Laredo reads!
January 4, 2010Jon Brooks Comments OffWhen I was a kid, 2010 sounded like a year beyond science fiction, a time when anything might be possible. But now that that impossibly futuristic date has finally made its way to the front of the line, all I can think of is my disappointment in the lack of flying cars.
One thing that never occurred to me in those decades leading up to the latter part of the Big Zeros is that America would experience an economic crisis so profound as to spawn a blog like this. If you had told me, say, 25 years ago that one day I’d be blogging about a near-depression, I would have said “No way!” (I wasn’t so articulate back then.) Then I would have said, “What’s a blog?”
But anyway, here we are…
One item to catch up with and expand on. During Christmas week, EconomyStory wrote about Laredo Reads, a campaign to bring a new bookstore to the Texas border city that is losing its only bookstore, a B. Dalton, this year. Book sales, like sales of many things, were down in 2009, and the growing acceptance of e-books only added to retailers’ woes.
According to AP:
Once the Laredo store closes, the nearest bookstore will be in San Antonio — a more than two-hour drive away.
The Laredo Reads web site includes an online petition to bring a bookstore to Laredo, as well as comments by locals. A sampling:
Every time i remember when i used to live in san antonio,i specifically remember going down to nearest bookstore,every payday,and purchase at least one book,as part of the errands i had to run on Fridays…i miss that so much,and Laredo being a port of entry,for thousands of people from South America,it is imperative and of great need that we have local bookstores to attend the educational,spiritual,and inspirational needs of all residents and newcomers here in Laredo,…so much for the “gateway city”,as it is dubbed nationwide and even internationally.How embarrassing must it be to be a city council member,when you can’t even have a single bookstore open,for the citizens of Laredo….wake up,…”Laredo”,and speak up….
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I find what you are doing to be very noble and wonderful. I am a member of the Laredo TEA Party Patriots and I am offering our hand in any way necessary to bring another book store to this city. It essential that we have a book store and have the material readily available for enlightenment. As Laredo TEA Party we believe in personal enlightenment and education. I would love to help you with any means necessary. Thank you and God Bless.
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We are actively looking for a source of gently used books to have in our store to hopefully fill some of the void created by the closing of Laredo’s book store. By no means are we a large chain store but we do love reading. We are also greatly increasing the amount of Japanese Manga carried in the store as many people relied on the local bookstore for these items and they are currently available to us. General books are not part of our normal inventory as we are a specialty store but we are trying to help out in whatever way we can.Legacy Comics & Collectibles
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Does anyone know exactly why the bookstore is closing? I drive all the way up from Monterrey, Mexico to go to B. Dalton bookstore in Laredo to buy school books! I am a literature major and that was the only bookstore that had the books i was looking for!
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Last Sunday I visited Laredo again all the way from Monterrey, I always have to buy a book, any book at B. Dalton. When I saw the announcement that they were closing the store, it got me kinda sad, will I have to go to McAllen now? Hope not!!
Doesn’t sound like the book is dead quite yet. Meanwhile, the photographer for a Wall Street Journal story on the bookstore’s closing and the high rate of illiteracy in Laredo has posted his impressions of the town, which drew a couple of negative comments from residents.
For a greater sense of the city, check, out its photo pool on Flickr.
