For many small communities, the Borders store at the nearest mall was the only place to browse and buy a variety of books, beyond the few titles offered in Walmart bestseller and bargain racks.
Unable to find a white knight to rescue it from bankruptcy, the nation's second-largest bookseller announced plans Monday to close its remaining 399 stores by the end of September, leaving a void in communities across the country _ including Oneonta, whose Southside Mall has had a Waldenbooks/Borders since it opened in the early 1980s.
As a lifelong bookworm who still can't imagine reading a novel on a small, handheld device, I'd never celebrate the loss of a brick-and-mortar bookstore. But I do take comfort in what seems to be a reverse trend. After years of seeing small, "mom-and-pop" stores pushed out by big-box retail chains, our area is fortunate to have a variety of independent bookstores to fill the Borders void.
It seems remarkable that, while Borders has fallen victim to the economic downturn and the rising popularity of online shopping and e-readers, the Delaware County village of Hobart is marketing itself as the "Book Village of the Catskills," and a relatively new indie bookstore is thriving on Oneonta's Main Street.
I haven't yet toured the book village, which has five Main Street bookstores plus two more in nearby Delhi and South Kortright. But I'm a huge fan of The Green Toad Bookstore in Oneonta, which opened in November 2008 _ a year after Amazon launched the Kindle and started the e-reading revolution.
With its relaxing music, comfy chairs, attractive décor and proximity to the Latte Lounge, The Green Toad feels like a destination, and shopping there feels like an event, not a chore.
It's one of the places I love in Oneonta, and one of the reasons I can argue with the old-timers who mourn the loss of Bresee's, Newberry's, Woolworth's and Thursday-night shopping. In my book, Main Street just keeps getting better. It may not be where you go to knock off your entire shopping list in one store, but it's a great place in which to eat, relax, take in some art or music, and find specialized products with the special service to match.
The Green Toad has a customer loyalty program (with no sign-up fees, loopholes or card-swiping), and the friendly staff behind the counter can always direct you right to a book. They'll also order any book you don't find on the shelves _ and maybe even ask you how you liked it the next time you stop in. In addition to a wide sampling of fiction and nonfiction titles, you can find jewelry, handbags, art supplies, puzzles, puppets and games at The Green Toad, which has become my go-to store for children's birthday gifts.
Much more than just a place to shop, The Green Toad has made a name for itself as a community gathering place for the literary-minded, hosting author readings, book-launch parties, poetry slams, trivia contests and children's story hours.
Last year, The Green Toad was one of two stores in the nation to receive a Pannell Award, given annually by the Women's National Book Association to retail bookstores that display passion, creativity, responsiveness to community needs and understanding of young readers. Five months later, the business received the Otsego County Chamber/Excellus BlueCross BlueShield annual Breakthrough Award for innovation in the marketplace.
Though I'm not a fan of e-reading, I recognize that in this green-conscious age, it may not make sense to keep filling shelves with paper books. The Green Toad has thought of that, too. At its annual book swap, the store windows are piled high with cast-off treasures, and anybody who brings in a book can participate in the exchange.
The bankruptcy of Borders proves you can't count on even the biggest bookstores to survive in the era of one-click ordering. So, if you love reading, if you relish the experience of browsing spines, reading dust jackets, meeting authors and cracking open a brand-new book, please fill your summer reading list at The Green Toad or another local bookstore.
Independent bookstores play a vital role in nurturing communities of readers, writers and storytellers. They help to sustain the creative spirit that keeps great stories _ and great art, and great music and great ideas _ coming. Happily, in our area, at least, it seems their story is just getting started.
Lisa Miller is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Oneonta. She can be reached at lisamiller44@ hotmail.com.
Columns
Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
- Big Chuck D'Imperio
- Cary Brunswick
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Some wisdom is best passed down through books
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- Chuck Pinkey
- Guest Column
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
In Otsego County’s local elections last fall, a number of candidates — most of them on the independent Sustainable Otsego line — ran on an anti-fracking, pro-sustainability platform. They recognized that our current way of life — dependent on increasingly scarce, costly and polluting fossil fuels — cannot continue.
Continued ... - Time to get off the bus and on the computer
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
- Lisa Miller
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Being a parent is a constant learning process
I am sitting cross-legged on the floor in the dressing room, waiting for Allie's dance number to be called. The cave girl costume has been donned, the jazz shoes double-tied, the hair pulled back, the requisite dab of lipstick applied.
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Being a parent is a constant learning process
- Mark Simonson
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
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Continued ...
100 Years Ago - Recalling the Hindenburg, John D. Rockefeller in May 1937
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- Area tunes to WONT in November 1972
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
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Climbing is one thing, but skydiving?
OUTDOORS COLUMN BY RICK BROCKWAY ... Last week, my friend George and I returned to the Gunks for another rock-climbing adventure. After last week's column, I asked about the rattlesnakes and was told not to worry. Rattlers are usually quite timid and will avoid people as much as possible. It's the copperheads that'll give you trouble. They're aggressive and will stand their ground to defend it. Oh great!!
- Rattlesnakes may be closer than you think, so pay attention
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- Pass down the rush of turkey hunting to your kids this weekend
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Climbing is one thing, but skydiving?
- Sam Pollak
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I'm happy with our kids to a certain degree
It was several years ago, and I was in the kitchen, telling my eldest daughter and my then-teenaged son about the person who was taking over as publisher at The Daily Star.
Continued ... - I get by with a little help from my 'friends'
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- William Masters
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Time for lawmakers who put needs of society first
Richard Lugar, after six terms as a Republican senator -- known for his middle of the road rationality and his foreign policy finesse -- has been ousted by a Tea Party extremist backed by outside right-wing funding.
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War not worth gambling with lives of soldiers
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Titanic was a microcosm of U.S. economic disparity
Haunting reminders of the Titanic tragedy have wafted over us with the centenary of its sinking. The maiden voyage of an impressive, state of the art vessel, was a little like that of the Challenger space shuttle, at the cutting edge of developing technology. But the shuttle carried our pride in science and space exploration, not hundreds and hundreds of people.
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William Masters: Nation stands divided between 'us' and 'them'
In February, Trayvon Martin was shot dead as "suspicious" by a volunteer neighborhood watch man. The case has aroused community reaction in Sanford, Fla., and is still echoing across the country.
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A quarterback can't win the game alone
What is the relationship between democracy and wealth? Democracy is a political system, while wealth relates to economics. We have equal political rights, but we don't all have money. Extreme differences destroy the continuity of community solidarity.
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Time for lawmakers who put needs of society first
