Farewell Borders...

So I thought I'd post a farwell to one of my favorite bookstores. I believe Borders was where I picked up my first romance novel. Borders was where I picked up all my books for school, and review books for my AP classes. I used to go to Borders and blow 200 dollars on YA novels every three months (before I got my Kindle). It's sad to lose a place that has meant so much to you over the years, and I'm sad to see Borders go. Yesterday, my best friend and I went to Borders and 'stocked up' in tribute to their leaving. The worst of it, of course, is knowing that 11,000 employees are being let go. Some of them were clearly sad, others were making the best of it. But 11,000 book lovers are now going to be out of work. It's a disparaging thought.

This being said, I thought I'd include some interesting articles and links about Borders and their closing. The first is an opinion article from CNN: The lesson of Borders: Bookstores need to guide us that talks about the need for stores to not simply sell books, but become active social and cultural part of the community. He also talks about the need not to sell more books, but to play 'matchmaker'. I thought it was a fascinating article.

I also wanted to copy in this email I received from Borders (and everyone else who has long been on their spam list) called 'A Fond Farwell':

So ado, Borders, my friend and trusted pal! I'm sad to see you go. I hope this doesn't become a trend for bookstores everywhere. I think that CNN article has some really good ideas about how bookstores can improve to stay in business. I know I love shopping for physical books because I love having the cover and being able to peruse my bookshelf - which is way different than on my Kindle. I can only hope that books never completely disappear in favor of e-books. *crosses fingers*