Where I express much sadness.

[rogueslayer452]

Borders is undergoing liquidation.

By the end of September the entire company will be out of business, and Borders will cease to exist forever.

This upsets me greatly like you don't even know. It's just shocking to me how this even happened. Borders is like the only bookstore I have always loved going to. For years I've gone there, hung out there, browsed and sometimes just sat on the floor to just read. Hell, Harry Potter midnight release parties happened there, for goodness sakes! And now it's going away forever. What am I supposed to do now? Where am I supposed to go for books? This is highly distressing, mostly because this is feels like, the end of the world for book lovers, in a sense. Sure, there are other bookstores, but none of them will compare to how amazing Borders has always been.

First the ending of an era for Harry Potter, and now Borders. WHAT IS HAPPENING?!! D: D: D:

Comments

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

I work for Borders and I feel the same way. Not so much about losing my job, as distressing as that is, but it just speaks to the climate of this country in general. As a book lover, I always split my love between B&N and Borders and for Borders to just simply be shutting down, what is going to happen to books altogether eventually? People just don't read like they used to, which I don't get because books will never lose their power over me.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

For me, books are timeless. You can never get rid of books no matter how advanced technology will eventually become.

However, the rise in attraction of eBooks is rather threatening to the survival of bookstores in general. More and more people are just wanting to download instead of picking up books and it's kind of alarming. It makes you think about what will eventually happen to books, or establishments that hold books. If Borders is going out of business, what is next? How many more will be following this trend? Will libraries eventually go out as well? It really makes you think about this kind of thing. And I don't like what I foresee in the inevitable future. :/

[avaserenity.livejournal.com]

I agree, book are timeless, they've withstood so many things in the past. Now I have an EReader but damnit if I don't love the feel of a new book in my hand. I just purchased the new George R. R. Martin book in all it's 1000+ page glory. It's heavy as hell but I love the feel of the pages and the weight of the book in my hand. Plus when I get nods from others on the subway I feel like I'm part of an elite club. I think the problem with eBooks is that it's easy, and that is go to answer for everything. The easier it is the better they like it.

[icecoldrain.livejournal.com]

I always had bad experiences at Borders, and the one nearest to me always had higher prices than everyone else. BUT NO, BOOK STORES CAN'T CLOSE.

Harry Potter midnight release parties
;_; THE BARNES AND NOBLE I USED TO GO TO CLOSED, AND WAS LIKE OMG NO. I'd been going there since I was a kid, and all the HP book release parties were there. BOOK STORES SHOULD NEVER CLOSE.

[angi-is-altered.livejournal.com]

I worked for a Borders and it was such a great job. Sadly,bookstores in the US are going the way of the record stores. Plus,most people download or buy their books from Amazon.It is a sign of the times I am afraid.

[silverusagi]

Well, I'll always want books. I seriously spend enough time every day staring at a digital screen. When I want to read a book (not fanfiction, lol), I want something solid, not another screen.

[dauntperplexity.livejournal.com]

I know! I love Borders. There is so much I love about it. I would have arguments with people about Border and Barnes & Noble being the same thing.

I'm going to miss it. :(

Besides, it was the closest bookstore to my house! What am I going to do now?

This is going to be an unpopular opinion

[rawthorne.livejournal.com]

I was reading an article about this recently and someone made the point that Borders and other chain bookstores once sounded the death-knell for many small corner stores that simply couldn't compete with the Starbucks-ization of book selling. Now they're simply reaching the end of their popularity.

Borders owes its success to a business model that made sense for a period in American and Western society, both economically and in terms of social habits. To put things in perspective: not buying paper books doesn't have to be the end of literature or the end or readership, but could actually mark the beginning of a 'green era' where we no longer cut trees left and right for mass consumption only to throw them away when we have to move/decide we need the shelf space.

I'll admit my bias: I'm a great proponent of ebooks, both because they are cheaper and they cut out the middleman -- printing presses, like plastic producers, should become a thing of the past if we make any pretense towards eco-friendly living.

Re: This is going to be an unpopular opinion

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

While I understand that ebooks are more eco-friendly (although... throwing out books... really? I would never do that. They always go to a used book store or the library)... I strongly dislike reading books on a screen and love the whole physical book experience. Not to mention that changing to an e-model binds us to a protected file that we can no longer lend to friends.

It is of course a moot point because physical books are doomed.

[lodessa.livejournal.com]

As someone who loves actual physical books, here is an even more depressing stat. Last year Amazon sold more ebooks than paperbacks and hardbacks combined. We are going to lose the fight.

[philstar22.livejournal.com]

I feel sad too. I admit that I own a Kindle, but I use it for airplane and car rides and just trips in general where it isn't convenient to pack a whole stack of books. I still much prefer regular books that you can hold in your hand and turn the pages of. And Borders was always my favorite bookstore.