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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Bye Bye, Bookstores


I came to the sad conclusion today that I may have made my last big bookstore visit.  I love bookstores, and now they are all pretty much gone.  Years ago when I worked downtown, I used to go to the bookstore on the second level of Midtown Plaza.  I believe it was a Waldenbooks at the time, but it was so long ago now ( around 35 years ago) that I might be mistaken.  I remember everyone buying the Thornbirds (1979), Shanna (1977) and Sacajawea (1978) when those paperbacks first came out.  Midtown also had a second choice for buying books.  There was a Scrantoms stationery store also on the second level.  They sold paperbacks along with gifts and cards.  They were locally owned and couldn’t hold out against the chain stores.




My all-time favorite bookstore had to have been Borders.  It wasn’t just because I worked in Henrietta for 9 years and stopped in there often on lunch breaks.  Even when I was working elsewhere, a trip to Borders was always a treat.  You could go in and browse, and the selection was enormous.  I always knew I’d come out with at least 2 or 3 new books. It broke my heart when they closed.  I still miss them.  When I head out 390 South, I still want to get off at Hylan Drive and go to Borders.  Only they are long gone. I think I am glad I work downtown now and don’t have to see the store sitting unoccupied or being used for other purposes. I don’t know what’s there now.  I don’t have the heart to look.



I went to Barnes and Noble today because I had that “I want a book” feeling.  I am looking for something that I can lose myself in.  I stopped in Pittsford at the biggest Barnes and Noble in the area.  I was so disappointed.  Like the one in Greeceridge Center Mall, it’s becoming skimpy on selection. They’ve pared the selections way down.  Sections of books that used to occupy 2 or 3 rows of shelves now occupy 1 shelf.  They have increased the children’s area with its toys and games and junk.  They have a good-sized Nook area which is great if I wanted another e-Reader.  I have two now that I use infrequently.  They also have a decent-sized used books area.  There are a few “new releases” shelves, but the inventory overall is way down.  They used to be packed with books, and now there’s a lot of open space.  I am afraid they may be going the same route as Borders went.


So it looks like I am probably not going to be spending much time salivating over the selection of books in a big bookstore any more.  Barnes and Noble doesn't carry them, and they are the only big store left. I never really got into libraries like my Mom did. If the book is great, I want to keep it.  I don’t want to have to give it back after a few weeks.  I am still trying to get used to e-books.  I have lots of them downloaded, but I forget I have them.  They are out of sight and out of mind.  I like to be able to flip through the pages of a book and be able to bounce back several chapters to look things up. That’s harder to do electronically.  I also find on an e-Reader that I start a book and don’t finish it.  It doesn’t hold my interest in that format. I would hit more used bookstores, but I also find the selection and the quality of the books there are lacking.  I don’t want to read some stained and dog-eared copy of a book. 

If newer books in a physical format (either hardcover or paperback) ever disappear, I think I will be devastated. For now I will content myself with online purchasing.  There is no immediacy there, though.  Even with Amazon’s quicker shipments, it’s 2 or 3 days before the book arrives.  I miss finding that great book and rushing home to read it. 



SOURCES: 
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2 comments:

  1. Is Worldwide News still open? I think they were on St. Paul downtown. I remember you and I would go there quite often not only for books but for magazines too. Borders was a Michigan-based chain. I never got into them I guess because the one in my area was always so messy. Books, etc. on the floors. My local Barnes and Nobel is very good. So far I don't think they've opened a Used section. There is one nearby that does though but I'd rather buy used books from someone trying to make a living with their own shop.

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  2. Worldwide News is still open, but I always thought of that as more for newspapers and magazines. I haven't been there in years. I've been working downtown again for 2 years, but that's not the greatest of areas to walk to so I haven't done it yet. Borders here was always great - they did a great job keeping the books on the shelves. There was nothing on the floors.

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