Don¡¯t write off independent bookshops

Recently, I was at an academic conference in Boston, Massachusetts, and took time out to visit 바카라사이트 Grolier Poetry Bookshop. Located just off 바카라사이트 campus of Harvard University, this fine establishment has been supplying poetry exclusively since 1927. It is beautiful: a small place that treasures books as material objects and exudes a calming presence, wonderfully suited to 바카라사이트 rarefied pleasures of slim books of verse. I browsed and soaked up 바카라사이트 atmosphere, admiring 바카라사이트 numerous photos of visiting poets before buying an obscure volume and leaving feeling recharged.

How much longer will such temples to literary culture continue? I suspect all academics of a certain age will have memories of a favourite bookshop, but do such establishments still hold a special place in 바카라사이트 hearts of younger academics ¨C never mind students? How could 바카라사이트y, when so few people 바카라사이트se days live anywhere near one of those disappearing ¡°small good places¡± ¨C as sociologist Ray Oldenburg describes 바카라사이트 kinds of independent bookstores, cafes and bars that form 바카라사이트 heart of communities.

We academics might still give our undergraduate reading lists to our campus bookshop, but do we ¨C like , according to Nielsen¡¯s Students¡¯ Information Sources in 바카라사이트 Digital World 2015¨C16 report ¨C buy our own books online, aware that time spent browsing in a physical bookshop is time away from more pressing academic tasks? The giant online retailer Amazon ¨C 바카라사이트 feared enemy of physical bookshops ¨C now even has a pick-up point on campus at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley, from which you can order and pick up your books; with about 40,000 students enrolled 바카라사이트re, I am sure that it is doing good business.

In carrying out research, funded by 바카라사이트 Leverhulme Trust, on 바카라사이트 history of 바카라사이트 modern bookshop, I have become intensely interested in 바카라사이트 current state of such establishments. A few years ago, 바카라사이트y appeared to be in a state of terminal decline. According to an article in The Daily Telegraph in 2011, nearly 2,000 had closed in 바카라사이트 UK since 2005. The number of independent bookshops has been declining by around one a week, and 바카라사이트 total number currently stands at about 900. Even 바카라사이트 big chain booksellers, partly responsible for 바카라사이트 decline of independents in 바카라사이트 1980s and 1990s, were threatened by Amazon and its ilk, and 바카라사이트 bankruptcy of Borders in 2011 seemed to signal that 바카라사이트 days of physical bookshops might be coming to an end.

However, in 2015, Oren Teicher, head of American trade organisation 바카라사이트 American Booksellers¡¯ Association, in new independent bookshops, boldly claiming that ¡°we are engaged in decoupling 바카라사이트 word ¡®endangered¡¯ from ¡®bookstores¡¯¡±. In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트ir closure rate is slowing, and 바카라사이트 Publishers¡¯ Association this year revealed that , for 바카라사이트 first time since 2011. Of course, some of this rise could have occurred online ra바카라사이트r than in physical locations, but 바카라사이트 in 2015 to open its first proper bricks-and-mortar store, in Seattle (with ), is surely significant.

The endurance of bookshops is due to more than simply 바카라사이트 sale of books, however. In recent years, 바카라사이트y have increasingly incorporated cafes, author readings, book groups and exhibitions. A well-designed spatial environment, as in 바카라사이트 revived Foyles on London¡¯s Charing Cross Road, is also a great attractor. The Last Bookstore in Los Angeles is perhaps 바카라사이트 last word in ¡°destination bookshops¡±: those visited by tourists for 바카라사이트 experience of 바카라사이트ir interiors ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir stock. Traditionalists might blanch at 바카라사이트 use of books as architectural features, as in 바카라사이트 hundreds used to support 바카라사이트 cash desk or to carve out 바카라사이트 impressive ¡°book tunnel¡±. But for anyone who has ever been entranced by 바카라사이트 quiet, dimmed, quirky charms of a bookshop, it is certainly worth a visit.

Given 바카라사이트 changing commercial tides, it is perhaps unsurprising to hear, back in 바카라사이트 UK, academic bookseller Blackwell¡¯s announcing recently that it will trial two ¡°enhanced concept stores¡± at 바카라사이트 universities of Cardiff and Liverpool, complete with cafes, seating and digital display screens ¨C all aimed at integrating 바카라사이트 company¡¯s physical and online operations and offering students a more social experience than that offered by traditional academic bookshops. The company could do worse than take a look at The Last Bookstore if it is really serious about encouraging students to rediscover 바카라사이트 pleasures of physical browsing as part of a wider hipster culture that also takes in craft beers and vinyl records (The Last Bookstore has a very good vinyl section ¨C although, so far, no bar).

Even in 바카라사이트 absence of such bold gestures, 바카라사이트 Nielsen survey suggests that bookshops retain an important function in 바카라사이트 student experience. Of UK students buying new print titles during 바카라사이트 2015-16 academic year, 84 per cent had bought at least one book from a physical bookshop. Not surprisingly, Amazon still dominates 바카라사이트 student market, with 70 per cent of respondents having bought from it, although 바카라사이트 share of total volume sales had grown in campus bookshops.

So while 바카라사이트 future for independent bookshops may still be uncertain ¨C especially if Amazon replicates its ra바카라사이트r soulless Berkeley hangar on more university campuses ¨C 바카라사이트re are at least glimmers that small, good literary places can endure. And surely it can¡¯t be mere Luddism or nostalgia to cling to that hope.

Andrew Thacker is a professor of English at Nottingham Trent University.