Print media will not die. But it definitely must change its ways if it wants to flourish again. This is a problem I've been turning over in my head for quite some time now. I'm not sure I will come up with a solution anytime soon.
It seems to be that technical books are one of those things that a lot of people like to have hard copies of, but are bookseller albatrosses. With print-on-demand moving into high gear, I predict that it won't be long before "perishable" media becomes a strictly special-order affair. Albeit a high-speed special order. I envision someone like you or me going into a bookstore in the morning, saying to the clerk, "I need a Longhorn network administration manual," and coming back in the afternoon to a perfectly-bound copy still warm from the press.
RIP, Stacey's. I went there one of my last trips to SF. My hotel was just around the corner and I noticed that Bruce Sterling was giving a reading. I got to meet him and get my copy of "The Difference Engine" signed. It was a pretty cool place.
It feels like a lot of the "classic" distribution models are just drying up, but I can't decide if this is a good thing or not. On the one hand, I will be sad to see booksellers go away, and I think it's only a matter of time before the big chains start closing as well. Indies and local shops like Stacey's are the canaries in a very deep, dark coal mine. Aside from the visceral pleasure of a bookstore, though -- especially the smell, mmm -- I haven't bought a new book in ages from one of those places. New books get bought online, but I spend more time checking out the used bookstores these days.
The extinction of independent bookstores is a sad trend. I was utterly shocked to visit Berkeley and see that the incredible Cody's had closed its doors. When a quintessential symbol of Berkeley closes, one has to wonder what will become of all independent bookstores.
I'm also now very happy to put a blog with a Flickr photostream! :)
Cody's was struggling for a while, sadly. Another example of local expertise and service eliminated by global access to their products. In the end, I think their proximity to UC Berkeley hurt them when students stopped actually buying books in person (those that still read, anyhow.)
Print media will not die. But it definitely must change its ways if it wants to flourish again. This is a problem I've been turning over in my head for quite some time now. I'm not sure I will come up with a solution anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be that technical books are one of those things that a lot of people like to have hard copies of, but are bookseller albatrosses. With print-on-demand moving into high gear, I predict that it won't be long before "perishable" media becomes a strictly special-order affair. Albeit a high-speed special order. I envision someone like you or me going into a bookstore in the morning, saying to the clerk, "I need a Longhorn network administration manual," and coming back in the afternoon to a perfectly-bound copy still warm from the press.
RIP, Stacey's. I went there one of my last trips to SF. My hotel was just around the corner and I noticed that Bruce Sterling was giving a reading. I got to meet him and get my copy of "The Difference Engine" signed. It was a pretty cool place.
It feels like a lot of the "classic" distribution models are just drying up, but I can't decide if this is a good thing or not. On the one hand, I will be sad to see booksellers go away, and I think it's only a matter of time before the big chains start closing as well. Indies and local shops like Stacey's are the canaries in a very deep, dark coal mine. Aside from the visceral pleasure of a bookstore, though -- especially the smell, mmm -- I haven't bought a new book in ages from one of those places. New books get bought online, but I spend more time checking out the used bookstores these days.
ReplyDeleteThe extinction of independent bookstores is a sad trend. I was utterly shocked to visit Berkeley and see that the incredible Cody's had closed its doors. When a quintessential symbol of Berkeley closes, one has to wonder what will become of all independent bookstores.
ReplyDeleteI'm also now very happy to put a blog with a Flickr photostream! :)
Cody's was struggling for a while, sadly. Another example of local expertise and service eliminated by global access to their products. In the end, I think their proximity to UC Berkeley hurt them when students stopped actually buying books in person (those that still read, anyhow.)
ReplyDeleteThe future is now!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.ondemandbooks.com/home.htm
You know, I saw that machine on one of the blogs I'm watching and started salivating almost immediately.
ReplyDelete