Sure, the convenience of internet access today allows us to get any book we need with just a few clicks, either digitally or delivered to our door - but when you finally hear about the last independently run Bronx bookstore closing in 2011 and the last B&N closing in October of 2014, the consequences of this shift to the internet brings itself into perspective.
I heard about this debacle on the Bronx 12 local news last year while the lease disputes were underway, but today the thought crossed my mind, kinda out of the blue while working in the library, as to what life would be like without access to books....
Again, with the continuous rise of the internet, access to books isn't entirely unavailable, but thinking about the issue, I become curious about the difference between bookstores as places and as websites. What kind of differences were lost with the closing of the last bookstore that can't be found online?
First, I wonder if shift away from books and towards screens is a bad shift at all...
1. If the shift can be seen environmentally friendly, we can imagine that a lesser book demand correlates to less paper demand = less cut trees = less shipment... This could potentially alleviate deforestation and the emissions produced by shipping of lumber and printed books.
2. If the internet provides more access to a wider range of books than a bookstore does, then cutting right to the chase - the elimination of bookstores in an area connects humans directly to that wider range of book access.
But I immediately think about the in-quantifiable value to be found browsing a book store.
The assortment of books and colorful cover art create an extremely welcoming environment not to be matched online. The people there share your interest in books, and will often point you in the direction of a good one.
And hold on, just because you can get more access online, does that automatically mean we should eliminate bookstores as places? With the elimination of bookstores as places, we lose that interaction, the human contact that is equally absent online.
What does it mean for a community - especially The Bronx - to lose its last point of access to bookstores as places, not just for the books they supply, but for the interactions they foster?
~ For all the other Fordham students, my neighbors in The Bronx, and fellow dwellers of bookstores world-wide - what would a community without a bookstore mean to you?
Here's a link to the NY Daily News article from late last year about the closing of the Bronx's last bookstore.
I have worked at my grandparents' bookstore in my town for the past 4 years and I have a great appreciation for bookstores. Though I prefer smaller, independent bookstores and don't like to support big chains like B&N, it is upsetting that not even they could stay in the Bx. When I found out there were no bookstores in the Bx I could hardly believe it. Customers at my grandparents' bookshop are always commenting on how nice it is to have a local bookstore where they can share and discuss interests, meet new people, and browse great books. Though you made some great points about how going paperless is a big help to the environment and for wider access, I still think the absence of bookstores is a greater loss to communities, especially underprivileged ones like the Bronx. I would actually argue that although the internet allows access to a wider selection of cheaper and even free books, not having a physical bookstore in your community lessens your access to books. The internet is just such a big place and with all of its options I feel like at least for me it lessens my interest in books in particular. Like you said, browsing a bookstore or a library is very different from browsing the internet, and the former is a lot better in my opinion. Also, online booksellers such as Amazon are causing massive problems for booksellers and authors, and the switch to ebooks is causing a decline in the writing of books itself in many ways.
ReplyDeleteAnother great thing about book stores is that it gives you the opportunity to preview a book or even get lost in it before potentially purchasing it. Last year during the summer and throughout second semester of senior year when I didn't care about school, I would often just go into my local bookstore and start reading a random book for countless hours (then purchase it out of courtesy). I can't do this on Amazon and like you said, bookstore just have a "welcoming environment" to them. Also, just three weeks ago, I literally spent 4 hours in a large Barnes and Noble in the city just browsing the sections, discussing all sorts of literature, and reading passages from great books with a friend. I particularly liked the Philsophy section :). Again, I couldn't have spent these quality four hours with my friend on Amazon or some other book purchasing site. A physical bookstore is just a great place in and by itself and it's a real shame the Bronx doesn't have a single one, especially considering how massive Fordham's Walsh library is (which, of course, is only accessible to Fordham students and staff). Another thing--for me personally, having a hard copy of a book is always better than any sort of electronic or kindle book. As for the environment thing--while it's seemingly true, I will argue with anyone that the pros FAR outweigh the cons of printing books. When it comes to saving paper, books aren't the primary issue. I hope someone will wisely open up a new bookstore in the Bronx soon.
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