Community, Features, Weeklies

Boston Bookstores

Bookstores around Boston provide a triangle of availability to shop locally with stores in Brookline, Cambridge, and downtown Boston.

In this modern era of Kindles, iPads and e-books, the question arises if the traditional local bookstore will soon become a thing of the past. Luckily, three local bookstores around Boston and Cambridge seem to be not only holding on, but thriving.

BROOKLINE BOOKSMITH – COOLIDGE CORNER

Brookline Booksmith, located in Coolidge Corner in Boston, has survived as an independent bookstore for 50 years. Dana Brigham is the store’s owner and manager, and said that she credits its success to the store’s uniqueness.

“We have great selection, service and style in place over our 50 years in business and there’s nothing cookie cutter about us,” Brigham said. “Every title or item we carry is selected by us. Every display is created by us.”

The store’s success may also be because of the owners’ involvement with their customers and in the town.

“We know and love our inventory and our community,” Brigham said. “All three owners live locally and are active in town organizations. Our booksellers are intelligent and extremely knowledgeable.”

Brigham also said that the benefits of shopping locally are immense.

“If local businesses do it right, the experience of shopping local is like being part of a big family,” Brigham said. “The store has its own unique personality and charm. People tell us over and over what a fabulous store this is.”

LOREM IPSUM – INMAN SQUARE

Tucked away off of Cambridge Street in Inman Square is Lorem Ipsum, a small local used bookstore booming in character. The window display immediately draws the costumer in, and once inside, it is hard to leave.

“Barnes and Noble can be kind of cold, and in my experience, you just sort of go in and if you have a question they type it into a computer and its like: ‘Yes, we have it or I can order it for you,’” said the store’s director, Peter Loftus. “One thing that’s really nice about this job is being able to strike up a conversation and just talk about books for a while.”

The bookstore also hosts a wide array of events for customers throughout the year.

“We have an art gallery that’s on a monthly basis so we do insulations and shows,” Loftus said. “All of the bookshelves are on wheels so it’s really nice to be able to rearrange the space as needed. We also do poetry readings, film screenings and music.”

Similar to Brookline Books, Lorem Ipsum has also become a part of the community.

“People really like that we are here and that this is a bookstore that’s still around,” Loftus said. “Since it’s becoming a rarity to see something like this on the street, it’s just really great to see the community warmly embracing the idea of a bookstore.”

TRIDENT BOOKSELLERS & CAFÉ – BACK BAY

Trident Booksellers and Café on Newbury Street not only has a wide selection of books, but also a café with an extensive menu. The store’s general manager Michael Lemanski said Trident has a lot of staying power.

“Bookstores were closing all over the place and then a few years ago it sort of steadied out and the ones that were left were the ones that had adapted and really knew what they were doing,” Lemanski said. “Now a lot of people are more interested in buying local.”

Lemanski also said that the convenience of online books does not always make E-books the “better” option.

“You can have all the selection in the world online, which is great, but you can’t have that aspect of wandering through the aisles of a bookstore and stumbling across a book or talking to a bookseller and getting great recommendations,” Lemanski said.

Bookstores, similar to coffee shops or cafes, also can be places for friends to meet up and hang out.

“Bookstores always have been a meeting place, a place for people to talk about ideas and discover new things,” Lemanski said. “Without them there’s something that’s missing in a place, a neighborhood, a town or a city.”

ONLINE VERSUS PRINT BOOKS

Many people believe that print books are dying out because of the new E-Book obsession, but not everyone is convinced.

“I don’t think that print will ever disappear completely. E-Books are up and coming and that’s fine but there’s also something that comes with the tangibility of actually having a book in your hands that I think people still look for whether or not cost is involved,” Loftus said.

Sites such as Amazon.com have also become a big competitor to bookstores.

“Amazon takes a hit on a lot of their book sales and probably looses money, but they make it up on other things they sell, and that’s why their able to sell books so cheap,” Lemanski said.

College of Communication Professor Jay Atkinson said that some writers are concerned with the increasing power of online bookstores.

“As bookstores, including both chains and independent stores, suffer losses and are forced into closing, Amazon looms larger,” Atkinson said. “The New York publishing industry and certainly a large number of “mid-list” writers, myself included, do not want to see Amazon become a monopoly. Then they will set prices and no one will be able to argue with them.”

However, students still seem to welcome the idea of small local bookstores. College of Arts and Sciences Sophomore Chris Dow said he is a fan of print books.

“I like how small bookstores, Lorem Ipsum especially, are able to foster a sense of community out of something as simple as used books,” Dow said. “The creative energy which fills a space like that is enough to remind you that print is not dead. It’s encouraging to think that not everyone has supplicated to The Man and traded in their first editions for PDF files.”

Even if the industry has seen a lot of change, Brigham said she remains optimistic about the future of bookstores.

“This is surely a period of change unlike any other in recent history for the printed word,” Brigham said. “I am one who believes there will always be a place for the physical book and bookstores.”

However, Atkinson said that the future of bookstores is uncertain.

“I am not sure of the future of bookselling and bookstores,” Atkinson said. “But we are going through a historic period of change, that’s for sure.”

Even if the industry has seen a lot of change, Brigham said she remains optimistic about the future of bookstores.

“This is surely a period of change unlike any other in recent history for the printed word,” Brigham said. “I am one who believes there will always be a place for the physical book and bookstores.”

However, Atkinson said that the future of bookstores is uncertain.

“I am not sure of the future of bookselling and bookstores,” Atkinson said. “But we are going through a historic period of change, that’s for sure.”

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