My favo
rite local bookstore, Murder Ink, and its storefront companion Ivy’s Books, closed their doors on Broadway at 92nd St. a few years ago. I still miss them. Their demise, due to rising rent they couldn’t meet, brought home to me how fragile the economics can be for independent stores. How will they survive as internet giant Amazon presses its digital advantage? Can the unhurried, bookish ambience of the independent store in your neighborhood hold its own against Amazon’s one-click dominance? I’ll be looking at these questions. For now, I keep my Ross MacDonald in one of Murder Ink’s bookshelves, purchased in their final days. And I proudly wear this T-shirt from Ivy’s.
Category: E-books
Book publishing has played a primary role in the spread of culture and ideas since Gutenberg. How is the traditional print book industry evolving under the influence of digital methods to sell, market, deliver and produce books?