About a thousand people read yesterday’s post about showrooming: turning book shops into book spaces funded through the marketing budgets of various organisations (publishers, big independent writers, giant online retailers).
I’m not the only one thinking along these lines. Yesterday, over at Publishing Perspectives, Jo Henry, the MD of Book Marketing Limited, ventured the opinion that Amazon may end up buying Waterstones, a UK book chain, “so that it would have its own showroom on the high street.”
And today in Publishers Weekly, Roxanne Coady, of RJJulia Booksellers, Madison, CT, has a modest proposal for independents to charge Amazon for showrooming.
Finally, a smart friend of mine points out that the book space I imagined yesterday already exists: it’s the New York Public Library. So my additional suggestion is for publishers and giant online retailers* (Amazon, B&N, Apple, and Google) to fund libraries directly.
Just a thought.
* Giant Online Retailers: GOR.
Nicola Griffith 
I went to the local Mall a couple days ago, and was saddened to find there wasn't a single book, music, or video* store left.
Sometime when you're in pondering mode: What do you think the difference is between brick-and-mortar Booksellers and brick-and-mortar sellers of other types of merchandise?
I work at REI co-op, and smart-phone shoppers are ubiquitous, but we seem to be doing pretty well. There ARE people who only come into the store for sales merchandise, and people who find what they want then buy it online. But the majority of people 1) want it now or 2) are willing to pay a premium for friendly, competent service.
*There was one kiosk near the food court that sold nothing but martial arts DVDs.
Dianne, that is worth pondering. I'll do so.