In complement to the previous post, this morning’s NY Times used the closing of a Chappaqua, NY bookstore to examine what’s putting indie bookstores out of business.

And while I don’t think the article’s conclusions would be considered earth-shattering (surprise!  It’s Amazon and big-boxes!), I thought this quote resonated…

There’s so much noise in American life that we tend to hear only the loudest: Obama-mania! A.I.G. Mania! March Madness!

Way down on the decibel scale is a buy-local movement struggling to be heard. On the Internet, in small business groups, even from groups focused on local bookstores (www.indiebound.org) its message is that if people want local stores, a downtown that’s vital, they should shop there, even if they can get the Tylenol cheaper at Target and the John Grisham book cheaper at Amazon.

Nothing is forever, certainly not an independent bookstore. A lot of things killed our bookstore, including the terrible economy and the incessant information overload that makes reading a book like a quaint rite from the past. But if we lost it out of indifference, or to save a buck or two on Amazon, we lost a lot more than we saved.

Buy local.

Known as THE children’s bookstore within Decatur’s city limits and beyond, Little Shop of Stories has long been the go-to spot for parents when kids outgrow their most well-worn books or you find yourself in need of a great gift for a child.  But with the recent closing of adult-focused Wordsmiths Books, Little Shop now sees its opening into a broader market.

As far back as I can remember, Little Shop has had a smaller, smart, adult section amidst the rows of candy-colored book spines and undersized chairs.  But Dave Shallenberger says that in the coming months, that smaller, over-shadowed section will take on a new prominence.

“Growing our adult section is something we have wanted to do for a long, long time, but was put on hold when Wordsmiths came in. We’ve added a good number of adult titles already this month and more will be gradually coming in. Some kind of permanent signage will be going up in our window next month indicating that we have books for adults as well. We’ve started talking to publishers about working with them to bring in authors of adult books.”

And while the adult section may expand, Dave reassures us that the store will remain dedicated to its first love, children’s books.  “We want to retain our identity as being a great kid’s bookstore, but would love to be known for also being a real community bookstore.”

In a city where children are at the center of so many activities and conversations, creating a “community bookstore” with a strong emphasis on children’s books sounds right on target.

There sure are a lot of strong opinions out there about CSD’s reconfiguration! But dispatches from last Tuesday’s Reconfiguration Informational and Listening Sessions reported poor attendance.

Maybe you were at the Grange. Maybe you forgot. Luckily you have another chance!

This Tuesday, March 25th, CSD will hold another session starting at 6:30p in Renfroe’s cafeteria.

Come one, come all! And get your fill of Options 1-13!

If you need to catch yourself up to speed on the issues, the Interim Report is very useful.