In today’s class, an interesting discussion occurred surrounding the role of local bookstores in an evolving economy, where ebooks and online shopping are becoming increasingly present. Many people were inclined to side with these local stores, and felt that the new developments were threatening an enjoyable tradition. This makes perfect sense, because the act of shopping in a bookstore is in of itself an experience. The act of sifting through shelves and flipping through pages before making a final purchase has become one of the major appealing aspects of visiting a bookstore. It is what makes shopping for books a more enjoyable experience than grocery shopping for example, because the shopping experience is an adventure rather than a mundane task. Despite the fact that Barnes and Noble may have killed some local competition, people should be thankful for this company, as it is the institution that is most likely to preserve the experience we have come to know and love.
I agree that being able to flip through the pages of a book while visiting the bookstore before making a purchase is extremely appealing. Sometimes when I have nothing better to do I will visit the bookstore just for this purpose, even when I have no intention of actually buying a book.
One thing that a company like Amazon will never capture is the ability to actually read some of the book and the experience. This experience includes picking up books that simply catch your eye.
It’s all about if you want to support local businesses and pay more in order to allow more people to have a living. However, there are a lot of people who want the government to “support main street” when in reality they’re only “supporting wall street.” This isn’t an issue that the government can solve, it’s an issue that will have to be taken up by the people.
I, also, believe that you lose a special touch of a bookstore when you order from big online stores. There is just such a special touch of going to a bookstore and picking up a book.