# More Bookstores Evaporate **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2014, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635 "2014-10-07T11:54:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/21 "2014-10-07T15:35:57Z")
Plus, a print book needs no battery charge, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/22 "2014-10-07T15:49:11Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > …and the B&Ns are not looking too perky in many places. B&N royally pissed me off a few months ago and I now use them as little a possible. In fact, the only time I’ll really even set foot in their stores is if I need a book TODAY or if Amazon is going to be out of the book I want for foreseeable future. The issue I had, I’ve heard tons of other people complaining about as well. Also, their facebook page is usually littered with complaints about Nook issues and the last time I was in a store a random person made the comment to me that they pulled out all the chairs and couches so she had no where to sit. On the one hand, I don’t care what happens to them since I don’t go there very often. OTOH, they’re really the only thing keeping Amazon’s book prices below list price. As soon as they gone, I’d imagine that those prices are all going to get hiked up very quickly. Having said that, B&N needs to step up there game, they’re practically throwing their customers at Amazon. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > But I need my books, dammit. And everyone ought to be able to read. And despite what they say, our Nook isn’t filling the gap. I’m not sure what your issue is here. Sure, a Nook/Kindle isn’t the same as a paper book, but it’s not like you can’t still get them. They’re not going away any time soon. > [@bump](#): > > Calm down… us Kindle users will get off your lawn! > > Seriously though; who buys print books nowadays? They’re just inferior in almost every way to e-books, with one definite exception- you can’t lend them out like you can a printed book. I haven’t done it myself, but you can lend out Kindle books (at least some of them) to other Kindle users. I’m not sure of all the ins and outs of though. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/23 "2014-10-07T15:51:02Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Plus, a print book needs no battery charge, ever. But you lose it, it’s gone. You can’t just download a new one. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/24 "2014-10-07T15:54:11Z")
> [@bump](#): > > No reason I can see to deal with an actual printed book anymore, unless you’re some kind of neo-luddite. If your plane crashes in the wilderness, it’s harder to start a fire with a Kindle. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/25 "2014-10-07T15:55:18Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > But you lose it, it’s gone. You can’t just download a new one. But losing a Kindle is a much bigger financial hit than losing a book. And sitting on a Kindle is probably a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Grrlbrarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrlbrarian/32/4048_2.png) [@Grrlbrarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrlbrarian)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/26 "2014-10-07T15:57:20Z")
> [@bump](#): > > Calm down… us Kindle users will get off your lawn! > > Seriously though; who buys print books nowadays? They’re just inferior in almost every way to e-books, with one definite exception- you can’t lend them out like you can a printed book. Otherwise they don’t fade, they don’t get beat up, they don’t yellow, you can search in them, you can easily look up bookmarks, you can view them anywhere without having to lug dozens of books with you, they have built-in dictionaries, the indices are often hyperlinked, the tables of contents are usually hyperlinked, etc… > > No reason I can see to deal with an actual printed book anymore, unless you’re some kind of neo-luddite. Oh, for heaven’s sake. I buy print books, as a matter of fact. Not in the numbers I used to, it’s true, but that’s more of a reflection on my own ability to spend than anything else. I have both an e-reader and masses of print books, and each type works well in different scenarios. I prefer print when: 1. I may not have access to sufficient battery / charging 2. There’s any danger of moisture / wetness, such as poolside, in the tub, etc. 3. I will be using them in public transit or anywhere else there’s high theft potential for an electronic device 4. On planes - I hate to fly and I’m not turning off my flaming e-reader just when I most needed distraction (during takeoff and landing) 5. Nearly any paperback is smaller in size than my e-reader, so any really tight spaces, or when I might need to stick my reading material in my pocket or bag and go quickly. 6. Also, I freely confess that I prefer natural light on print to backlight or adjusted light on my e-reader. No matter how I adjust the electronics, my eyes do experience fatigue more quickly with the e-reader. 7. Why buy when I could just use my local library? Because for books I really want to keep, I do re-read, and I want those items available pretty much all the time regardless of lighting, battery, security, etc. In summary: books are like screwdrivers, in a sense. I have a Phillips screwdriver, and that works great for some tasks. I also have a flathead screwdriver, and that works great for other tasks. I’m not going to eschew one type of screwdriver just because I own the other kind. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/27 "2014-10-07T15:58:38Z")
I’m fortunate that 1700 yards from my office is a Barnes and Noble. I think of them as my local bookstore. Yes, I have an e-reader and I borrow 99% of my books from the library in paper format. But about once a month I feel the need to buy a book made of paper for my very own. This past weekend was a Paris guidebook for my upcoming trip. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/28 "2014-10-07T16:04:48Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > I’m sorry that Boston is so small that it doesn’t have any libraries ☹ This. While the concept of buying print books is going away, people are still reading lots of them. If anything, I think the massive bookstore die-off will help libraries in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/29 "2014-10-07T16:14:23Z")
I’m lucky to live in an area that has an independent bookstore that survived both the incursion and the subsequent closing of Borders and B&N in the area. It’s a really good bookstore, with a great selection, helpful customer service, and strong local ties. We were traveling a couple of weeks ago and saw a B&N when we stopped for dinner. My husband and I agreed that we always feel a little weird when we see a B&N, like, “didn’t they go out of business years ago?” > [@bump](#): > > Seriously though; who buys print books nowadays? They’re just inferior in almost every way to e-books, with one definite exception- you can’t lend them out like you can a printed book. Otherwise they don’t fade, they don’t get beat up, they don’t yellow, you can search in them, you can easily look up bookmarks, you can view them anywhere without having to lug dozens of books with you, they have built-in dictionaries, the indices are often hyperlinked, the tables of contents are usually hyperlinked, etc… > > No reason I can see to deal with an actual printed book anymore, unless you’re some kind of neo-luddite. I love my Kindle for all the reasons you’ve put forth. The search function by itself is excellent. But when I really love a book I need to have a printed copy, partially because I really like the feel of paper (I guess that’s the neo-luddite part of me coming out), but partially because it’s hard to browse in a Kindle. Maybe I read one part and want to flip back to another bit that was related, but in a way that I can’t just do a simple search (and even if I could, it’s much more clunky than just flipping around back through scenes). Or maybe I want to flip forward and see what happens and when it happens. I read like this all the time! E-books make it hard to do, unless you’re reading them on a tablet, which has other problems: the harsh screen lighting which taxes my eyes if I look at it too long, and then my kid wants to steal the tablet and play Angry Birds. Also, on preview, everything **Grrlbrarian** said! ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/30 "2014-10-07T16:34:10Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > I closed down two bookshops this year. It is sad I suppose but then you don’t get too many people lamenting the lack of blacksmiths in most towns any more. > [@CalMeacham](#): > > Not a lot of people need horses shod, or square nails and boot-scrapers made, or tavern puzzles for Friday nights. > But I need my books, dammit. And everyone ought to be able to read. And despite what they say, our Nook isn’t filling the gap. Bingo. It’s a simple supply and demand thing. There aren’t enough customers to support having two blacksmiths in every town anymore. There are still, and will likely always be, specialty shops that cater to what customers remain. In the Northern Virginia (NoVA) area, there is, to my knowledge, one saddlery and one farm supply store still operating. Those few people who need a new buggy whip or whatever can go to them or try to find something online. The area just can’t handle having as many vendors as it used to because of lower demand, etc. There’s still a need, albeit a minimal one. If there was no need, those shops would close down due to simple economics. Obviously they’re doing enough business to stay open. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/31 "2014-10-07T16:40:08Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > …the used bookstore in Roxbury… It even had a bookstore CAT… Pics plz. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/32 "2014-10-07T16:44:22Z")
> [@raspberry\_hunter](#): > > it’s hard to browse in a Kindle. Maybe I read one part and want to flip back to another bit that was related, but in a way that I can’t just do a simple search (and even if I could, it’s much more clunky than just flipping around back through scenes). The Bookmark feature works fine, and is even easier to search than on paper. > [@](#): > > Or maybe I want to flip forward and see what happens and when it happens. Tap the screen and there’s a slider bar along the bottom. > [@](#): > > the harsh screen lighting which taxes my eyes if I look at it too long Tap the screen again and a toolbar with a Brightness icon appears at the top. > [@](#): > > and then my kid wants to steal the tablet and play Angry Birds. Can’t help with that one, sorry. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/33 "2014-10-07T16:44:35Z")
> [@Grrlbrarian](#): > > 1. On planes - I hate to fly and I’m not turning off my flaming e-reader just when I most needed distraction (during takeoff and landing) This is no longer true. You can read your Kindle and listen to your iPod to your heart’s content during takeoff and landing. At least in the US. I also read my Kindle in the bathtub all the time. I have a special bag for it. Better than dropping a paperback in the drink. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/34 "2014-10-07T17:53:18Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Pics plz. Couldn’t find any pix of the cat (sorry), but here’s a picture of the store, and some choice quotes appropriate to this thread: > **[With closure of Seek Books, chapter ends in Parkway](https://www.wickedlocal.com/story/transcript-tab/2014/02/04/with-closure-seek-books-chapter/39503371007/)** > > There will no longer be any bookstores in the Parkway after Seek Books became the second West Roxbury independent bookstore in less than a month to announce that it's going out of business. It joins … > [@](#): > > “It’s been great to have had a chance to meet many people and part of the joy has been to see people walk out of here with items they’ve been looking for and scratching another book off their list,” Kinne wrote. > > He and Asimov, the shop’s cat, plan on moving to New Mexico. > > Asked what he planned to do in the Southwest, Kinne replied, “Eat. Sleep. Read.” > > … > … > … > Kinne said he knew what he was doing when he decided to open the science fiction and fantasy bookstore in 2009 at the height of the recession. > > “I have the definitive collection of pre-1975 science fiction,” Kinne said. “E-books may reprint the ‘Foundation’ trilogy by Isaac Asimov, but not all of his books. Even if they print that stuff, they don’t have the cover art. That’s what people like about my place. They can’t replace what I have.” ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/35 "2014-10-07T18:02:31Z")
HERE’S A PICTURE of ASIMOV\*! #6 below: > **[12 Bookstore Cats](https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/26802/12-bookstore-cats)** > > Books and cats go together as well as peanut butter and jelly. You could file them under "things that are nice to curl up with" -at the same time! We featured a list of bookstore cats some time ago, but there are many stores with friendly and... Here, too: > **[12 Bookstore Cats](https://www.neatorama.com/2011/01/07/12-bookstore-cats/)** > > You'd be surprised at how many book stores across the country (and probably around the world) have cats living in them. It makes sense -people who enjoy books usually enjoy cats as well, often at the same time. In this mental\_floss article, you'll... - The Seek Books cat, not Isaac ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/36 "2014-10-07T18:11:28Z")
Here are three shots of Asimov, and his owner: > **[Cats and Bookstores: Fewer Things Go Together Better - Catster](https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cats-bookstores-go-together)** > > Learn more about in this article written about the cat experts at Catster! Catster is your go to source for cat news and expert insights. I don’t get to encounter cats when I buy books on Nook. Except our own. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/37 "2014-10-07T18:24:24Z")
I remember a Twilight Zone Episode where Burgess Meridith’s character was in the basement when the A bomb dropped. He happily got out his Nook to read away the time, then he broke the charger. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/38 "2014-10-07T18:26:03Z")
More Asimov pix, including two with the Lt. Governor. The Light Gov is the one in the suit: > **[MaingOcchau.com is for sale | HugeDomains](https://www.hugedomains.com/domain_profile.cfm?d=maingocchau.com)** > > Get your very own domain easily. Fast and professional customer service. ---
**Author:** ![raspberry\_hunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@raspberry\_hunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raspberry_hunter)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/39 "2014-10-07T19:29:17Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The Bookmark feature works fine, and is even easier to search than on paper. …if I knew I wanted to go back to that part, and put a bookmark there! Which never happens. > [@](#): > > Tap the screen again and a toolbar with a Brightness icon appears at the top. If I read on a tablet (which would, as I said before, restrict me to reading when my kid isn’t around 🙂 ) … which I don’t, usually. But even so I find that tablet readers very rarely go down to the minimum brightness I would like, and then the contrast is screwy. I really prefer eInk to a backlit screen for long-term reading. > [@](#): > > Tap the screen and there’s a slider bar along the bottom. Same thing about not using a tablet to read… And even so, I have used my iPad to read on occasion, which has the slider bar, and it’s not the same – there’s something about the flipping pages that makes it easier for me to find stuff. Probably just because that’s the way I grew up finding things in books, so I’m more used to that method, although possibly there’s an element of extremely fast gestalt recognition of how the words look on a page that’s in play here. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635/40 "2014-10-07T19:30:31Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > More Bookstores Evaporate Sublimate, surely. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/more-bookstores-evaporate/700635.md?page=3)