[soapdog]

don't think I agree with this. The environment of a bookshop invites smalltalk around titles and lookers. On a cafe people are much less inclined to such behavior and libraries, imho, attract a different crowd. At least where I am from, they tend to be used for education related work assignments and tend to be very quiet.

I remember more than ten years ago, driving with my father for 40 minutes at 2:00 AM to go to a 24/7 bookstore that had a great coffee. We would do that often, specially in the odd hours where it was not as crowded and the experience much more enjoyable. I started reading "Dune" and "Tao Te King" in there while drinking tea of coffee and talking to random people I never met again. Now, that place is a clothes store, there is no nice bookstores in my city anymore. I don't believe that reading on a kindle or similar device on a coffee shop will have the same effect but then, it might just all be nostalgia...

[niels_olson]

There seems to me to be a general problem of too many books. It makes me a little sick to say that, but I think it's true. We built a Little Free Library (1) and we get way more books than we have room for. We throw away complete crap (e.g., anything from a Fox News author) and donate a Ikea bag (2) full to Goodwill about once a month. It's like instead of sharing books, we've become a sink for the neighborhood's infinite sources of books.

I personally own a lot of books. Within the professons, I think it's safe to say medicine is known for having a lot of books; within medicine, pathologists are known for having a lot of books; among the pathology residents, I'm known for having a lot of books.

Much like the rug seller becomes a collector of the best rugs, we are becoming keepers of an insane library. I anticipate our special collections will eventually beat the local public library's.

The point is: people are consuming a huge number of books. And shedding some of them. Just the number they shed is overwhelming.

The house behind us is up for sale. I wonder if I should approach the buyers (some investors) about converting it to a book cafe?

(1) http://littlefreelibrary.org/

(2) https://www.google.com/search?q=ikea+shopping+bag

[Blackthorn]

Local public libraries have had this problem since they were invented. Weeding is a huge part of managing a collection.

My FIL is a director of a public library system. Weeds tons of books.

[dmourati]

Cool, I found two LFLs in my neighborhood. Thanks!

[chriogenix]

same thing happened in my city(honolulu). where there was once a very thriving barnes and noble there is now a Ross dress for less(discount clothing). its sad really. There's only 1 book store left in a metropolitan area with more than 1M people.