Last weekend during a random excursion with a loved one, I ended up at an old independent bookstore in Yarmouth. Ceiling-high shelves brimmed with books – old and new – telling stories I will never in my lifetime have enough time to read. The experience was all so familiar, breathing in the musty air, nearly tripping over a makeshift stack of books in a narrow aisle, and conversing with the quirky employee behind the desk (who hadn’t completed Customer Service Training 101).
Of course we took it all in, enjoying every moment. But I couldn’t help but ask myself if bookstores will someday be obsolete.
Within the span of two years, locals have noticeably fewer bookstores to patronize. Borders in Wareham closed last spring, Bev Loves Books in Rochester shuttered in August, and last month 23-year old Bakers Books announced it is significantly downsizing its store (moving into a smaller location one-third its previous size).
The culprits of their demise that automatically come to mind are electronic books, savvier public libraries embracing new technology and, of course, a tightening pocketbook. So, in this day and age, what does it take for a bookstore to survive? Do they have a future?
I decided to bring this question to local bookstore owners and librarians.
For Deborah Baker of Baker’s books, the answer is yes – bookstores will live on… but in smaller numbers.
“I think there will definitely be fewer independent bookstores,” Baker said. “Those who are able to create communities around their store [will make it]. That cultivation takes a while, but as people pass away, move away, and the new generation comes in, that is when the change will really take place.”
Baker admitted that electronic reading is all the rage, but at the end of the day “there are people adamant about having a real book in their hands.”
Meeting those peoples’ desire for a bookstore is not easy, she said. “It’s a labor of love. It’s been an uphill battle, but I’ve loved every minute,” Baker said.
Gail Roberts of Rochester Plumb Library, however, said in response to the notion that there will be no bookstores in 50 years: “Sad to say, I think you’ll be right.”
She admits that she does not purchase physical books anymore “unless I can’t get it any other way.”
“I don’t buy CDs anymore… it’s the same thing. I can get CDs from the library, or watch movies streaming from Netflix, or get a Nook and not have a physical book,” Roberts said. “As far as physical paper books go, I don’t buy them anymore, which is sad.”
She said old or rare books still intrigue her, including an out-of-print, depression-era tour book of Massachusetts. She said publishers have not completely converted to electronic yet, as she still receives armloads of printed advance reader copies of books at library conferences.
She admits of books, “They smell so nice,” but believes the days of bookstores may be numbered.
Marion Library Director Judith Kleven countered, “The idea that brick and mortar stores are going to disappear is a fallacy.” Like libraries, she said bookstores are a place where patrons receive the personal touch and can talk about what they like and dislike, and get suggestions for new reading
“I’m in favor of smaller book stores as an extra resource for everyone in the community – just going in and talking about books. When you are at home downloading on a Kindle, you aren’t connecting with others,” she said.
Kleven said there is somewhat of a “conflict” with libraries, but firmly believes “there is room for everyone” when it comes to smaller, independent bookstores.
“The feel, look and texture of a book is totally different from holding a Kindle, Nook and iPhone – it’s so much better,” Kleven said.
However, unlike the past, stores cannot provide a livelihood for someone, one local bookstore owner said.
John Ludes, who purchased the Book Stall in Marion with his wife last year, said he purchased it in the spirit of nostalgia.
“It does not make any money. Most stores are not making any money. They branch out to other venues – cards, jewelry, and other types of auxiliary items,” he said. “It’s been around for a long time, and we felt it was too much of an institution to lose.”
“Bookstores are like dinosaurs, they are slowly getting down to very, very few. And when you see places like Borders and the others closing down, it’s just going to take individuals who want to keep them running that supplement them with other ways to keep them going,” he said.
“People probably can get books that are less expensive from Kindle and Amazon, but people will want to keep [bookstores],” Ludes said.
And although I think the jury is out on whether bookstores will be around 20, 40, or 100 years from now – at least the love of reading will persevere for as long as humans are around. Maybe even longer than the musty smells in old independent bookstores.
By Laura Fedak Pedulli
