Borders is Closing

[aunt_zelda]

 This makes me so, so sad. 

 

Borders was a big part of my childhood, because my mom had a job there for a while, doing event planning. It was awesome. For the release of the 4th Harry Potter Book she did one of those big HP events, one of the first ones, and dressed up as the Fat Lady in the Portrait by putting on a red velvet dress and wearing a picture frame on a harness. It was so cool to me. I got discounted books and spent so much time hanging out there. 

I can't think of a time when I wasn't going to Borders. Not every weekend, and sometimes not every month, but enough that most of my books come from there. That and amazon.com. I feel guilty now, every time I went to amazon and bought a used book, I was killing one of my favorite places. I just never thought it could just go away. 

You can read about it HERE but I'm gonna cover some of the more annoying bits of the article. 

Borders, which filed for Chapter 11 in February, also never caught up to its rivals' e-reader sales, namely Amazon's Kindle and Barnes & Noble's Nook.
Funny, because when I saw that table inside my Borders of eReaders I felt disgusted. I HATE eReaders and I'm not the only one. Seeing that table made me feel betrayed and annoyed. You've got this sea of wonderful books and employees to tell you all about them, and you waste space on stupid little gadgets you're going to have to re-train your employees to use and sell? *headdesk* Oh, and my favorite part was when you dismantled the lovely YA den that was situated right next to the Graphic Novel/Gaming section and the Manga section and shoved all the graphic novels behind the romance section and made me feel ashamed to go walk across the store to check out the Fables books.

Plus, as Laura Bartell, a bankruptcy law professor at Wayne State University, told the Detroit Free Press, "The physical bookstore has become a thing of the past."
Laura Bartell, you'd better hope we never meet in person, because while I'm sure you're a very nice person, I now want nothing more than to punch you in the face. I be you're the kind of person who says that physical books are going to become obsolete too, because who'd want to hold a lovely book in their hands when they could strain their eyes at a screen for hours on a fiddly gadget that could break or glitch? People like that bring out the very worst in me. 


*cries* NOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo!!! I know I should have spent more money, Borders, but you're far away and I don't have a lot of money and I'm a very busy, poor geek! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

Comments

[yersi-fanel.livejournal.com]

Physical bookstores a thing of the past? How dare she! That's so not true! My sisters and I love to go to the bookstore on Sundays, we can spend hours there. A good, regular book is tons better than and e-book.

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear your bookstore is closing :(

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

Physical bookstores a thing of the past? How dare she! That's so not true!
I know, right? I hate it when people say things like that. It's like all those people who are like "libraries will become obsolete" and "libraries are useless now that we have TEH INTERWEBS" ... and libraries are currently flourishing after embracing WiFi and community events and offering DVDs ... and, oh yeah, BOOKS AND KNOWLEDGEABLE LIBRARIANS!!!

Anyway, I'm sorry to hear your bookstore is closing :(
It makes me really sad. Just the fact that a big bookstore is closing would be bad enough, but this particular store has been a big part of my life. I wonder what's going to go in there instead. Good god, I hope they don't demolish the building ...

[rachelleneveu.livejournal.com]

The main problem I had with Borders wasn't with their attempts at the e-books, or their shift in focus from books to DVDs and gadgets, or even how far I had to drive to get there.

No, the problem I had was that when the Borders in the malls shut down (we've only ever had one actual, physical Borders bookstore, which lasted much longer than the ones in the malls), they took the books they couldn't sell and burned them. They didn't donate them to a library or a school, they didn't do anything with them - they burned them because they couldn't make a profit off of them, and I find that appalling.

So, yeah. I'm sorry about your Borders shutting down - and truthfully (thankfully), as far as I can tell Buffalo was the only town this happened in - but I'm not sorry to see this company go.

(And that Laura Bartell woman better watch out for me, too. "Thing of the past" my ass.)

[etoiledunord.livejournal.com]

...wut?

Seriously??

[rachelleneveu.livejournal.com]

Hand to God. I wish it weren't true, but it is.

I knew two people who worked in different mall Borders - a man who came into the convenience store I used to work at and a friend from a theatre class at my old college - and both of them verified this story for me. The worst was because as a manager, the man had to actually be there while they set everything up, and he had to strip the covers from the paperbacks before they tossed everything in.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

No, the problem I had was that when the Borders in the malls shut down (we've only ever had one actual, physical Borders bookstore, which lasted much longer than the ones in the malls), they took the books they couldn't sell and burned them. They didn't donate them to a library or a school, they didn't do anything with them - they burned them because they couldn't make a profit off of them, and I find that appalling.
JESUS! *gets horrified look on face* Was ... was that just one store or is that like company policy or something? That doesn't sound right ...

(And that Laura Bartell woman better watch out for me, too. "Thing of the past" my ass.)
Yeah ... "thing of the past" ... just like libraries, eh? Those were supposed to fail too! They're doing just fine, no thanks to pessimistic morons like you, Ms. Bartell!

[rachelleneveu.livejournal.com]

JESUS! *gets horrified look on face* Was ... was that just one store or is that like company policy or something? That doesn't sound right ...

Both people I talked to made it sound like it was a company policy, which means that 3 out of the 4 Borders in my area had to do this or face severe repercussions from their corporate headquarters. All I know is that it makes me sick to think about it.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

That ... I ... alakfjal ... WHAT?!

No. No no NO. There is no way that could be a company policy and it didn't get out into the news somehow. Maybe some insane and evil regional manager decided to save money by doing that and not telling the higher-ups HOW they were saving the money (re: burning books like a Medieval zealot) but I can't accept that it was a national thing. No company would risk that kind of public relations disaster. Better to donate the books or sell them off to someone else than risk people finding out about book burnings.

[rachelleneveu.livejournal.com]

Hey, I'm just the messenger, here. I wish I could have stopped it, but it happened and I still can't understand why it had to go the way it did. I'm just hoping that the big Borders - the real one, with its own separate location out on Walden - won't do something like this when they finally close their doors for good.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

I've heard of "stripped books," which is when they tear the covers off, but never BURNING books that simply won't sell. That's horrible that someone ordered people to do that, and that they complied. No job is worth that, I'd have gone to the press with it.

I'm just hoping that the big Borders - the real one, with its own separate location out on Walden - won't do something like this when they finally close their doors for good.
See, now I'm going from "sad, nostalgic fangirl" to "ravenous bargain hunter." I'm going to my store tomorrow in search of discounted books. *rubs hands together in anticipation*

[twetwe123.livejournal.com]

Think of those of us with certain disabilities... a little LIGHT gadget is so easy to use hold while I can't hold a book or turn the pages in my right hand because the muscles are too degenerated. I can't hold the weight or bulk of a novel so ereaders are a godsend in that regard.

[licoracebear.livejournal.com]

And yet think of people who can't do things such as stare at this tiny little screen for more than ten minutes without getting a migrain. The eye strain I've gotten from just trying out the e-readers in the stores is painful enough, so you're telling me in the future I can't read a book without having to be hooked up to some device?

Dear God, it's like with the movie/tv industry pushing 3D, anyone with any kind of vision/migraine problems are basically left all alone in the dust.

Also I'll keep from bitching about the publishing companies jizzing over eBooks because of all the profits they'll make off of them.

[yersi-fanel.livejournal.com]

It's good to know those are usefull :)
I prefer regular books but having both around is ok.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

... and now I feel kinda bad for trashtalking eReaders.

Technology CAN be good, and helpful, and it's awesome when it is.

I know that a lot of people do like eReaders ... I just personally don't like them at all and get irrationally upset when people suggest that eReaders will overtake books and books will stop being made and it'll all be digital soon.

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

That sucks. :( *Hugs*

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

Thank you. *hugs back*

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

No problem. :) *Hugs more*

[alliancesjr.livejournal.com]

Speaking as somebody who doesn't keep to the polarizing conflict (e-readers are the future vs. books should be smelly), I have to say that yes, I do have a Kindle. And no, print is not and never will be dead.

The whole e-reader versus physical books issue is not one, because they're two facets of an emerging economy. I love being able to have a hardcopy in my hands on a Saturday morning with sunlight filtering in over my favorite chair from the eastern-facing patio window with a chilled fruit concoction of my own design in my other hand. I'll go so far as to say that it's my absolute favorite thing in the world.

Of course, I've also had to deal with carting a whole backpack full of books on a long car trip, or trying to dig for my books on a cramped airplane. In situations such as these, I'd have killed for my Kindle, and such is one of the reasons why I got it for my birthday this year.

That said, while it's true that Borders wasn't able to keep up with e-book demand (specifically because their e-readers completely sucked, I worked there this winter so I know), there are other factors involved. Ultimately, it came down to the changing economy.

There are bookstores that are thriving and expanding, and they're not the corporate chains. The smaller, independently-owned stores that have become community hotspots are growing. Used-book stores and chains are always going to do well, also (I love going to my local Half-Price Books, regardless of it being a large-scale chain).

[rachelleneveu.livejournal.com]

THIS. So much this.

[aunt-zelda.livejournal.com]

I get how e-readers can be and are useful, but the only times I can see myself using one in the future would be either for textbooks or if I travel the world and can't be lugging a bunch of books with me. Flights around the States? I'll carry some paperbacks. If I ever get the cash and time to travel to New Zealand, I might get myself an e-reader of some kind.

I think what bothers me is that it seems to be predominately people who aren't bibliophiles who are suggesting that e-readers will overtake physical books. I guess that's what makes me mad, because there's a part of my brain going "they don't know what they're talking about! They have no right to talk about books! Aaraararargghghgggghghhh!!!" To be fair, it's not a very rational part of my brain, and I did type up this journal post very early this morning before my NINE HOUR SHIFT oh gods ...

There are bookstores that are thriving and expanding, and they're not the corporate chains. The smaller, independently-owned stores that have become community hotspots are growing. Used-book stores and chains are always going to do well, also (I love going to my local Half-Price Books, regardless of it being a large-scale chain).
That's good. I was really only into Borders for three reasons: the history I have with that store, the huge selection, and the coupons. I'll be fine without it, and hey, this'll drive me to seek out more independent stores like I should have a while ago ... it just makes me sad, because I spent a decent part of my young life there and I hate to see it go.