Bye-bye Books?

If you haven't heard yet, all Borders stores are closing and they are liquidating their stock.  This started yesterday. This makes me a sad panda, as Borders was the one book store that I actually enjoyed going to.  There have been plenty of good finds - and even memories - made at Borders stores in the past.  Not to mention that there is probably some connection I feel with the fact that I used to frequent their "home" store in Ann Arbor.

Borders started as a used book store in Ann Arbor about 40 years ago.  And now people are so into television or movies that they don't read books as much anymore.  And if they do, they pull out their handy-dandy e-reader, yet another screen to stare at.  I, myself, will never get an e-reader.  I spend enough time on the computer as it is, which wreaks havoc on my eyes.  (Yet I'm not wearing my glasses at the moment...  Bad Ryan!)

I can only hope that this isn't the beginning of the end for books.  What kind of person who enjoys reading would *not* be excited to come across a stack of old books?  Worn bindings, dog-eared pages, yellowed edges...  The smell of old leather, the beauty of a decorative cover...  Pages to turn, a physical object to cling to...  Pages to cry on when the story is sad or happy...  You can't cry on an e-reader.  Nor can you take it to the beach.  :p

In my heart, books are here to stay.  I only hope that this remains the case for other people as well...