Borders - You Will Be Missed

I just got back from a trip and decided to stop by Borders, a book store. For those who do not know, Borders filed for bankruptcy. The store in Manassas, and others across the U.S., was closing.  I was in the store 15 minutes before it closed for good, I just did not know it until I made my purchase.

It was very sad, book shelves cleared out, offers on buying bookshelves, a young and helpful staff, movers taking out larger furniture units, and sales of up to 80 percent for certain types of books. Think of it like this.  When you move out of your home and most of the furniture is out, the house looks so empty.

Borders was a good bookstore and I am not here to comment on past actions by company executives.

Rather, I regret seeing any bookstore close. Take a look at the people in a bookstore. Generally, these people seek knowledge. They may be buying books, magazines, or journals. But they share an interest in learning.

Now I know a plurality of people read most or all publications electronically or from the internet. I certainly understand. Among my most treasured gifts is a Kindle, an electronic reader. It is unique. For traveling, it cannot be surpassed. You can subscribe to magazines and have it delivered via the internet.

Still, I miss bookstores. Just browsing up and down aisles is fun. You get a sense of what the public is looking for by what is on the shelves.  It is also a commentary on the demographics of the area.  I used to note the selection of journals in bookstores that I visited in different cities.  Sometimes I saw an emphasis on cultural publications, other times policy publications. 

To a major extent, bookstores are places where people with similar interests could meet and exchange ideas. Several bookstores sponsored reading and/or discussion groups.  We will see fewer of these locations as more bookstores close. 

First we saw independent bookstores close, then regional chains, then mergers of chains and now a national chain closes.  It leaves a void.  A void that I hope can be filled.