I am a big supporter of buying locally and supporting your local economy. However, this is not possible in all things. The vast majority of communities will never include enough publishers of content to keep one satisfied with entertainment and information needs. Publishers are all over the world in all sorts of communities. Their businesses require broad distribution.
Yes, you should support your local bookseller, but be aware that competitive market forces are overwhelming the business model of a local bookstore. I'm on the email list of a local book store where I live. The poor woman is staying open because of donations. This is most unfortunate, but realistically she needs to become a nonprofit and call herself a library because the small indie bookstore thing is almost futile at this point. She has many local supporters but her small shop physically cannot offer a selection that can compete.
There are many ways to support your local economy. Choose local food whenever possible. Choose local shops over big box stores. But we can never be entirely local. There are some things that must be distributed broadly (information, coffee).
If you want an ebook reader, you will naturally become a consumer of goods beyound your local sphere, whether you choose Kindle or otherwise.
|