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What Does Borders Closing Mean to You?
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Guess I'll answer first. It doesn't mean anything to me to be honest. I haven't shopped at a bookstore in years and I've been less than impressed with B&N and Borders with their lack of selections. Borders might have sold more AA titles than B&N but they completely ignored anything interracial, at least the ones I shopped at.We all knew this would happen. The only people I feel sorry for are the people losing jobs but Borders put themselves into this hole. Supposedly Borders killed a lot of indie stores when it first came along so a lot of people think this is well-deserved karma. I also don't see this as the end of a publishing era as some folks claim. Books will always be around, maybe not always in the same formats but books and authors will always be around.
Wonder how long B&N will last?
Best Wishes!
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I'm sad. I don't see it as Karma because as we grow as a society there are changes. Think of the jobs lost due to the Industrial Revolution. MOST of us have either suffered directly or indirectly due to progress. For me, the big box stores were vehicles by which I was able to get families to READ through storytimes, Pajamarama (started in our area by Borders), etc. It was also so close to home that my DH and I were able to have "date nights" with the food supply (me!) close at hand when the kids were young.There is NOTHING like holding a book in your hand. There is NOTHING like being able to go into your local bookstore, peruse the selections, pick-up something from the bargain book table, haggle with your kids over the MAXIMUM number of books they can buy, etc. I am seriously going to miss that. There's still Barnes & Noble; so, our family is going to make it a point to go there as much as possible to help out in our small way.
Finally, I only hope this wakes up the Los Angeles Public Library folks and they re-open some libraries (like our gorgeous downtown branche) on Sundays again. They just NOW re-opened the branches on Mondays. I kid you not.
Peace.
I'm sad. Often times I would spend my lunch browsing the shelves or on weekends. I never had problem getting IR title through them b/c if they didn't have a particular title in stock they would special order and I'd it have in few days.A.M.
It saddens me. I have always found extreme happiness and solace in book stores. While it was a chain store and not exactly homey - I still loved wandering through there with the endless selection of books to buy and my limited amount of funds to buy the books with. I remember when I first went to Borders, my first time in a bookstore, I thought it was a Mall Library LOL. My mom explained to me that it was a place people got books and could keep them. She let me get a book, which was a splurge back then, and i thought i was gonna die from happiness. Ive been a borders girl ever since. Sucks that it had to close down. It really does worry me that other places will fall to this type of fate. Amazon/kindle is force to be reckoned with. Hope barnes and noble isnt next
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The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
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It's sad really, though not unexpected. The Borders at The Bridge in Westchester was my hangout for many years. I made friends with most of the staff, especially the fantasy geeks amongst them, LOL. They'd always have new books for me to check out. I've always loved bookstores, and even though I own a Nook, I still love my physical books and nothing can replace the tactile sensation of holding a book or the smell of the ink or just wandering the aisles for hours at a time. I feel really bad for the employees who are facing uncertainty now.
Someone said maybe Amazon will open stores now. Please. No way. I'd find that silly because one of the main reasons they sell so well is because of ebooks and being able to order books online cheaply. If Amazon opened up brick and mortar stores they'd go down the same path as these that are struggling. Some folks just talk out of their butts! I have to roll my eyes at that one. Amazon knows they are running the show and they know why they are effective. They don't WANT physical stores. What they accomplish by being online only is what's made them so successful.Best Wishes!
Shop indy book stores! They were there before B and N, and Borders, and some are still around. The local used book stores also carry some new books, and the people who work there are always willing to talk books with shoppers. There is a local indy "chain" of 2 stores that is still reeling them in, having book signings, etc. That's what will replace the chains with minimum-wage workers having to wear "Borg-units" in their ears, because the Borders stores were so vast. I prefer smaller venues.
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The FountainPenDiva, Old school geek chick and lover of teddy bears
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Powell's in Oregon absolutely ROCKS!
Borders closing doesn't affect me, but I'm sorry for the thousands of employees who will lose their jobs. Most of my books I purchase on Amazon, direct from publisher sites, or the indie bookstore near my house.
I predicted this a long time ago when I used to manage a mega bookstore. The model was unsustainable. People primarily came to socialize and read books. That's what a library should be, NOT a store. I think the indy bookstores will make something of a comeback, but only for the niche market, like Civil War buffs. Paperbacks will cease because publishers have never made money off them. There will only be ebooks and hardcovers.
Interesting observation Roslyn...that new paperbacks will disappear. You are probably right...we'll see.
I feel sad for all the people out of work. The big corporate executives aren't going to suffer, that's for sure. But the end of Borders doesn't mean the end of books! B&N may go that way too. Roslyn, interesting observations. I always wondered if they made any money. I felt guilty going in to have coffee and read the magazines. Guess I wasn't the only one! When I did buy books, I took one from the back of the stack because the front one was usually well-thumbed. I'm sure that was a loss for the store too.Fiona, you have the right idea! I hope indie stores make a huge comeback. In my city, we don't even have a new book indie store. There are a couple of used book stores. I go in there and sit and browse, but I always buy.
Maybe indie coffee shops will make a comeback too. I love to go in Panera's and Starbuck's to read or work on my laptop, but, damn, the prices! If I had the capital, I've always dreamed of opening a place that would be like an office, for writers and other home workers, with tables, desks and lots of electrical outlets. There'd be a cafe and a mailing center. Now I'd have to add a bookstore! lol!
Andrea, those are the kinds of places I look for when we go camping in the northwoods. When there is a choice, I'd rather not go into a McD's for the free wi-fi...they don't need my money! I go into the coffee houses where the locals hang-out and use their wi-fi, because I feel good about paying for my coffee there, to help keep them in business. That's what we need more of...places for us isolated folks to hang-out and chat...
I wish I could find a place like that around here, Fiona.
Me too! I'm in a suburb west of Chicago, and there aren't any places like that around here that I know of...except the used book store I mentioned but they don't serve coffee or have any tables you can sit at to write or read. I always thought the Borders was kind of impersonal. And there are Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Caribou Coffee places in town, but none have the kind of welcoming feel that the places I've been to up in northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin seem to have.Probably not much of a profit margin in providing a place for locals to meet and feel comfortable. sigh.
It's gonna be something to see how publishers do through this. They have already lost millions because Borders was going down the tubes. They're gonna lose probably more than they've already lost. Also, some of the big publishers have sales teams that work directly with Borders and will probably let those folks go. It's gonna be a mess all around and people will be losing their jobs all over the place.
I really love Borders! They had a great selection of IR,coupons and incentives.
I am sure you've all heard that Borders is officially going bye-bye. What does this mean to you personally if anything?