Myth WeaverThe Slow Death of Print
It used to be something I looked forward to - new book day at the local supermarket, every week, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday. I'd stand there and watch as stacks of new paperbacks were lined up before the shelves while ones that had been there a few weeks were pulled down. Each week would see the introduction of twenty or thirty new books split among the various genres: best sellers, mysteries, romance, and of course science fiction/fantasy.
But New Book Day dwindled away to near non existence a few months ago. At first I thought it was a fluke, maybe the company putting up the books had changed hands, or there was a snafu in the shipping scheme. A few times before, New Book Day had skipped a week, sometimes two, as a result of such. But when I finally corralled a person putting up the pathetic number of new arrivals (hardbound books for kids and best sellers) I was told the other books had simply stopped coming.
Now, the supermarket was one of my three major sources for new books, the other two being the local library and the book club. By and large, the offerings in the book club have about a 70% overlap with what was on the store shelves, and maybe a fifty-fifty split with what I'd see at the library. Every few weeks, I get a glossy 32 page booklet plus a dozen odd individual sheets, from the club, offering me selections I could usually obtain much cheaper at the store if I just waited a week or two. But I ordered some anyhow, the ones I deemed least likely to obtain elsewhere. But, about six months ago, I started having issues here as well - I began getting books I did not order, while some of the ones I did order were either delayed or never showed up at all. It was almost like books were being sent to me randomly. My account became tangled. Playing phone tag didn't resolve matters. But I still placed an occasional order. Then the clubs most recent booklet arrived - all sixteen pages of it, with dang near nothing in the way of extras...and nothing that interested me. Meanwhile they send me an 'important email' which happens to be about the name for their new Kindle service.
So, that's two of my three main book sources that are fading, and the library operates with its own protocols at its own speed. So what does that leave?
Used books? Yes, there are used book stores in the area, and I frequent both of them. And as such establishments go, they are well stocked. But I have read a LOT of books down through the decades, including the bulk of what's on their shelves. Plus there is the matter of finding books two and four of a series, but not books one or three. Still, I do find the occasional tome of interest in those places.
Well, there is the internet, specifically these E-Readers. Lots of formerly print publications seem to be migrating to the net, and not just fiction ones. But I wonder about that as well, for reasons I may cover in another post...if anybody is interested.
It used to be something I looked forward to - new book day at the local supermarket, every week, usually on a Wednesday or Thursday. I'd stand there and watch as stacks of new paperbacks were lined up before the shelves while ones that had been there a few weeks were pulled down. Each week would see the introduction of twenty or thirty new books split among the various genres: best sellers, mysteries, romance, and of course science fiction/fantasy.
But New Book Day dwindled away to near non existence a few months ago. At first I thought it was a fluke, maybe the company putting up the books had changed hands, or there was a snafu in the shipping scheme. A few times before, New Book Day had skipped a week, sometimes two, as a result of such. But when I finally corralled a person putting up the pathetic number of new arrivals (hardbound books for kids and best sellers) I was told the other books had simply stopped coming.
Now, the supermarket was one of my three major sources for new books, the other two being the local library and the book club. By and large, the offerings in the book club have about a 70% overlap with what was on the store shelves, and maybe a fifty-fifty split with what I'd see at the library. Every few weeks, I get a glossy 32 page booklet plus a dozen odd individual sheets, from the club, offering me selections I could usually obtain much cheaper at the store if I just waited a week or two. But I ordered some anyhow, the ones I deemed least likely to obtain elsewhere. But, about six months ago, I started having issues here as well - I began getting books I did not order, while some of the ones I did order were either delayed or never showed up at all. It was almost like books were being sent to me randomly. My account became tangled. Playing phone tag didn't resolve matters. But I still placed an occasional order. Then the clubs most recent booklet arrived - all sixteen pages of it, with dang near nothing in the way of extras...and nothing that interested me. Meanwhile they send me an 'important email' which happens to be about the name for their new Kindle service.
So, that's two of my three main book sources that are fading, and the library operates with its own protocols at its own speed. So what does that leave?
Used books? Yes, there are used book stores in the area, and I frequent both of them. And as such establishments go, they are well stocked. But I have read a LOT of books down through the decades, including the bulk of what's on their shelves. Plus there is the matter of finding books two and four of a series, but not books one or three. Still, I do find the occasional tome of interest in those places.
Well, there is the internet, specifically these E-Readers. Lots of formerly print publications seem to be migrating to the net, and not just fiction ones. But I wonder about that as well, for reasons I may cover in another post...if anybody is interested.
