Burgold Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'm a sucker for books and bookstores esp. used book stores. http://wamu.org/audio/mc/09/02/m1090227-25260.asx I love the feel of a book and yellowing of the pages, the crinkling of the spine, and its heft. I love that we can capture and immortalize our ideas and our imagination. So while the difficulties Borders Books is facing isn't a surprise, I do find myself distraut. The newspaper and magazine businesses are dying as is the book business. With e-readers, at least there is a model pre-set for people to pay for books rather than get it for free as we've mistakenly done with the news, but I'll miss books the way I miss CDs, albums, and movies on tape or DVD. I will miss the concept of a collection or a library. The environmentalist in me wrestles with the fact that I should be happy about millions of trees not being turned into pulp and paper. The reader in me and more the selfish writer thinks we're losing something. Amazon is great if you know what you are looking for, but can it really compete with the accidental stumble of a bookstore? That happenstance meeting across the room with a book that turns out to be a love of your life? Maybe I'm just obsolete, but I love that thumb through, that casual wander. Borders facing bankrupsy, Barnes and Nobles in poor shape, and the gradual disappearance of so many Mom and Pop and used bookshops over the years signals something sad. Maybe this is just a normal evolution, but in this case I root for creation and the good book. Alexandria is on fire and barbarians are at the gate. It's not just bookstores. Libraries around the country are shrinking. Few hours. Fewer books on the shelves. More computers. Barbarians are at the gate and it is time to defend our Borders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 What have you got against Books A Million ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twa Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Time to let go and adapt Bur I'm a bit of a bibliophile,but technology is a wonderful thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homercles82 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I enjoy having hard copies of books that are my favorites but since getting my Kindle I have read more in the last 2.5 months than I had in over a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 yeah, I'm completely of two minds on this subject. I think the one thing I thought about after writing the OP is the part about taking your child to a bookstore and having it be a place of wonder and enchantment. I think there's got to be something really special about that. Eventually, and maybe even right now there really is little difference between a book download and a book (except staring at monitors makes ones eyes tire more quickly and there's all that radiation)... still, we're losing something in terms of community, art, and accident. Then again, maybe readers will wander further because they'll have access to so much more and they'll be prompted to consider books they haven't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 As much as I like Borders, this is just good business in action. Kindle is a good product that people like, is relatively inexpensive, and is revolutionizing the industry. That's how it goes, Amazon is to be commended for sticking thru it's own tough times and coming out on top the old fashioned way.. with a good product and good service. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Without doubt. Amazon won the business fight esp. because they endurred quite a few years of losses before ever turning a profit. Now, their model is far superior and the ereader is the topper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'm with you though,, i can spend hours in a Borders, and I do love it's kids area.. when mine was little it was always a fun destination. When I end up in a mall with my wife, it's a great refuge from the incessant picking thru racks of clothes and shoes. But, I do love Amazon too. Anything and everything, anytime. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I love Borders. It's my guilty pleasure, I guess. Go in and get a mocha-mappa-cappa-frappa-megaccino, pick through books, magazines and music for a couple of hours, and pretend, for that fleeting moment, to be just a little bit cultured. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 HH I get the image of you sitting in there sipping that bucket of coffee with your pinky out, wearing an ascott and horn rimmed glasses... a copy of "The Collected Works of William Faulkner" open in your lap,, concealing the issue of "Thong Show" magazine tucked inside... ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 HHI get the image of you sitting in there sipping that bucket of coffee with your pinky out, wearing an ascott and horn rimmed glasses... a copy of "The Collected Works of William Faulkner" open in your lap,, concealing the issue of "Thong Show" magazine tucked inside... ~Bang You could have at least said "hi." Jerk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Well, this is almost exactly how I felt when record stores vanished. I would never buy a kindle for myself. I'm a total history nerd but I can't stand staring at a computer screen for hours reading. Give me paper anyday. Still, I'm buying nearly all my books used online these days. Too many great bargains. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 You could have at least said "hi." Jerk. that was me in the fedora, sunglasses and trench coat.. pretending to read Emily Dickinson. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 that was me in the fedora, sunglasses and trench coat.. pretending to read Emily Dickinson.~Bang Thank you. My boss now knows that I'm not working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Burgold sounds like he could be the male version of Agent Paper from the anime called Read or Die It has been a while since I have went to a Borders and I have boxes and a few seabags of hardbacks and softcovers from over the years I just couldn't throw away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Yup, I have a bunch o books that I don't know I have that have been happily collecting dust for decades. Not sure why I keep some of them, but I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimboDaMan Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 HHI get the image of you sitting in there sipping that bucket of coffee with your pinky out, wearing an ascott and horn rimmed glasses... a copy of "The Collected Works of William Faulkner" open in your lap,, concealing the issue of "Thong Show" magazine tucked inside... ~Bang Borders sells thong magazines? We must preserve this piece of our heritage! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaydana Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 I'm one of the biggest consumers of books you'll find. My fiancee bought a Kindle for me this past Xmas and while I'll continue to shop book stores, this new avenue is the future of reading. Incidentally the reason Amazone/Bezos originally chose books as their primary offering? They are a gift that is rarely if ever returned to the vendor. They just grew from that first business plan into something, in Internet terms, as enduring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 That's an interesting incidental, Deejay. I may be wrong, but I think that the kindle is maybe a smaller factor of Borders closing than the fact that books are so easily shopped for online at better prices? ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaydana Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^true true. With that said, and I'm showing my age here, I miss the corner, mom and pop record store. That animal, unfortunately, is never coming back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 Most of the reports lay the blame on Borders coming so late to the game with their version of an e-reader. Almost three years after everyone else. I thinkr you'e kind of right that ultimately it has to do with brick and mortar's stores inability to compete both pricewise and in selection. Amazon can include every book in the Library of Congress because they don't have to physically warehouse it until it's purchased. It will be interesting to see what happens to publishing once books really go away. On the one hand, publishing will be much more profitable. It will cost exactly the same to publish one book as a million. On the other hand, who'll need publishers? Except for the PR advantage anyone can write, typeset, and add graphics on their home PC to create an electronic book. So, why should an author give Harper Collins 90% of the profits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deejaydana Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 Most of the reports lay the blame on Borders coming so late to the game with their version of an e-reader. Almost three years after everyone else. I thinkr you'e kind of right that ultimately it has to do with brick and mortar's stores inability to compete both pricewise and in selection. Amazon can include every book in the Library of Congress because they don't have to physically warehouse it until it's purchased.It will be interesting to see what happens to publishing once books really go away. On the one hand, publishing will be much more profitable. It will cost exactly the same to publish one book as a million. On the other hand, who'll need publishers? Except for the PR advantage anyone can write, typeset, and add graphics on their home PC to create an electronic book. So, why should an author give Harper Collins 90% of the profits. I think that last part you mentioned, the technology piece, has equally freed and turned on its head, the music industry. Why shouldn't the artist/author reap the majority of the benefits/rewards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 man, I love the old record shops too.. Where I grew up in Forestville we had Record Fair over in Penn Mar shopping center, and man, I could spend hours in there. they knew me so well they used to give me all the promotional posters and such, I had some really coo stuff at one point. Course, up the road a mile or so was Kemp Mill records with it's giant 6' green bong in the window... I only could get in there if my Mom didn't know that's where i was. Which is to say I was in there quite a bit. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 I think the one difference in music is that the studio can make a big difference. The quality of mics, the board, how "quiet" the studio is, etc. You're not really wrong though. With today's software, almost anyone can be a music producer in their home and you can make a pretty darn professional sounding CD for a couple thousand dollars (okay, more like ten), but after that initial expenditure the price for future recordings doesn't really change. Still, the difference a good engineer/producer makes or an editor for that matter can be profound. I think in some ways this is a change for the worse. It's great that everyone has a platform and a voice, but the overall quality is suffering because of it. And yeah, I miss record shops too esp. the one's where the owner was a long haired hippy who sat behind the counter and new practically every song on every disc and truly loved music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koolblue13 Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 When I was a kid, to find the music I wanted, I had to ride my skate board 30 minutes, 45 minutes on the train and then a full day in Philly searching. Now, I can just turn on Pandora and find a ton of new music. I assume this works for books as well. As far as books, I love the environmental impact this will have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.