Quote:
# Is it obvious that if many fewer people buy books here, that their resource for good book ideas will disappear?
# Or should we try to find a skillful way to make this connection in people’s minds?
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Well, here's the thing. I can't speak for this bookstore, but my Borders and B&N (and the now-closed Joseph-Beth) have never been good at recommending books to me. They're chain stores, and the employees around here don't care and/or aren't into the same genres I am. There are two local-ish used bookstores (Half-Price Books and independent store) that are really great at recommending books, so I tend to shop there instead. But even that has fallen off recently, as I mostly read ebooks.
So, no, it isn't clear to me that some bookstores are my "resource for good book ideas"... in fact, I get most of my recommendations online (and the rest from the local used bookstores as mentioned above). How do you make that connection? I think that connection is there, but since people can also get recommendations online, it's hard to make them understand that "hey, if you don't buy books here, we'll go out of business, and then you don't get to talk to the friendly staff".