Bookstores and Libraries

Good evening all! Everyone surviving the rain in the Atlanta area? There are rumors of snow on the horizon. All I can think is, why oh why aren't I in bed with a fuzzy blanket and a cup of tea, nestled with my delightful book and nothing to do? Possibly with a yummy snack and the crackle of a fireplace, the lights bright enough to read by but dim enough to give a woozy, comfy feeling.

Yeah. Like that.

So here's a cool website I just stumbled upon: Publishers Weekly, news about the publishing industry and all that revolves around that miniature planet, all in one place. Until recently I've been using my own experiences, ideas, thoughts, conversations, research, subjects sent to me by readers, and the Discover button on my Twitter account to acquire inspiration for the posts I write here, but now I have another resource to add to my list.

And, lo-and-behold, I came across an article of interest. Fancy that.

Gabe Habash featured a study made recently on the Influence of Bookstores and Libraries and how that influence for children seems to be wearing away. Apparently,

"there has been a marked decline in bookstore and library influence as a source of recommendation and acquisition, and that many purchases are instead migrating online to vendors like Amazon."

Well, frankly, that's not all that surprising. Amazon.com has become an incredible platform for booklovers to acquire their next novel. You can get books new, used at cheaper prices, you can preorder releases that haven't come out yet, and you can make a wishlist of things you want for other people (parents, grandparents, friends, family) to look at and get ideas on what you may actually want for Christmas this year. I love Amazon, myself, and I rarely buy a book elsewhere. If there's a used bookstore nearby, then I'll go and have some fun browsing and purchasing, if the money is to spare. I'll only buy a new book from a bookstore if I have a time crunch in terms of hours. Other than that, it's strict Amazon, for me, and the studies show that I'm not the only one.

Of course, the study does not seem to have a bad ending-- family and friends have become the top source of knowhow about where to get a book or why a book should be read. Word of mouth and ear to ear is now more influential than wandering the bookstore or library alone. I can't really see how that's bad, and the book homes are clearly not suffering. In fact, the study also reported that

"On the topic of digital, a surprising shift back to print was seen since spring 2012."

Ahah. This is exactly what I thought. Personally, anyone who is a huge book lover is going to always have paper copies of books.  Kristen McLean, CEO of Bookigee,  delivered the results of the same report at the Children's Publishing Goes Digital conference on the 15th of this month, stating that the levelling off of eBooks could be attributed to

"the “shininess” wearing off new devices and, as people become accustomed to what digital can offer, they are making more nuanced decisions regarding reading habits."

Book buyers may also have a Kindle or some such platform to read eBooks with, but they will never stop buying physical books. For one, not every physical book has an 'e' equivalent. And secondly, there is truly no replacement for smelling a book, for feeling the pages, and for putting your own personal mark on a well-read novel, whether you crease the spine or imprint the pages with your fingers or write your name inside the front cover.