For fans of the written word, there’s nothing like taking some time to meander through a bookstore: wandering through the aisles, browsing the hundreds of unknown titles until an interesting binding catches your eye; maybe it has a fascinating title or particularly interesting typography. You run your finger down its spine, feeling the texture of the tome. Pulling the book from the shelf, you read the synopsis and become intrigued. Maybe you sit right down between the shelves and read a few pages to get a feel for the writing. Your back pressed against the wooden shelves, you inhale bits of a new world, enough to convince you this book needs to become part of your collection. You add it to the pile in your arms and make your way to the cash register, stopping at random when another book jumps out at you.
But if browsing through the shelves of a local bookstore is so enjoyable, then why are so many going out of business? Today, fewer and fewer people are buying their books from brick-and-mortar stores. The demand for literature is as high as ever, and yet bookstores across the nation are being driven out of business. Even the mighty Borders chain has gone bankrupt and closed its doors. Continue reading
