When I was growing up there were two locally-owned, independent bookstores in the immediate area. About 10 years ago both closed and we gained a few new Barnes and Noble stores and a Borders. Today, there are no independent book stores in my area. I hate this! Instead, I am forced to buy from big-box stores when I need a book quickly. It is also hard to form a relationship with a bookseller at a big bookstore, in my experience. I read around the blogosphere about bloggers who form great relationships with their local booksellers and I wish I could do that!
Am I the only one who is seriously lacking in small, hometown bookstore department over here? If you don’t have an independent bookseller in your area, what do you do? Do you shop online? At Barnes and Noble? I am really interested in how others deal with this.
Filed under: miscellaneous | Tagged: bookstores, independent booksellers |
The Reading Zone 
I don’t have any independent bookstores near me, so I usually have to shop at Borders. I do know the booksellers there, though, but they’ve never helped me to find books.
I don’t blame the booksellers at Borders or Barnes and Noble. Most of them are kids or parents working a second or part-time job. Book selling isn’t necessarily their passion. That’s why I want an independent store!
I want one so badly! I just found out that we have one near us, but it isn’t a home-y bookstore, and it looks like Costco. We have Joseph-Beth, but that’s a bit of a hike. I wish you luck in finding a bookstore!
This is an old post of course (been lagging on my Google Reader), but have you tried BookSense? I use LibraryThing very frequently, and it’s a prominent feature there.
Fortunately there’s at least two independent stores in my town… one new bookstore, and a very large used bookstore.
I am an owner of a small independent bookstore and I absolutely love it! You are so right in that we do form great bonds and lasting relationships with many of our customers and I believe that it adds a special feeling on both ends. Where I grew up, we did not have any small bookstores, but I later found out that my mom used to buy all of our children’s books from a small children’s bookstore near her work. I am so glad that she was able to support that bookstore and now, as a small bookstore owner myself, I hope that my locals and other will keep supporting me.