I remember the bad old days of the DC Public Library System especially MLK which had a permanent smell of urine for years.Also the woefully underfunded East of the River branches to include the now demolished Benning Rd .
There will always be a need for the public library system but the stark contrast between juristictions its jarring. ________________________________ From: angelababycat <asrobin...@mindspring.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thu, August 19, 2010 7:53:15 PM Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Barnes and Noble bites the dust I still like paper books too. But even if the book store market falls apart, there will be one last refuge: the public library. After decades of neglect, we have 2 new BEAUTIFUL libraries in walking distance of us in DC. They are busy with people of all walks. The librarians are far more helpful than clerks at a store. They couldn't print a list of top sci-fi books either. But because they're profesionals and perhaps tickled to see a sistah in the psuedo-hood looking for such titles, they gathered around the computer and really tried to help me. Plus, they now have on-line accounts for card holders, so you get reminders when your books are due, when your special orders are in, etc. And my daughter loves picking out as many books as she wants to take home. So maybe the fall of the mega book store will lead to the revitalization of the old fashioned neighborhood library where we can avoid the temptation of $5.00 mocha coffee messes, and get our hands on Charles' 1,000 books...for free. Angela --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, "B Smith" <daikaij...@...> wrote: > > I miss that as well. > > I can't do the e-book thing. Comic books work for me in that format but I > love >the experience of holding and reading a printed book. The Kindle, Nook, I-pad, >etc. can't seem to replicate it for me. > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com, Martin Baxter <martinbaxter7@> wrote: > > > > I admit to missing that as well, Charles, sitting around and chatting. > > Didn't get to do it often, with the demands of work, though. > > > > On Thu, Aug 19, 2010 at 8:28 AM, Charles Sheehan-Miles < > > charles@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > I made the comment to my wife a couple weeks ago that I'd be screwed if we > > > had any sort of apocalypse (or lengthy power outage for that matter). After > > > three moves in one year (and another one coming up in a few weeks), we got > > > tired of lugging around dozens of boxes of books from state to state. After > > > the last move, I donated more than a 1000 books to the local library, and > > > replaced most of them with ebooks. I carry my library around in my pocket > > > now, which is great… but when the battery dies, it really sucks. > > > > > > I have mixed feelings about Barnes & Noble. I was a regular at Oxford > > > Books in Atlanta for many years, met my wife there, got married in the > > > coffee shop. Not long after B&N opened up in Buckhead, Oxford started > > > careening toward bankruptcy, due to a combination of bad management, too > > > much debt, and sudden intense competition from a national chain. B&N killed > > > off many many independent bookstores, and now ironically is being killed >off > > > by virtual competition. Not entirely sure how I feel about that, because > > > I'd give a lot to be able to sit in the coffee shop at Oxford again >chatting > > > with the other regulars late into the night. > > > > > > From: Martin Baxter <martinbaxter7@> > > > Reply-To: <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> > > > Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 06:16:31 -0400 > > > To: <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> > > > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Barnes and Noble bites the dust > > > > > > > > > > > > "My hunch is that B&N never really embraced the Internet or e-books, tied > > > as it was to the old-fashioned world of physical books and stores." > > > > > > Personally, rave, I think that just might be why I like B&N so much. I'm > > > not big on e-books at all (I picked up a batch over the past few weeks, >only > > > because it was the only way I could get the books, as they're unavailable >in > > > print. E-books, for all the marvel they are, are dependent on tech to be > > > viewable. If you've got a problem with your Kindle or iPhone or computer, > > > you're SOL. Books don't break down, even when they fall apart. > > > > > > On Wed, Aug 18, 2010 at 8:35 PM, Kelwyn <ravenadal@> wrote: > > > > > >> > > >> > > >> > > >> >http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110381/clearance-sale-barnes-noble-didnt-evolve-enough?mod=career-leadership > > > >> > > >> How did Barnes & Noble (NYSE: BKS - News) fall so far so fast? > > >> > > >> The giant bookstore chain, whose superstores once struck fear into the > > >> hearts of independent booksellers everywhere, put itself up for sale this > > >> month, rendering it the corporate equivalent of the remaindered books it > > >> sells at a discount. > > >> > > >> The company said it made the move because its shares are undervalued, but > > >> to me there was an air of desperation about it. > > >> > > >> The simple explanation for Barnes & Noble's decline is the Internet, which > > >> spawned Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN - News), e-readers and digital books. But > > >> that didn't have to be the end for B&N, which had a dominant market >position > > >> and should have out-Amazoned Amazon, leveraging its brand and innovating > > >> when it began marketing and selling books online. > > >> > > >> I know exactly when B&N lost me as a customer. Some years ago, to compete > > >> with Amazon, B&N began offering free same-day delivery in Manhattan if you > > >> placed your order over the Internet by 11 a.m. I did so several times -- >and > > >> not once did the books arrive when promised. Everything I have ordered >from > > >> Amazon has arrived on time or earlier. Then came Amazon's game-changing > > >> Kindle, and instant delivery. Nothing I've read about B&N's belated rival > > >> Nook has tempted me to try it. > > >> > > >> My hunch is that B&N never really embraced the Internet or e-books, tied > > >> as it was to the old-fashioned world of physical books and stores. As B&N > > >> focused on managing decline, a much more nimble Amazon could concentrate > > >> exclusively on the new world it was forming. B&N needed to destroy its > > >> business model to prevail. Now it is probably too late. There is a lesson > > >> for all businesses here. > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > > -- > > > "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell > > > wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant > > > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > "If all the world's a stage and we are merely players, who the bloody hell > > wrote the script?" -- Charles E Grant > > > > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQUxw9aUVik > > >
