Originally published on
dblback on December 2, 2013.
To walk into a bookstore is to take a trip back in time. The smell of all of those dust jackets and the stories that each book tells. Being able to take a book off of the shelf and thumb through its pages. Perhaps there were some notes in the margin from a previous owner, or some highlighted passages of prose that struck a chord. Each title has travelled miles to be there.
In a way, each book contains a story within a story. This is the case at Bundles of Books and Gifts, an independent bookstore near where I live. The times have changed and the spread of e-books has changed the need for places like this. Now, someone can digitally flip through pages from the comfort of their own home .
No need to go to a store to do so. No need for Bundles of Books. The store has begun to struggle, and the owners are now considering going out of business—hence the “for sale” signage in the windows.
Jeff Bezos, in an interview a few months back, made a very telling analogy about horses that also applies here. Matthew Ingram, a writer for paidContent, wrote an article
"Newspapers are like horses" that does a masterful job of summarizing the interview. He writes, “Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos says he sees a future in which newspapers are like horses — a luxury item for a small group of people, not a mainstream transportation method.” There may come a time when this is true for print books as well. There may not be a future for brick and mortar businesses in the book industry. Maybe print editions of books will only be for a select few.
Either way, I must say I am glad to have been around to see the likes of Bundles of Books. Take care, old friend. You will be missed.
[Photo taken by Keith Heggaton. Bundles of Books and Gifts is still open for business. They will remain open until March of 2014.]
