Borders’ bankruptcy this summer has further underscored a major shift in the way people consume the written word, namely in pixels as opposed to print. As our chain brick and mortar bookstores inevitably go the way of our chain brick and mortar video stores and record stores, the ever-sharp Jon Stewart and author (and PC-dude) John Hodgman mull over various ways bookstores can stay competitive (video, above).
Their verdict: Don’t hold your breath.
John Hodgman: We have to face facts, Jon. The big-box bookstore has passed into history. And that’s something we should embrace and be proud of. By preserving Borders as a popular historical attraction.
Jon Stewart: Like, uh, colonial Williamsburg?
John Hodgman: Well yeah, exactly! Bring the kids down to Ye Olde Borders Towne! Let them see what it felt like to paw through a clearance bin of Word-a-Day calendars. Or sneak a peek at pornography printed on actual paper! Right there on the giant rack of weird magazines you’ve never heard of. Including my personal favorite, Bookstore Magazine Rack Aficionado magazine.
Jon Stewart: You know, I think a bookstore preserve might appeal to a — a very small market.
John Hodgman: Well, it can’t be smaller than the market of people who buy books.
Ba-dum ching.
Via/ Beyond Black Friday