Borders Filing For Bankruptcy, Stores closing.

[karadinart]

I remember when the first Borders opened here in 1990, and subsequently, most of our decades-old independent bookstores shut down, there isn't going to be much left to fill the gap. Some blame the failings in the recession and e-readers. My only fear is, paper books will become more expensive (then they already are) and there will be less paper books in libraries - maybe there will eventually be virtual libraries, but I love going to the local library, with is wonderfully light-filled high ceilings, the park and the coffee shop.

And I love well made books, the paper, the bindings, holding them in my hand. While e-reading is fine, I always wonder, what if the reader breaks, or I lose power, or my file gets corrupted? Or what if they begin selling books that have an expiration date? You don't have those issues with a paper book.

http://s.wsj.net/public/resources/documents/st_borders0216_20110216.html

Comments

[karadin.livejournal.com]

Our bookshop Hungry Mind (now closed) was able to draw the most interesting authors in for events, and all genres, including the then fledgling graphic novel.

I agree with you on the ease of ebooks and the ridiculousness of the pricing - and for hardcovers, yes, they are expensive, and the large paperbacks are stupid (I just had to return one, you do not print the Complete Sherlock Holmes of over 1,000 pages and put it in a binding that would not really cover 300.)

But publishing itself is a crazy business, what other business would take back product it doesn't sell?