http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-07-18/borders-bookstore-chain-to-shut-down
All I can say is this is SAD SAD NEWS for Bibliophiles and Novel/manga/comic fans all over the U.S.
And another sad example of the dark road society is heading down. I feel somewhat sick I live in a country where genaric cltothing stores and other businesses can thrive, but stores filled with the art of storytelling are dying.
All I can say is....... I PRAY BY SOME MIRACLE THEY PULL A DEUS EX MACHINA OUT OF THEIR A$$ & Make it through.
Sad, but not surprising. Printed media is on it's last legs here in the US. A combination of the prevalence of digital media and the lazy, stupid attitude of Americans who are afraid of reading.
Don't forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you.
As long as you remember Her, you are not alone.
@Renzo: Now I would'nt say that.. Printed Media will always be around, just most likely only in collectors markets like Comics & Classical literature I'd wager.
But yeah, does suck modern american are biblophobic idjits. And that people think computers have to replace everything. Don't get me wrong, I love my PC...but I don't need or want it to do everything.
the idiotic masses can keep their e-readers...I'll stick to my paper books.
And before people start with the whole going green thing.... most books & comics these days are printed partially or wholey from recycled paper.
But yeah, this is sad news, I will miss borders, I will count my blessings that I still have Hastings in my home town and a books a million an hour away *knocks on wood repeatedly*...but I will miss Borders & Waldenbooks.
All Will Know The Wonder Of My Dark & Jewled Sky, When All The World Is Wrapped In An Eternal Lullabye.
i hate that there going to be gone cause they always have a good selection of star wars books unlike b&n which have like no books
Guys, please don't rag on those who choose e-books over the printed things. A lot of people have been forced to downgrade and don't have the room these days for shelves full of books among a multitude of other reasons. It doesn't make them any better or worse, but the same applies to those who prefer printed works.
I am sad to see Borders go, but I'm really not surprised. The competition, especially those who offer e-books, simply beat it out and no one stepped up to save it.
It’s a changing market, were entering a era of digital distribution. It won’t be long before all media is obtained through digital downloads, or streaming. If companies like Borders want to survive, then they have to change their business model and adapted. Barnes and Noble did it, and they were in big trouble just last year.
Anime-Planet.com - anime | manga | reviews
@Ling & kelvara: Oh I understand the reasons, and i fully understand the times are changing. But again I find the fact people think everything has to move to completly digital to be rather idotic. Yes I know they'll always be a few physical products for the collectors market....but it stilll burns my buns.
But what can I say, I'm an old fashioned fuddy duddy.
All Will Know The Wonder Of My Dark & Jewled Sky, When All The World Is Wrapped In An Eternal Lullabye.
I wasn't ragging on anyone, but it's a fact that the popularity and availability of digital media is a huge contributor to the downfall of printed media. Not just books, but comics, newspapers and magazines too. It's gotten to the point that tabloids have to hack into the phones of 9/11 victims and dead girls just to try to move copies off the shelves. I'm not blaming anyone. Industries do evolve, that's inevitable and I'll be the first to admit that printed media some obviously major drawbacks.
Don't forget. Always, somewhere, someone is fighting for you.
As long as you remember Her, you are not alone.
it figures just as I'm starting to get into reading, I only got to get a couple of books lately, but I'll just end up getting a kindle faster, I have never been good with keeping books in good shape so an e-reader would be better for me anyways
It's still a shame to see companies go under though, especially like this.
@Renzokuken - Oh, there's no doubt about that. I was just referring to the whole 'idiotic masses' thing.
Well, some months back when Borders closed a good portion of it's stores should have been a clear indication that something like this wasn't too far away. I've been in retail for 12 years and everytime a company I've been with has closed stores to "restructure" their company they've gone out of business within a year's time, it's just the nature of the beast with this kind of stuff and I'm surprised they lasted as long as they have. We can blame e-readers and tablets for the death of Borders, but it's all good since the need for "books" in their original form is dwindling thanks to devices such as the Kindle and Android Tablets that allow people to read without having a thousand books clutter up their book shelves.
Check out my Twitter!
I also have an official BLOG!
Latest blog post 8/09/11: Manga4life reviews "Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings"!