Community Spaces: Independent Bookstores as Gathering Spots

From Michelle Lancaster. Follow her and tell her your news on Twitter @MichLancaster or email her at [email protected].

Last Thursday, Salon decided to take on Slate on the importance of local bookstores, and our fair metropolis was used as Exhibit A. More specifically, a Slate author made a case for eliminating the middle man and buying directly from the authors or via sites like Amazon.

In order to combat part of the argument, that buying from Amazon is better for you, Salon painted a vivid portrait of the need and niche independent bookstores serve in their communities as gathering places, touchpoints for interaction with neighbors, etc.

Their example was Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe on a “recent evening.” While it is fun to see our stores play a role in this argument, the discussion is an interesting one. Kramerbooks, Politics & Prose and Busboys & Poets are, depending on the evening, equal parts neighborhood bar, clubhouse, meeting place and bookstore.

Is it the independence that makes them such a part of the neighborhood fabric, or is it the diversified offerings? Is that an integral part of being independent — the need to provide items other than books to customers? Discuss amongst yourselves.