I didn’t believe a post on Facebook by a friend on the subject of Borders bookstore going out of business. Denial doesn’t change the fact its true. I’m not sure what to feel about that.
I scheduled meetups for my meetup groups at our local Borders. If no one showed up, I had tons of books I could look at or have the use of the Internet. I could also explore the shelves for ideas, peruse magazines, and sift through tons of possible purchases.
I find a harrowing trend, however, as more print-on-demand, e-publishing, and other electronic mediums seem to replace the printed books you’d find and search through bookshelves. Will we see a day where you never see shelves of books but instead orders via a kiosk or web site?
I don’t think we’ll see an end of printed books, but how we get printed books seems to be changing quickly. Technology moves by leaps and bounds, and the speed in which we see new tech is dizzying.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Does the loss of the Borders bookstore chain worry you? Have you taken notice of new trends in publishing and reading?
A Writer's Journey 