Let's Save A Bookstore (Or Two)

From this weekend's Santa Cruz Sentinel, an article about the local independent bookstore, the Capitola Book Cafe. It's a pretty decent general interest bookstore, with occasionally interesting author events (which Fosco has attended before). And, like all independent bookstores, it's in trouble.

But the Capitola Book Cafe owners have an interesting suggestion for how we can help save independent bookstores:

Still, said the Book Cafe partners, the fate of the independent book industry is largely in the hands of consumers. A recent study pointed out that among even those consumers who thought of themselves as "loyal independent bookshop customers" only four of every 10 books they buy came from an independent bookseller.

"We're not asking that people buy 10 out of 10 books from independent bookstores," said Janet Leimeister. "But just one or two more, five out of 10, or six out of 10, would make a huge difference."

This is actually a pretty interesting idea and one that seems eminently doable. As much as Fosco spends on books (and obscure academic books, at that), there is just no way he can quit shopping Amazon. But, he may be able to shift one or two (out of ten) book purchases to independent stores like the Capitola Book Cafe. Can you?

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