“Second hand books are
wild books, homeless books.” – Virginia Woolf: The Decline of the Second Hand
Bookstore.
Second hand book shops are quickly becoming rarer than the
books they sell, with less than a thousand independently owned bookstores in
the UK in 2014 and more than 500 have closed since 2005. The dominance of
national chains such as Waterstones which has 300 stores and WHSmith which has
1,300 stores are putting independent bookstores out of business on a daily
basis. Furthermore, the convenience of Amazon providing thousands of titles at
cheap prices which can be instantaneously sent to your kindle, makes the
competition is tragically unfair. In addition, Google Books gives access to
books and academia at the click of a mouse with the ability to search for a
word in the entire works through a search bar.
The process of discovery and enjoyment has been evaporated
through the computer screen, and the next generation is not learning any
different. Even if people want to buy popular mainstream paperbacks, not only
are they available in Waterstones, they are also available just an aisle away
from your groceries in your supermarket. It is also noteworthy that stores such
as Waterstones do not only stock books, they lure customers in with adjoined
coffee branches and luxury gadgets and accessories. Bookstores are no longer
bookstores, but rather gift shops with some books are the back.
However, the charm of an old dusty bookshop never dies, those
who buy from an independent dealer not only come out with a book, or many books
in my case, the customer themselves undergo a process of discovery. As an avid
reader I have discovered more titles by just merely browsing second hand
bookshops than I have ever done browsing on amazon or in a multinational chain.
It gives you the possibility to find authors who aren’t in the literary charts
and editions of novels without the film adaptation plastered on the front.
Moreover, unless it is an antique, second hand book shops tend to always be
cheaper than Waterstones or WHSmith.
The owner of a second hand bookshop tend to always know what
they are talking about, whereas at a multinational chain you run the risk of
talking to an employee who doesn’t really want to be there and has minimal
interest in literature. Independent bookshop owners tend to have set up their
shop because they love books, simple as that. There is minimal economic profit in
second hand book stores so when you buy one of their books you know you are
investing in their passion; as well as developing your own. Their wealth of
knowledge, in my experience, is outstanding as they buy, collect and read the
books they sell on a daily basis. Instead of putting your money into big
business, it is worth spending time in these declining stores and help keep
their sector alive.
The act of exploring independent bookstores is a hobby in
itself, an interesting and fulfilling activity on a Saturday afternoon in your
local town. Despite towns being littered with chain book stores, there is hope
at the end of the tunnel. Success stories such as Mr B’s Emporium of Reading
Delights in Bath is highly successful, offering such services as Mr B’s reading
year where they send you a book a month as part of a package. They also provide
quirky delights such as a Reading Spa where you have a session with a
biblio-therapist to work out your likes and dislikes and a recommended reading
list over a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. These wonderful ideas and
stories give hope to independent bookstores, but in the end it is you the
customer that keeps these shops alive.
Liverpool has a few remaining second hand and independent
book stores which are in need of your business. Please visit News from Nowhere
on Bold Street, Oxfam on Bold Street, Henry Bohn Books on London Road and Reid
of Liverpool on Mount Pleasant. Let’s not become readers of the electronic
screen, but rather readers of the literary page.
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