bookstores receive nothing from the sale.

With the economy as it is, I understand wanting to save a buck or two. As a writer, however, it sends chills up my spine. With more bookstore closings, more authors will be struggling, and more publishers going out of business.

My biggest worry is that the many wonderful hours I spend strolling up and down the aisle of bookstores, picking up books and flipping through the pages may become a thing of the past. Shopping on-line simply does not offer the same touchy-feely satisfaction.

I admit I use Amazon—frequently. I’ve also bought from individuals on-line a couple of times. But now I’m going to think twice about my buying habits because I don’t want to ever have to say, “Remember those good old days when you could actually buy a book in a store.”

Where do you buy the majority of your books and why?

Thanks for stopping by.

Tags: Amazon, NY Times, David Streitfeld, bookstores, Jerry Seinfeld,