Bookseller asks residents to help save bookstores

Save the bookstores! While you may not be directly affected by the recession, you may notice a woeful consequence of these rough times, namely, that your favorite places — your favorite shops and restaurants— are suddenly dark, shuttered, empty. Below is an excerpt from a recent call-to-arms by Roy Blount Jr., president of the Authors Guild:

I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don't lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn't in the cards.

But we don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let's mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. There will be birthdays in the next 12 months; books keep well; they're easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children's books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth.

C'mon, guys, you can do it; save those bookstores.
Alex Dawson
The Raconteur
Metuchen