Sunday, February 13, 2011

Is There Hope for Small Bookstores in the Digital Age?


That's the question posed recently by USA Today.

From the piece...

"I know people think of independent bookstores as struggling underdogs," says Hermans, co-owner and manager of Oblong Books in this picturesque Hudson Valley town. "But if I was struggling, I wouldn't be expanding." She's about to break through a brick wall to enlarge her children's section "for my customers of the future."

By emphasizing service, her store's popularity as a community gathering spot and even a new — and somewhat counterintuitive — plan to help her customers order e-books, Hermans, 26, is betting that her small store will continue to buck prevailing winds in the book business.

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