The Death of the Bookstore

If you haven't heard, bookstores are closing down left and right. I came across this article on CNN that paints the picture of the death of Borders, a well loved bookstore chain that has seen its death due to bankruptcy. Many independent booksellers have had to liquidate and close their doors as well.

It is bittersweet for this book lover. I enjoy walking through a bookstore and browsing the shelves, flipping through pages of books that caught my attention with an interesting dust jacket, or a title that jumped off the shelf. I enjoyed the diversity of the books offered, watching other book lovers find that treasured jewel and rush to the counter to buy it. It is still my favorite store at the mall, and it is the guaranteed one shop stop that I will make.

I also enjoy the used bookstores, and still see their life hanging on for a while. The dusty, musky smell of age old books collecting the aromas of their owners and then shifting off to someone else. This is really my haven, as the right used stores are lined from wall to wall, floor to ceiling with buried treasures waiting to be found. It's a small slice of heaven for me and I one day dream of opening my own used bookstore.

So what is causing this death of bookstores?

For one, the economy. Let's be honest, these large chain stores didn't always offer up the most friendly prices for a book. I rarely bought a book straight off of the shelve unless it had a big red "Clearance" sign above it. The dusk jacket price was unreal and rarely do these chain stores mark the prices down. They might give a slight discount on a new book for a few weeks, or eventually put it on a clearance rack or table after sales cooled down, but for the average book it was still way too high. I believe this ultimately led to the economic failure of these stores and their eventual bankruptcy filings.

There are a few other factors here that are obvious in today's book selling world. 

The internet certainly changed the playing field with companies like amazon.com.  Amazon is still my go to place to buy books now. Steeply discounted prices, an amazon like offering of titles, quick shipping options, and the game changing Kindle are my deciding factors.

Some have said I'm shallow, but when I'm on a tight book buying budget, the bigger bang for the buck wins every time. The E-Book revolution has changed things as well. I used to carry two or three books with me in my bag at all times, but now I can carry thousands of books. A library travels with me at all times and offers a diverse selection for me to choose from. Not to mention the thousands of titles that are free for download from Amazon and other sites, the Kindle is a bookstore killer. Barnes and Noble released the Nook recognizing that they had to change their game to stay in the competition. 

So, the basic answer is the economy, the internet and the e-book revolution.

I have found myself among those who are saddened to see the bookstores close, but aren't willing to shell out the big bucks to keep them open.

Some may say I am shallow, but I don't buy from our local Christian bookstore for the same reasons. Their prices are steep and their selection is small. Why buy a book from the bookstore when I can buy three for the same price online?

Some would argue that I should be supporting the local economy. Fair point.

Some would argue that I should be supporting local Christian businesses. Fair point.

I would argue that while both points are valid, my determining factor is budget. While I seek to continue reading and learning from new books, I also have to support my family.

And there is this really cool thing called a library where I can borrow books for free, and they normally stock the bestsellers. That's a frequent stopping place as well.

I'm sad to see the stores closing but the bottom line is it is guys like me that are giving them their death sentence.