In the last year in Toronto I perceive something happening to our
knowledge society and values at work that disturbs me. First Britnell's
book store closed (after some 100 years of service and knowing its
devoted patrons), then the Children's bookstore, then the W.H. Smith's
bookstore, then the Village bookstore, then the Third World Bookstore
and last week Elderhostel Canada annouced it will be closing this
spring--with them go the specialized collections and specialized
service and knowledge not obtainable elsewhere, the staff that could
know individual customers and tell them about authors, publishers and
events that would be of interest to them. Staff that would take the
time to value the people coming in their doors as unique individuals and
sometimes even become friends sharing neighborhood anecdotes and current
events (as well as gossip) and enlisting their support for shared
causes. These were often the stores that would have bulletin boards
with flyers and posters of local interest and related organizations.
This was the place where you could take your flyer for your
organization's event.
Now of course there have come in the HUGE CHAPTERS STORES with their
escalators and coffee shops and lectures on financial management and
rows and rows of finance and management and business books and software,
but try to find something from a small Canadian publisher or something a
little esoteric or try to talk to someone about puppetry or Ontario
politics or Indonesian religion or the local neighborhood and you get a
blank stare and a fumble with the computer screen.
Of course there are the " dot coms" taking over as well, but I don't
see that they could ever fulfill the functions that were lost, they may
have the technical knowledge but where is the wisdom?
Melanie
