Are you mourning the loss of 'real' bookshops?

[Paulie Tandoori]

That's a shame. I think brain rot such as Nation of Islam publications should never be stocked anywhere.

Banning books is a can of worms that I don't want to get into on a Friday afternoon, nowhatimean?

 

[Vintage Paw]

When I started working at the big W 6 years ago most of the staff were full time and had their own dedicated sections to manage. This meant they knew their subjects inside and out and customer service was excellent, going that extra mile to help people, always making sure you pulled out all the stops to find the perfect book for the customer.

Now, due to internal HO changes, as FT staff leave they are replaced by PT staff. These booksellers don't have the opportunity to build up the knowledge the old FT staff did. Also, in many branches the way sections are managed has changed, with ordering taking place centrally and often automatically, much of the power to build up a vibrant section has been taken away from the individual booksellers.

Add into the equation that it's the age old management bullshit of "doing more with less", when I said FT leave and are replaced with PT, what I meant was 1 FT will leave and 1 PT will fill their shoes. Less hours on the job, other staff don't have the time to train them properly, they end up till fodder or stacking the shelves, and everyone loses out - the customers, the staff's morale, and the reputation of the shop.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Banning books is a can of worms that I don't want to get into on a Friday afternoon, nowhatimean?

Nothing to do with banning, just politely refusing to stock. There's a difference.

 

[Dirty Martini]

I buy most of my books online because I have to, but I don't like it as much as browsing the real thing. I don't mind Waterstone's, but try to give my custom to independents when I can. I like the mix of remaindered and secondhand that I've noticed more of in the last few years (Harbour Books in Whitstable is a great example of that).

It is certainly harder to publish non-mainstream literature since the net book agreement was scrapped.

I don't know about that -- there seem to be a lot of newish small presses publishing quite interesting fiction and criticism in particular (forgotten classics, minor works by major authors, etc.). It's very difficult to set up a new press to publish contemporary fiction, granted, but it's been like that for many years now.

 

[jannerboyuk]

Bookmarks - you always feel your political credentials will be questioned if you pick the wrong thing.

To be fair i dont have anytime for the swp, their ideas or their practise or most of their members but ive always been happy with bookmarks as a experience although ive always worried about helping to fund their parent organisation by spending money. the people working in there if anything have always seemed a bit reticent to engage in conversation let alone lecture me on my politics (anarcho-marxist i s'pose!)

 

[oryx]

There's still an excellent independent bookshop in Crystal Palace. I used to work there, and I was damn knowledgeable, I'll have you know (6 years of experience working in a public library prior to that certainly helped). The owner is extremely knowledgeable and approachable and always has something to recommend. I go there every time I go back to the Palace, and he's always got something good for me to read, and he can order anything.
Visit, and be impressed brainaddict.

Bookseller Crow on Westow Street, I presume? Excellent shop, and I agree about the owner's knowledge & helpfulness.

I rarely buy books (got too many!) but on a visit here I don't usually exit empty-handed.