Here I am in Ann Arbor, Michigan being Bubbe while my son is off presenting at a conference. I’ve written about this great town before but it wasn’t until it closed that I learned that Ann Arbor was the home of the now defunct Borders Book Store. Read this great article Good-bye, Borders by John Beacon a U of M alumnus about the original Borders and their philosophy.
Borders pioneered the big-box bookselling concept and grew to 1,249 stores at its peak in 2003. It is a victim of a shift in the industry where readers prefer eBooks at Amazon to read on their Ipads and Kindles. Here’s a funny piece about the ending from Jon Stewart.
I remember very well making an adventure out of a trip to Borders when it first opened in the South Hills. I found really interesting books like The Griffin & Sabine Trilogy I will never be exposed to on the Internet. When Borders opened in the North Hills I discovered great music like the women who make up Anonymous 4 listening to sample recordings on headphones.
I wonder how long the Barnes & Noble in the Waterfront will remain? I enjoy stopping there for a Starbucks while check out the newest magazines (which I rarely buy).
There are some interesting bookstores like Type in Toronto and Parnassus in Nashville. Check out their videos on their home pages and I think you’ll agree it’s time for book lovers to get out there and support independent bookstores.
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