Across the nation, hundreds of bookstores just closed their doors—permanently. After a long and painful death, Borders is no more.
I worked for Borders part-time while I was going to school. The pay was nothing special (obviously), but there were other perks. The discount came in handy whenever I was buying books for class. Plus, I met some of my best friends during my time there. Borders even had a hand supporting Hideo, providing us with a venue for a preview performance prior to our 2010 show at Zellerbach Hall. And here’s a little known fact: a key piece of our set is actually a re-purposed book display from a Borders here in the Bay Area!
I could go on at length about why Borders went under; countless factors contributed to the company’s decline. Kind of like the Titanic sinking.
Sometimes I overhear people reminiscing about shopping at Borders. Others talk about why they always preferred Barnes and Noble instead. There have been a few instances where I’ve heard people remark that the Borders going under was a good thing. After all, they were a large company which means they likely played a role in many smaller, independent stores going out of business.
Everyone’s entitled to their point of view, but here’s mine: it bugs me when people talk about companies as if they’re not maintained by living, breathing, humans. Thousands of people worked for Borders and just lost their jobs. These are not mindless drones we’re talking about. They’re people.
Will independent bookstores see a rise in business now that Borders is gone? Perhaps, particularly if they happen to be close to where a Borders used to be. But so many of the customers I helped came into the stores looking to use coupons and shop sales. For independent stores, sales and coupons are typically rare. Former Borders shoppers looking for deals are more likely to buy their books from online retailers like Amazon than from a brick and mortar store.
I’ll always remember visiting bookstores as a kid. The smell of coffee and books. The feel of a fresh paperback. Will our children have the same experiences? Or are bookstores headed out the door? Comments, if you please.
