Electronic Books and Reading Devices

I am a little swamped right now and don't have time to write a complete post about what I, as an independent bookstore owner, feel about the rise of electronic books so I am going to copy parts of a post I read this morning by a fellow bookshop owner whom I respect and have become online friends with during our first two years of business.

Aaron's Books, is the true independent bookshop, in all the ways one thinks about when imagining a community bookstore, located in Lititz, PA. Sam, Todd, and son Aaron are all about sustainability, supporting the local community, and of course, encouraging people of all ages to read. Here are some thoughts they shared on the bookstore blog about electronic readers. With Christmas just around the corner I thought it might be helpful for those of you thinking about buying an e-reader for someone you love.

It may come as a shock but we are not “against” E-Reading devices. The staff here personally prefers good old paper books, but we fully understand in today’s fast moving and digital age that e-books are preferred by others. And honestly, it doesn’t have to be one or the other, it can easily by both!

Another shock, you can have an e-reader and still buy both paper and digital books from your local indie!

Today Google and the American Booksellers association launched Google-Ebooks. There are currently more than 100 indie bookstores participating in this endeavor, which just started today! While we are not, there are several in PA that are, and we recommend you download from one of them, as their tax dollars go towards the same state budget ours do (note: when shopping at Amazon ZERO dollars gets recirculated into PA!)
Here is more about this great announcement!

Paragraphs is also not participating in the Google ebooks program at this time, however there are several American Bookseller's Association member stores in Texas that do and I would encourage you to shop from them for the same reason. When you download from a Texas independent bookstore, your sales tax dollars stay in Texas, the same as when you shop at Paragraphs.

Participating Texas Bookstores include:

Blue Willow Bookshop in Houston, TX

BookPeople in Austin, TX

Katy Budget Books in Austin, TX

A complete listing of stores is located at Indiebound.org.

So on with the post from Aaron's Books:

That all being said, if you’re thinking about gifting someone on your list an e-reader this holiday season here are some thoughts.

1) There are many machines that do more than e-read, ANY device with internet access can give the user the ability to shop locally while downloading e-books.

2) Lots of dedicated e-readers (meaning all they do is e-books/magazines) offer the ability to order books from multiple sources, EXCEPT the Kindle.

3) If you do buy your giftee a Kindle, know that they are no longer able to shop locally when buying an e-book. The Kindle is programmed as a device that WILL only download from Amazon (aka Evil River Empire). The Kindle, as a “locked” device does not allow for reading the book on more than one device.

(With the new Google e-books, your book is stored on the Google “cloud” allowing for multiple device reading).

There are also security issue with the Kindle - Amazon has the ability to track everything you read, highlight, and make notes on; and has the ability to remove any book from your device at any time they feel the need to.

So as you’re thinking about gifting an e-reader, please keep these things in mind.

Want us to help you pick out good e-books to download from an indie? We’re happy to help you, and can even get you started right here in the store!

Happy Reading (E- or Paper!)

I hope this will give you some information about the possibilities out there relating to buying an ereader. One thing not mentioned is the ability to download books from your library. Using a Kindle, this is not possible. My mother is a member of the Denver Public Library, as was I until moving to TX, and it is possible to download most new titles in ebook format and also as audio books. You cannot take advantage of library services with a Kindle.

As the technology becomes more mainstream I would consider selecting a device which gives you the most flexibility to take advantage of obtaining content from the greatest variety of sources.

And, like Aaron's Books, we at Paragraphs are here to help you pick out books that you will enjoy, no matter how you select to "read" them.

ABFFE joins 2020 Vision at Paragraphs

I am continuously surprised when I read that some well-meaning parent group or school board is challenging the presence of certain books or materials in school or public libraries. Of course, this is nothing new, censorship in many forms has been around forever and we will probably never see the day when it becomes unnecessary to guard against any attempt to limit the free expression of ideas. While I recognize that there are some things that don't deserve ever to be printed, much less read, the right to do so must remain unfettered by any governmental authority. This is the fundamental basis of our democracy.

This is another reason I am proud to be a member of the American Bookseller's Assn. As an organization, they are committed to fighting against censorship.

Founded by the American Booksellers Association in 1990, ABFFE’s mission is to promote and protect the free exchange of ideas, particularly those contained in books, by opposing restrictions on the freedom of speech; issuing statements on significant free expression controversies; participating in legal cases involving First Amendment rights; collaborating with other groups with an interest in free s peech; and providing education about the importance of free expression to booksellers, other members of the book industry, politicians, the press and the public.

To further support the work of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, 2020 Vision USA, a Sarasota, Florida, direct importer of reading glasses and sunglasses, has agreed to contribute $1 to ABFFE for every pair of glasses it sells to independent bookstores.

"We are very excited to have the support of 2020 Vision USA," ABFFE President Chris Finan said. "We hope that contributions from 2020 Vision and other sideline vendors will provide an important new source of the money we need to protect the First Amendment rights of booksellers and their customers."

And now, I am proud to say, Paragraphs has joined in the effort and will be carrying a wide selection of reading glasses and later this summer, sun readers from 2020 Vision. A family business founded in 1996, 2020 Vision offers a huge inventory of high fashion Italian designs.

Buying from 2020Vision allows us not only to support the cause of free expression but is also a way to recognize our commitment to independent businesses. 2020 Vision sells to bookstores across the country, including Books & Books in Miami, so I think we are in good company and can be assured of having the newest and most fashionable styles, something I would never be able to provide on my own.

So if you need a new pair of reading glasses, come in and look for something that has a little pizzazz. I think you will be pleased with the selection and the price -- and you will be helping support a good cause at the same time.

I Love the Recognition

This morning when I was groggily checking to see if I had any tweets, I was surprised to see a message referring to a mention of Paragraphs in Shelf Awareness, a bookselling industry on-line publication.

There was also a mention of our opening in the American Bookseller's Assn. online newletter Bookselling This Week.

I love getting the recognition for Paragraphs, but also appreciate the exposure it provides our little sandbar.

Someday, if my dream comes true, I would like to see Paragraphs become a destination, a place that people who love bookstores put on their list of places they must visit. Is it possible to imagine a Book People or Tattered Cover giving our little slice of paradise a place on the literary map?

Achieving some level of national attention, no matter how small, makes that goal seem like something I may eventually be able to accomplish.

Indie Businesses Unite!

I have been posting on the SPI Forum about the advantages of independent businesses for the community. Actually, I think most everyone is tired of hearing about Indiebound, the Indiebound Community, or anything else that begins with "Indie".

In an effort to help the business climate of South Padre Island, the Town has initiated the formation of a "Coalition for Business Development". The coalition is being asked to identify ways (1) to increase consumer use of our existing businesses (2) to attract new businesses which will be used by consumers and (3) to attract more consumers by increasing the number of permanent residents and visitors. To meet these objectives several subcommittees have been formed, with each one being asked to provide recommendations that will help to meet the broader objectives of the coalition.

The subcommittees include:

(1) Establish a Merchants Association to focus on ways to improve sales for existing business.

(2) Establish New Programs will focus on new Special Events.

(3) Recruit Permanent and Part-Time Residents and Increase Tourism will focus on Specialty Groups to which our Island offers areas of interest.

(4) Recruit New Business will focus on developing an On-Line Website for the EDC that can be used by new business seeking information about the Island. In addition recommend better use of technology for data based marketing, and identify a liaison between new business and the Town.

My interest in these discussions is directed toward the Merchant's Association with a focus on some type of a Shop Local campaign, with an emphasis on our Independent Businesses.

The IndieBound program offers some great materials which can be used to promote, not just bookstores, but all indies within a community. This message, which appears on a flyer that can be customized for individual stores or for a merchants association, reminds the customer that when they shop local they have done something good for the community.

Here’s what you just did!

1. You kept dollars in our economy

For every $100 you spend at one of our local businesses, $68 will stay in the community. What happens when you spend that same $100 at a national chain? Only $43 stays in the community.

2. You embraced what makes us unique

You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?

3. You created local jobs

Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.


4. You helped the environment

Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources in the form of less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.

5. You nurtured community

We know you, and you know us. Studies have shown that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of chains.


6. You conserved your tax dollars

Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify our community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong—right here in your community!


7. You created more choice

We pick the books and gifts we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.


8. You took advantage of our expertise

You are our friends and neighbors, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?

9. You invested in entrepreneurship

Creativity and entrepreneurship are what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local business ensures a strong community.


10.You made us a destination

The more interesting and unique we are as a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone!

So, remember the advantages to our communities when we Shop Local!

Free Expression Threatened by "Libel Tourism"

From the American Booksellers Foundation For Free Expression:

On Wednesday, September 10, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) joined 18 groups in issuing a statement urging members of the Senate Judiciary Committee to support the Freedom of Speech Protection Act of 2008 (S. 2977), legislation that provides that foreign libel judgments cannot be enforced in the U.S. if the speech is not actionable under U.S. law. The groups are concerned about the growing threat posed by libel suits that are filed in foreign countries in an effort to intimidate American writers and publishers.

As a recent example of libel tourism, ABFFE cited the lawsuit filed by Saudi billionaire Khalid Salim bin Mahfouz against Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, an American expert on terrorism, over statements in her book, Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed and How to Stop It (Bonus Books).

Although the book was never published in England and only 23 copies have been sold there via online booksellers, Bin Mafouz brought suit in an English court. Under British law, the burden of proof in the first instance is on the defendant to prove the truth of any allegedly libelous statement. Faced with the prospect of enormous legal costs to meet this burden, and objecting as a matter of principle to having to litigate in England without having published her work there, Ehrenfeld refused to defend the suit. The English court entered a default judgment, enjoined further distribution of the book in the U.K., and awarded substantial damages and legal fees.

Read more...

Great Books Programs - Lifelong Learning

From the August 20, 2008 edition of Bookselling This Week:

A funny thing happened when R.J. Julia in Madison, Connecticut, announced its new, ongoing Great Books Seminar Program -- a monthly seminar designed to provide people with the opportunity to study and discuss the great works of literature, philosophy, and history. Very quickly, post-college adults were showing up in droves to register to study the classics

Fittingly, it was a book that inspired Coady to launch the Great Books Seminar Program in March 2008. "A friend of ours, [Yale Professor] Tony Kronman wrote a book called Education's End, Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life [Yale University Press]," said Coady.

The book discusses how the most important question one can ask in life -- What is living for? -- has been removed from university classrooms and calls for its return in humanities studies.

...how incredibly life-affirming it is to see adults participate for the pure pleasure of learning. I think this is a great opportunity for all independents. Being in a bookstore [for a class] is very exciting -- there are a lot of people who want this opportunity.

Education's End: Why Our Colleges and Universities Have Given Up on the Meaning of Life By Anthony T. Kronman Published by Yale University Press, 2007 ISBN 0300122888, 9780300122886 308 pages

Let us link you to your closest independent bookstore! Just enter your ZIP code below before pressing the button. If you do not enter your ZIP, an indie bookstore will be chosen for you at random and if you do not have a local bookshop this title can be shipped to you.

Anyone interested? I am a member of the Center for the Study of the Great Ideas whose founder, Mortimer Adler, was the leading proponent of a Great Books curriculum at the University of Chicago which pre-dated many of today's Great Books colleges such as St. John's College in Annapolis and Santa Fe.

A great books program for adults and the Great Books Foundation were also founded in Chicago and Adler actively promoted the idea of great books discussion groups for adults. The foundation of the Great Books Movement now serves as the basis for numerous home schooling programs and the Great Books Foundation provides teacher and book group leadership training in the shared inquiry method of discussion which is at the core of the program.

The Directed Studies Program at Yale University, discussed in Kronman's book, is another curriculum based upon similar principles, which seeks to promote the value of the Western Canon of Literature in helping students understand what it means to live a good life.

If anyone is interested in attending similar seminars I am sure Max Weisman from the Center would be pleased to help us get started.

Sale Tax on Internet Book Sales

The American Bookseller's Association through its E-fairness campaign seeks to help the independent retailer remain competitive against the big box stores and internet behemoths.

Independent bookstores collect sales tax from their customers and this money is used by the state and the local community to provide services to the citizens. The major advantage that Amazon has over an independent store is cost. In some cases much of that cost advantage stems from the retailer's failure to collect sales tax.

Eliot Spitzer, before he fell from grace, was instrumental in getting this inequity reversed in New York State, although I think the issue is still being argued in the courts. Now, it seems that the Texas Comptroller's Office may have discovered a source of additional revenue, as well.


Bookselling This Week Reports

The State of Texas Comptroller's Office is currently investigating whether the presence of an Amazon.com-run distribution facility in the Dallas suburb of Irving means the online retailing giant has a physical presence in the state. If the Comptroller's Office determines that Amazon.com does have nexus, the retailer would be responsible for collecting and remitting sales tax for purchases made by Texas residents and potentially would be liable for back taxes.

The issue over the Seattle, Washington-based Amazon.com's Irving facility was first reported by the Dallas Morning News on May 9, after the newspaper contacted the Texas Comptroller to inquire why Amazon.com did not collect and remit sales tax even though it had a distribution facility in the state. The inquiry prompted the state to launch an investigation into the matter.

Following news of the investigation, Amazon stated publicly that, under Texas sales tax laws, it is not required to collect and remit sales tax because the distribution facility is operated by a subsidiary, Amazon.com.kydc, Inc.

Amazon.com's website notes that it runs fulfillment facilities in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Texas, Nevada, Delaware, Arizona, and Indiana. The company lists customer service centers in North Dakota, West Virginia, and Washington. At present, Amazon only collects sales tax in Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, and Washington. Delaware does not charge sales tax.

Lawyers get ready and let the battle begin. There are millions of $$$ at stake. Of course, none of the taxes - except past taxes not collected or paid - come from Amazon, but the need to collect them cuts into their competitive advantage.

So, if you are one of those who buy from Amazon to avoid paying sales tax, those days may be coming to an end. When the sales tax and freight is added to the cost of a book from Amazon, the cost advantage over an independent retailer becomes much less obvious.

Reading Guernsey

I read this on the ABA Omnibus this morning

"I'm going to end this week's post by using this bookish community to offer yet another plug for the book I've been recommending since I finished it Monday night: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society. It's absolutely fabulous, and I'm not the only one who thinks so!"

Maybe its because I spent a day in Guernsey a couple years ago during a family cruise. It was such a wonderful island off the southern coast of Great Britain, and I felt like I had stepped back in time a couple of decades. At a little shop I bought a signed copy of two books by the local author Molly Bihet. A Child's War, originally published in 1985, told of Molly's experiences during the occupation. She was nine years old when the Germans occupied Guernsey. The Channel Islands were the only part of Great Britain that was held by the German Army during the Second World War.
It meant a different way of growing up for the young girl. As she writes in the preface:

"I wanted to express my feelings during these difficult years of German rule and the different 'games' and unusual pastimes of a child done solely because we were hungry and restricted."

You can read more and hear her, in her own words, at the BBC Guernsey site.


So, I am anxious to read The Guernsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society, named for a book club that was born out of the need for a quick alibi when the characters were discovered by the German's breaking curfew. The authors are an aunt and niece team and it sounds like a delightful read.

Sounds Familiar

The latest issue of Bookselling This Week profiles the Book and Cranny bookstore in Statesboro, Georgia, and parts of the article sounded pretty familiar. Campbell's discussion of the resources she used to prepare for opening her bookstore are the same ones I am using. Since they are celebrating their first year in business this April, following in their footsteps can't be all wrong.

My FabJob Guide is full of post-it notes, looks like a highlighter rainbow, and has numerous dog-eared pages as well as a few dog-chewed corners.

Bookselling This Week: The Book and Cranny Fills a Void: "Deborah Campbell. 'I was tired of having to drive an hour and a half to buy a book.' The former Lucent Technology engineer had hoped that someone else would fill the general bookstore void, but she said, 'I waited long enough to realize I had to do it myself.'

Campbell then took a year to formulate a business plan, studied ABA resources on BookWeb.org, downloaded a copy of the FabJob Guide to Become a Bookstore Owner, and worked closely with the local small business development center."

From the Book and Cranny Website:

Now, you aren't forced to drive to other cities or go online to find the book you want. Come in and browse -- enjoy the feel, the smell, the pleasure of searching for the latest titles, the best-selling authors, the book you didn't know you wanted until you saw it on the shelf!

We have a very exciting collection, everything from the newest bestsellers to old favorites. And if you don't see what you're looking for on the shelf, we can order it for you -- no extra charge. Most special orders arrive within 2 - 3 days (some may take a bit longer, but we will tell you up front). We receive book shipments almost daily during the week, so there is always something new for you to check out!

South Padre Island, this will be available to you, too, before the end of 2008.

Seven Months and Counting.

Now the hard work begins. I just reviewed my "Opening a Bookstore" time line to remind me of what lies ahead. It is a little mind boggling!!

In some places I am ahead of schedule and some items are wrapped up in the construction of my own building. In other areas I need to get busy, which is hard to do down here in "manana" land.

Yesterday Griff left to return to New York, so I should have time to get busy. With our strange lifestyle, when we are together, I like to spend time with him and it's hard to concentrate on business plans and stuff.

My list for six to nine months includes things like:

1. Everything that needs to be done to finalize my business name
2. Update business plan
3. Obtain a SAN number from R.R. Bowker
4. Create credit reference sheet
5. Contact vendors on products, services and computer systems
6. Store design and layout
7. Finalize product categories and inventory percentage

It sounds so simple yet each item can be broken down into a million little pieces. I am glad I have the American Bookseller's Association as a resource. And, yes, like everything else there are consultants that specialize in opening independent bookstores. I have been using materials from Paz and Associates.

Right now I am waiting for a call from a graphic designer who specializes in product branding and marketing. It took me ages to finally decide on a name for the shop - and I want a logo that will stand out and serve several functions:

1. Identify the store
2. Reflect our mission
3. Place the shop as to location, eliminate the need to look for street numbers - this is part of the reason I chose a distinctive architectural style
4. Be easily reproduced in all media from low-quality newsprint to glossy ad pieces
5. Be equally distinctive in color or black and white

I believe that a name and brand are an important part of meeting my goals for Paragraphs. I want to be more than a retail store but also a gathering place, a destination, a community institution - and I want my logo to reflect all of the above.

115 Independent Bookstores Open in 2007

The following information was encouraging after all the doom and gloom which we generally hear from the MSM (mainstream media) about American reading habits.

"The American Booksellers Association welcomed 115 new bookstores that opened for business in 2007. This was the third year in a row that the number of bookstore openings topped one hundred.

'We're happy to report that 115 ABA member stores opened in 2007,' said ABA CEO Avin Mark Domnitz. 'This is very good news and an indication of a growing trend among communities that are recognizing the unique contributions of local independent businesses. These new ABA member stores offer a one-of-a-kind environment and knowledgeable owners and staff who are dedicated to serving their neighborhoods.'

The new bookstore openings were spread across 35 states, and included a branch store of Florida's Books & Books on Grand Cayman Island and a member store in La Paz, Mexico. The largest number of openings was in California, which welcomed 17 new stores; followed by eight openings in New York; seven each in Georgia and Oregon; six in Michigan; and five each in Colorado, Minnesota, and North Carolina.

The move to local independent businesses that are tailored to specific communities is a refreshing move away from the mega-retailers. This is a trend which should fit in well with the South Padre Island business community.

Anyway, I hope so!!