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What problem is this solving for me as a reader? Between Apple Books and Kindle, I’m not sure why I should care. The idea of supporting local bookshops sounds n

What problem is this solving for me as a reader? Between Apple Books and Kindle, I’m not sure why I should care. The idea of supporting local bookshops sounds nice in theory, but just as digital photos killed the photo processing business, the romanticized idea of the local bookstore will become obsolete — aside from the cool antiquarian and used book stores. As far as recommendations, my local bookstores are often staffed by people that don’t have much in common with my interests. Much easier to find relevant book recommendations online.

sriram_malhar 2y ago
YMMV, but not funneling money to the oligarchs is a good thing for society, in my opinion. This is about the only way we can vote.
madeofpalk 2y ago
Bookshop.org is explicitly a platform for not supporting Amazon, and to support independent bookshops instead. Either you care about that and this appeals to you, or it doesn't. They seem to have found a niche and are doing alright.
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  But why would anybody want to support a bookshop? The only interest would be to support authors.
  - sriram_malhar 2y ago
    It isn't just about the books or authors, just as a cafe isn't just about the bean-growers. Bookshops are social hubs. They give you a chance to browse and see what else is available in the area you are searching and often, not even in the area you are searching. For me, a good bookshop makes an area worthwhile to visit and hang out.
    - carlosjobim 2y ago
      Sure, I agree. But now we're talking about digital downloads. What value does the bookshop give the consumer in that case?
      - sriram_malhar 2y ago
        It is almost always the case that a brick and mortar bookstore is a labor of love, in the face of crushing competition from Amazon. For the stores I frequent, the physical store is still the reason they get up every morning. If online sales is what it takes to make some money and to keep themselves in the news, so be it.
Apocryphon 2y ago
Local bookstores are actually thriving now more than they have ever been. Even big box booksellers have stopped going bust. https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bookstores-resurgence-a-result-of-a-pandemic-plot-twist/ https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bookstores-resurge... https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/lessons-for-retailers-from-the-rebirth-of-indy-bookstores https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/lessons-for-re...
II2II 2y ago
> As far as recommendations, my local bookstores are often staffed by people that don’t have much in common with my interests. Much easier to find relevant book recommendations online. Then you haven't found the right bookstore. Many, if not most, independent bookstores specialize in particular areas. In those cases, the staff's knowledge of a product can be invaluable. Certainly better than online recommendations since you can talk to them about what you are looking for, rather than accepting random reviews or machine generated recommendations at face value. If they don't specialize in a particular topic, then any recommendation they can provide is not going to be any better than what you will get from a major retailer or website.
insane_dreamer 2y ago
> the romanticized idea of the local bookstore will become obsolete actually local bookstores are making somewhat of a comeback as people understand their value (there have been multiple articles on this though I can't find them right now) I was an early adopter of Kindle and used to buy digital books from Amazon (or get them from IRC, mostly out of print technical books), and used Apple Books too. But for the past 5 years or so, I only buy books from my local bookstore (preferably used, but sometimes new), except that I do sometimes buy used books from ThriftBooks.com. I found that I much prefer reading a physical book, and it feels good to be supporting the local economy in some small way rather than giving more money to Bezos and Co. After all, I benefit from a stronger local economy whereas I don't benefit from Amazon becoming ever larger.

sriram_malhar 2y ago

YMMV, but not funneling money to the oligarchs is a good thing for society, in my opinion. This is about the only way we can vote.

madeofpalk 2y ago

Bookshop.org is explicitly a platform for not supporting Amazon, and to support independent bookshops instead. Either you care about that and this appeals to you, or it doesn't. They seem to have found a niche and are doing alright.

carlosjobim 2y ago
But why would anybody want to support a bookshop? The only interest would be to support authors.
- sriram_malhar 2y ago
  It isn't just about the books or authors, just as a cafe isn't just about the bean-growers. Bookshops are social hubs. They give you a chance to browse and see what else is available in the area you are searching and often, not even in the area you are searching. For me, a good bookshop makes an area worthwhile to visit and hang out.
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    Sure, I agree. But now we're talking about digital downloads. What value does the bookshop give the consumer in that case?
    - sriram_malhar 2y ago
      It is almost always the case that a brick and mortar bookstore is a labor of love, in the face of crushing competition from Amazon. For the stores I frequent, the physical store is still the reason they get up every morning. If online sales is what it takes to make some money and to keep themselves in the news, so be it.

Apocryphon 2y ago

Local bookstores are actually thriving now more than they have ever been. Even big box booksellers have stopped going bust. https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bookstores-resurgence-a-result-of-a-pandemic-plot-twist/ https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bookstores-resurge... https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/lessons-for-retailers-from-the-rebirth-of-indy-bookstores https://www.library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/lessons-for-re...

II2II 2y ago

> As far as recommendations, my local bookstores are often staffed by people that don’t have much in common with my interests. Much easier to find relevant book recommendations online. Then you haven't found the right bookstore. Many, if not most, independent bookstores specialize in particular areas. In those cases, the staff's knowledge of a product can be invaluable. Certainly better than online recommendations since you can talk to them about what you are looking for, rather than accepting random reviews or machine generated recommendations at face value. If they don't specialize in a particular topic, then any recommendation they can provide is not going to be any better than what you will get from a major retailer or website.

insane_dreamer 2y ago

> the romanticized idea of the local bookstore will become obsolete actually local bookstores are making somewhat of a comeback as people understand their value (there have been multiple articles on this though I can't find them right now) I was an early adopter of Kindle and used to buy digital books from Amazon (or get them from IRC, mostly out of print technical books), and used Apple Books too. But for the past 5 years or so, I only buy books from my local bookstore (preferably used, but sometimes new), except that I do sometimes buy used books from ThriftBooks.com. I found that I much prefer reading a physical book, and it feels good to be supporting the local economy in some small way rather than giving more money to Bezos and Co. After all, I benefit from a stronger local economy whereas I don't benefit from Amazon becoming ever larger.