Borders is closing...

The dominant trend of this journal, if any trends can be detected, are the geekly pursuits of the author’s adult life. A great deal of that life has been spent in bookstores. I worked in three when I was just out of college, all of which were part of national chain bookstores, mostly located in malls, all of which have collapsed long ago (Waldens, Brentanos, B. Dalton). Bookstores used the “anchor store model” back in the 80s, locating in a retail location where they could exploit the symmetry of a large draw retail store. On the East coast, Crown Books came along to challenge that (mostly in the Mid-Atlantic area). Crown’s model was to create an organic distribution chain using their own trucks and warehouses, and flog an enormous amount of bargain books, remainders and one-offs in the front of the store, concentrating primarily on selling best-sellers for about 10% less than anyone else around. They had the wiggle room to do that by locating in cheaper real estate (usually a strip mall in the suburbs) and the cost savings they could realize by distributing directly from the publisher to their own warehouse. Crown (and some other regional discount chains using the same model, notably Books-a-Million) had its day, challenging the higher priced mall-based chains (Brentanos, Scribners, B. Dalton, Waldens) for the casual book purchase market.

Around the early to mid-90s, Borders Bookstores hit the regional markets after dominating the Midwest (the chain started in Michigan). They offered something that book geeks hadn’t seen before in a national chain.. Space. Chairs. Comfort. A huge inventory. A staff that (at the time) seemed to know what they were talking about. It was a treat to visit a Borders back in the 90s, and I didn’t think twice about spending 2 or more hours in one, just browsing or finding a corner somewhere to read something, you know, with coffee from the coffee bar (another “natural” these days, but it was new back then). As you have maybe figured out by now, your humble narrator is a history and science fiction genre fan, and I would easily spend lots of time and lots of money in both sections of the store. The DVD section was usually inspired, as well. Right on the heels of Border’s success was Barnes and Noble, adopting almost an identical approach, inhabiting lots of real estate and bringing in coffee bars, music, DVDs, etc. So, for a while there, it was almost like we had a golden age of books happening. That is… until the inevitable happened.

I know, you’re expecting a rant about Amazon now.  Nah.

Maybe it wasn’t SO inevitable. As we mentioned in a previous post about the impact of the internet on game stores, internet commerce started hitting both Borders and Barnes and Noble pretty hard with the increase of Amazon– but Amazon didn’t have to spell their doom.   It seems impossible to accept now, but people seem to forget that Amazon didn’t make a profit for years after their debut in 1994.  It wasn’t until Amazon branched out of books and started to vend everything under the sun that they achieved the kind of dominance they enjoy today.

Personally, I think it was being a latecomer to the Epub world that really spelled doom for Borders and other stores.  Once again, they seem to be ubiquitous now, but the notion of electronic books is not remotely new.  Project Gutenberg started in 1971.   Books on CD were attempted in the 1980s.  Various formats of electronic publishing cropped up in the 90s, but the notion really didn’t catch on while the display was in Liquid Crystal Diode mode– it was just too hard to read and so unlike a book experience it proved to be popular.  Of course, the advent of E-Ink screens (dating from 1997) changed all that, first with the Sony Reader line… and you know about the Kindle, I’m guessing.   Barnes and Noble was slow to jump on the train that Amazon had taken, but proved to be a market innovator by pinning their fortunes to the Nook, then color Nook (and along the way creating their own web retailing presence… not ever as universal as Amazon’s but a nice chunk of revenue in any event).  Borders, in comparison, was a laggard both in web retail and e-books vending, and their alliance with the Kobo Reader came as a little too little, a little too late to reverse downward trends.  With so much capital tied up in real estate and inventory, Borders was late to invest in two things they needed badly to survive: A Web marketplace with a recognizable brand, and a specific device like the Nook or Kindle that was associated specifically with Borders.

The implosion was bound to happen sooner or later.  Last year, Borders quietly shut down a large chunk of their standalone stores and Border’s Express locations (formerly those Waldenbooks mall stores, some of them..), and filed for relieve under Chapter 11 as they restructured their debt load.  The hope being that a buyer might come riding in during the past year to salvage the situation.  Alas, it was not to be.  You’ve probably heard the news by now.

What will the impact of the closure of the other retail book giant mean?  Quite a bit for a lot of people.  For many neighborhoods, the sole accessible bookstore for miles in any direction will close down.   For Barnes and Noble, it will mean the death of an arch rival, and perhaps an assumption of dominance in the retail book vending market.. but I really wonder what the future will hold for even B&N.  Sure, they have made some smart moves with the Nook, but is the mega store the way of the future?  Signs indicate that it is not.. There is still a huge market for paper books, periodicals and other tangible items sold in bookstores, that isn’t going to vanish any time soon.  But I have to wonder.. will the demise of Borders provide an opening for smaller, more agile, more niche-oriented, tech-savvy bookstores to emerge on the scene?  Say, perhaps, bookstores that specialize in genres of any sort, such as romance, Young Adult (which is booming), Science Fiction, Mystery, etc?  Only time will tell.

In the meantime, I’m going to mourn the loss of an old friend, Borders Books.

Farewell letter from CEO of Borders

Anyway – I remember being angry when I moved to the city so many years ago and saw how big corporations like Borders and Barnes & Noble were monopolizing the industry and putting small book shops out of business.  I vowed never to step foot in them (I was trying to be a good lil hippie), and then something happened. I walked into a Borders or a Barnes & Noble and found their sale racks, their bargain book racks, and I fell in love. So – shoot me already. I found myself getting off the St. Charles streetcar in New Orleans with my partner just to hang at the uptown Borders that had been transformed from a funeral home (only in NOLA).

Now folks are buying textbooks online. I have a Google Books and Kindle app on my iPhone, and I buy literary ethnographies to read on it. I can fit thousands of books on my telephone. That’s insane to me. Regardless,  I can’t bring myself to purchase digital textbooks. I’m the kind of person who needs to feel the paper and turn some actual pages. I make notes in margins, and I like to doodle (yes, I said it). I like to read in bathtubs. Then, the other day I took my iPhone to the bathtub… too much info? It bugs me. I didn’t drop it – I was able to read just fine on it. I was even able to make digital notes in the margins. It just… represents change, and I know I’m ranting like crazy here but I’m bothered by the whole thing.

My parents never took me to book stores or libraries when I was little, and I was always jealous of the kids whose parents did. I want kids – I want to bring them to bookshops and sit in a corner and let them read for hours. By the time I have kids,  they’ll be learning to read on kid-friendly iPads. I guess maybe this is a “good ol’ days” post – or maybe I’m just grrr-ing at the fact that I don’t mind when I get tea-stains on my paper pages. It doesn’t ruin the book – just gives it more character. My dogs like books – they like to chew on them. I can’t spill anything on my iPhone or future iPad.. my dogs can’t take a bite out of my partner’s favorite crime novel. They’d be toast!

Okay enough for now… I went to the local Borders closing sale when it opened this past Friday. I was sad to see it go, and it bugged me because I used to think of the little guy… and then somehow they became the little guy, and now they’re gone.

Related articles

• As stores die, so does book culture (boston.com)
• Why the Closing of Borders is No Big Deal, For Me (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
• Borders demise seen a small help to Barnes & Noble (thegreatone22.wordpress.com)
• This is Goodbye. (monsterscifishow.wordpress.com)

It pointed out some key points that I think a lot of Business Analysts can point out in hindsight, and mostly any Business Student learns to lookout for — but when you’re actually IN business, you may lose sight of if you’re not careful…  Clearly Borders fell into the latter category as a whole.

At a high-level the article pointed out some key things that many existing and up-and-coming businesses could take into account:

• Watch for external factors: Amazon and other online e-tailers basically came in and took a lot of wind out of Borders’ sails.  Not to mention that whole “Digital Movement” that’s been happening the last decade that Borders seemed to try and avoid for a while.
• Don’t be so slow to adapt: Jumping off of the first point – Borders made (what is now regarded as) a waiting to get into the online retail space…
• Be careful what things you have others take on for you: They made (what is now regarded as) an even worse decision when they decided to have Amazon take on their online storefront vs. doing it themselves – basically turning over customers and revenue to a third party.
• Don’t miss the window on Industry-changing formats: Citing the success that Barnes and Noble has seen with the e-reader format, the article basically says Borders missed the boat.
• Watch the timing of your strategies: Borders was called out for emphasizing DVD & CD sells during the iTunes/Netflix era (not smart).

And that’s all within the first few paragraphs…

This is a great article, and I think its major tenets will probably be the basic framework of any case studies that will be done on Borders in the future.  It goes on to talk about what their closure means for competitors, publishers, partners, etc.  Seriously — click that link above (in bold red letters) and give this article a quick read.  It may make you look at how you do things a little bit differently.

Now…

My reaction to all of this is kind of one of “poor guys” (said sympathetically… or even empathetically) because the things that were all pointed out were all from an outsider perspective.

Anyone who works in a company as big as Borders must’ve been in its heyday can attest to the Politics of the systems that get set up and how difficult it could be to drive something forward in a pretty stagnant industry (which in this case – was Books).

Pushing innovation to a more seasoned line of management can be a challenge as well.  Think about it – if something “isn’t broke” then most companies won’t fix it.  And by the time it shows up in your P & L (*business jargon*) — you’re already too late.

Not to mention the trap of success that gets most companies that go under.  Parallels can be drawn to Blockbuster who was also the number one video chain in the U.S.  Sure they’re still large in their own right – but they’ve been bested by new business models because what they did worked for them.  It made them successful in the past – so why view it as a threat for the future?

That’s why I think every company needs someone watching these macro-trends within their industry for them.  Sure you’ll have you daily worker-bees who keep things afloat, but someone needs to make sure that the company’s strategies fit well within the context of their society of buyers.

In the end – Borders didn’t think through the lens of their buyers/consumers… they thought like a business.

I’m sure Borders made great strategic moves on paper.  Think about it — I’m sure that Amazon was a good move when it came to talking about “Multi-channel Distribution” (*more jargon) and that the margins on CD and DVD sells was attractive.

But…

I’d bet they didn’t think about a person just saying, “Well — maybe I should just buy all of my books through Amazon, I can find cheaper ones here anyway,” or “Why am I paying this much for a case I’ll never use again once I load the music on my iPod?  I should just go to iTunes – screw these discs.”

Or even worse…

If they did – due to Politics of the organization – that person thinking along those lines never spoke up in a meeting during a crucial moment.

Or even MORE worse…

That thinker was silenced because they didn’t go with the flow of things at the organization.

Those are my thoughts on the matter.  THOSE are the real lessons from Borders.

Ultimately – you have to think with the mind of your buyers/consumers.  Don’t just run your business by paper because the numbers are an “after-image”.  Sure you can react to them for the better, but sometimes (depending on the level at which you’re seeing the numbers move) your reactions are too late.  That was the case for Borders.

I hope their displaced workforce finds employment in this economy…

What do you think were the major lessons to be learned from the closure of Borders?  Do you think that Business Classes are going to examine this case going forward?  What do you think Borders could’ve done differently (let’s play the hindsight game)?  How would you, as an employee – not a manager/executive – have tried to engineer change there or at any other “dying” company?  Tell me these things in the Comment Section below, and let’s all get better at Business together.

Peace and thanks for reading.

“I love Borders…I love books,” said Aurora Martinez of the Bronx.

Andy Esposito, an editor for the magazine NY Mets Inside Pitch, said he’d rather hold a real book in his hands instead of navigating pages with an e-reader. “For decades, Borders stores have been destinations within our communities, places where people have sought knowledge, entertainment, and enlightenment and connected with others who share their passion,” he continued. “Everyone at Borders has helped millions of people discover new books, music, and movies, and we all take pride in the role Borders has played in our customers’ lives. I extend a heartfelt thanks to all of our dedicated employees and our loyal customers.”

“I like the feel of books,” Marge Suntop said. But unlike many other customers, Suntop said she’d be willing to use an e-reader due to the response from her friends. “It’s definitely the wave of the future.”

Alabama-based Books-A-Million is still in negotiations to buy 30 Borders stores, none in Michigan. If something can be worked out, the stores would stay open as Books-A-Million outlets.

Borders is now in liquidation, with its 399 stores, including 13 in Metro Detroit, having going-out-of-business sales.

The 40 year-old Ann Arbor-based bookseller was unable to reorganize in federal bankruptcy court.

Anyone? Anyone?

-bd

Borders went belly-up Thursday, but still has roughly between $350-400 million in unsold merchandise to sell.

Initial sales will be up to 10 percent off at local stores. Discounts will increase as inventories dwindle.

[worldnow id=6079199 width=385 height=288 type=video]

The sale packed the parking lot of the Borders Books in Kendall.

“I think it’s a shame. I think it’s another end result of the economy,” said attorney Mari Corral about the Borders closing.

The discounts had some people carrying out bags of books Friday.

“I’m always here to get kids books; and I thought I’d go crazy today,” said book lover Danielle Dipero.

The evolution of online book sales and e-book readers like the Kindle and iPad are being credited as having sparked Border’s demise. Borders was slow to embrace it, unlike their competitors. But, some people think the demise of large book stores could benefit some.

“It might be good for the kind of smaller mom and pop stores that are being pushed out by the larger national stores,” said reader Mike Litke.

Felice Dubin owns is one of those owners. She owns an independent bookstore in Coconut Grove. She may see a slight uptick in business, but said brick and mortar bookstores are going to survive.

“Even though you have iTunes you still have your CD stores,” Dubin said. “Books will never die.”

Dubin believes the bookstores just need to be on the cutting edge of technology…and have good coffee.

So what about you? Do you still buy from bookstores? Answer in the CBSMiami.com poll below.

So, I’m certainly part of the problem.

But I still felt sad.

I remember when Borders Stores first opened. The wonder of the gigantic store filled with millions of books, books – glorious books!

And now, like record stores – books stores are becoming obsolete.

That makes me very sad.

I decided to go photograph a Borders Book Store.

Document the dinosaur at the brink of its extinction, you might say.

I ended up at Columbus Circle, right on the edge of Central Park here in Manhattan.

Thanks to my good friends at Wikipedia (what would I be without them??), here’s a wonderful photo of Columbus Circle from circa 1907:

and here’s a photo that I took 99 years later (circa 2006), looking out onto that center statue and beyond:

Also, in keeping with yesterday’s theme of NYC-based films, Wikipedia tells us:

“Columbus Circle appears in a number of films, including “It Could Happen To You”, “The Devil Wears Prada”, “Eyes Of Laura Mars”, “Home Alone 2″,  ”Taxi Driver”, “Die Hard With A Vengeance”, “Enchanted”, “I Am Legend”, “Cloverfield”, “The Other Guys” and the end credits of  ”The Odd Couple” (TV Series) .Columbus Circle also appeared in the movie “Ghostbusters”  as the site where the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man begins his trip towards 55 Central Park West, and is used as the somewhat serendipitous dominant location in the movie “August Rush“.”

But, back to my recent visit, and to The Event that happened there…

The Shops At Columbus Circle include a Godiva Chocolate Store

a Williams Sonoma store

a Whole Foods store, which has lovely flowers

and produce

There is a Samsung store, and last – but not least – there is a Borders Book store.

Ah, Borders Book store…

I headed into the store, photographing the books like there was no tomorrow.

Sadly, for Borders Books, there IS NO TOMORROW!

Shelves are beginning to empty.

“Snap, snap, snap” said my camera’s shutter.

Suddenly, I heard a woman calling out to  me. I thought perhaps she was store security, telling me not to take photographs.

But, she looked like this:

Without the crystal ball, head wrap, gold hoop earrings and red shawl.

But otherwise, she looked just like that.

She was tiny and skinny, and Indian. She said that she couldn’t help but notice my Aura and my Vibrations.

She clutched a small, leather pouch.

She said that I am meant for Great Things.

She grabbed my hand and touched it to her arm. “Do you feel my goosebumps?” she asked me.

“What do you do?” she asked.

“Advertising” I answered.

“Ah, but I feel that you want to go in a different direction.” she said confidently.

“Blogging about New York City – can I make a living doing that??” I thought. But mesmerized, I was silent.

“Your Lucky Day is going to be in the 10th month. The 25th day of the 10th month.” she told me.

“October 25th” she said, in case I couldn’t figure it out for myself. “Not that you’re not already lucky, but that day will be especially Lucky for you. That’s the day that things will Turn Around for you.”

“Your Vibes are so strong. May I Read for you?”

“May I take your picture?” I asked her.

“Of course not, you idiot,” she thought. “After I Read for you,” she said. “I am not expensive.”

Then her cell phone in her fanny pack started to ring.

The spell was broken.

I shook my head, and she wandered off into the depths of Borders Books to answer her cell phone.

On my walk home, I thought, “Dang. If October 25 really proves to be a Lucky Day for me, I’m going to wish that I had gotten her cell phone number.”

I’ll let you know on October 26th.

xoxo,

SAllan

The closing of Borders marks the beginning of the end  of a planetary era.  Not to say that Borders in itself as a bookstore is this unique epic phenomenom. Borders, along with all bookstores, have provided a continuation of the culture of the printed word.

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians utilized papyrus, (a writing material that was made from the pith of the stem of a water plant*), to record texts that filled the temples, libraries, and schools, for scholars, doctors, students, and government.  We have discovered the inner workings and the magic of the ancient world through written texts. Without the printed word, all of the knowledge and history of the past would indeed be a great mystery. And more importantly humankind has evolved as a result of the recorded knowledge left by our ancestors.  Civilization has evolved throughout time utilizing the tool of the printed word, whether it be a written constitution that has expressed the principles of democracy for the modern world, or spiritual texts that have solidified the existence, continuity, and faith of world religions throughout time, placed in the hands of billions of people over the course of thousands of years.

In this lifetime, sitting in churches and temples, will people pray with a Kindle in hand?

The Borders bookstore stands in my fairly small university town.  Aside from two very small used bookstores, it is the only major bookstore for miles.  Therefore, people in three border towns that have no bookstores have relied on our Borders.  That’s a combination of at least one university, one community college, four high schools, and seven middle schools that use our Borders as an access to books. This doesn’t include the non-academic general public that comprises an older generation who shop at Borders for their reading pleasure.  Yes, there are libraries, but most are limited, and any newer books or classics that a student may need flies off of the shelf in a heartbeat.  For any of you that have kids, how many times have they come home to say they need to read Animal Farm by Monday on a Friday night?  Borders has always come to the rescue for me in that way, book in hand right when it’s needed.

The day after the announcement was made that Borders was closing, I visited the store, shocked to see that the coffee shop inside of the store that is always filled to capacity with people day and night, was already vacated, tables and chairs stacked on top of one another, boxes already packed, leaving an empty dark space.  That was fast!  I then walked over to the  Young Adult section. Teenagers sat scattered on the floor near bookshelves, quietly reading the latest sequel of their favorite sci-fi and teen novels. Many students I know go to the bookstore as an escape from a not-so-good home life or they are latch-key kids wanting to hang out in a safe place. Their presence has always been a constant in the store, and I wondered how they would fill their time in a small town now that their favorite pastime at Borders will no longer exist for them. 

I eyed the plethora of magazines, some hard to find lit journals and international publications that I’d have to drive to a major city to obtain.  Yes, I guess I could order subscriptions but I simply wouldn’t have time to read them all, not to mention the cost.  I will miss being able to sit and thumb through magazines, or stumbling upon that unique magazine that has content that can transform my world.  Leaving the store, I realized I will simply miss going to the bookstore.

When I was a kid, when the power would go out due to a stormy night, there was no stress or fretting about having nothing to do.  We’d simply light candles and read by candlelight. If I had writing to do, I’d continue tapping away on my typewriter.  I’m sure this is true for millions of people from the era of words in print.

With the introduction of the digital age, our own lure towards embracing consumerist trends has led us to the erosion of our freedom to choose as individuals.  Video store franchises have closed, limiting the exposure and outlet for many independent films on a domestic and international basis. Bookstores are closing. Libraries will close. I can’t even begin to count how many times I have stumbled upon a great book or film simply by allowing my eyes to browse the shelves of a bookstore or library. A great title or book cover would catch my eye that beckoned me to pick it up, most often resulting in an engaging, and sometimes transformative experience. I discovered some of my favorite authors in this way, authors I would never have encountered otherwise. 

The intuitive experience of choosing is the experience of discovery.  It is an experience that I feel is being shaped for me while being stripped from me, and as a writer, discovery is an experience that has shaped my writing life.  We will ultimately be forced to purchase most of what we need online and/or in a digital format, and if this is the case, I will have to be on the internet hours on end in my attempts to “discover” what it is that I may need or want.  The world culture has now been shaped for humans to have their eyes on a digital screen, whether in hand crossing the street or succumbing to the lethargy of sitting at a computer for hours every week, not because you want to, but simply because you have to in order to navigate successfully in a modern world.    

The closing of Borders has left me with feelings of great loss, as it not only represents the convenience of having a bookstore in my town, but on a much deeper level, it marks the shift and ending of the way civilization has functioned for thousands of years. This is profound, and also a bit frightening, as it has felt like the rug being pulled beneath me. Ultimately, bookstore closings are a signal to us all that the future is bringing to us a world without books.  I can only wonder what the implications will be…   

 *Encarta dictionary

With the closing of Borders this reading may well be one of the last at this particular store. It’s sad. I’ve been hanging out at Borders bookstores since I lived in Ypsilanti, where I attended school at Eastern Michigan University, back in the lat 80s and early 90s. Back then there was just the one store in downtown Ann Arbor, and now it is going to close, leaving a big gap there. I’m not sure what bookstores are left in Ann Arbor. I heard that the small independent bookstore, Shaman Drum, was forced out of business, by Borders ironically (I think that’s ironic anyway…).

Also, I’ve heard that Barnes and Noble is not doing all that well either. Will they last? And if they don’t, what then? Will small independent stores fill in the gaps, or will all bookstores fall by the wayside, leaving only online bookstores such as Amazon.com. Where will authors give readings then? How will this effect publishing?

Of course, there’s also the impact on unemployment. The closing of Borders means the loss of thousands of jobs. And on another jobs-related note, NASA’s space shuttle program ended today with the final landing of the last shuttle, resulting in a loss of thousands of jobs as well.

This morning on the radio, on my way into work, after dropping my daughter off at her grandparents’ for the day, I heard reported that Michigan’s unemployment numbers inched up to 10.5% which is well above the national average of 9.2%.

They’re calling the festival Open Borders and they’re putting on at least four shows per week as well as having daily gallery shows and performance art throughout the summer. All proceeds are going to support multiple non-profit organizations and charitable causes. They’ll also have an indoor cafe and outside food court featuring an eclectic selection of gourmet fare.

The summer line-up is amazing and eclectic. Here are some of the highlights:

Friday, July 22 – The Preservation Hall Jazz Band The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, a jazz ensemble that Rolling Stone magazine once called “the past and promise of American music,” has become both a fixture of New Orleans and an ambassadorial representative of the city it calls home. Deriving its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, the band has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz.

Saturday, July 23 – The Klezmatics The Klezmatics are globally-renowned world music superstars and the only klezmer band to win a Grammy award. The Klezmatics emerged out of the vibrant cultural scene of New York City’s East Village in 1986, steeped in Eastern European Jewish tradition and spirituality while incorporating contemporary themes such as human rights, anti-fundamentalism and eclectic musical influences including Arab, African, Latin and Balkan rhythms, jazz and punk. In the course of over twenty years and nine albums they have stubbornly continued making music that is wild, mystical, provocative, reflective and ecstatically danceable.

Sunday, July 24 – Daniel Johnston Put the name ‘Daniel Johnston’ into any internet search engine and you will find hundreds of pages about America’s most unlikely pop phenomenon and ‘outsider’ visual artist. He has, since his first crudely recorded cassette was released in 1980, spent the last three decades exposing his heartrending tales of unrequited love, cosmic mishaps and existential torment to an ever growing international cult audience. As a result, he’s been hailed as an American original akin to blues-man Robert Johnson and country legend Hank Williams. It wasn’t long before he became the singer/songwriter of choice for the burgeoning 90′s alternative/underground rock scene. His work has been championed by members of Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Butthole Surfers, Half Japanese, and perhaps most notably by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who was often photographed wearing the now infamous “Hi, How Are You?” t-shirt.

Saturday, July 30 – Ozomatli n their fifteen years together as a band, celebrated Los Angeles culture-mashers Ozomatli have gone from being hometown heroes to being named U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors. Ozomatli has always juggled two key identities. They are the voice of their city and they are citizens of the world. Their music a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga has long followed a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around L.A.

You can see a full list of events that they’re throwing here or visit their website for more information. While it’s sad to see a major bookseller go bankrupt, it’s encouraging to see forward thinking individuals turn the empty spaces into exciting and creative cultural centers. Anyone in your town making cool use of an empty Borders? Got any ideas on what you’d do with an empty Borders store at your disposal? Leave a comment and let us know.

It is with a sad heart, that I watch it go. I wrote my first book there, worked for a short time there and met a lot of people that I consider my friends today. I also had a lot of terrible things happen there as well. But when push comes to shove, Borders bookstore was a stepping stone in my life, I bought all my Harry Potter books there, and a lot of other books that have shaped my life for the good and for the bad.

I guess this is the season of things coming to an end. But I always like to think, that with the end of something, comes something new and different. Perhaps another bookstore will come in to the big space and make it it’s own. Maybe they may be able to not do the same old thing, but they may have a new edge like buying back old books for store credit. (one can only hope anyway.) Or perhaps with the rise of E-books, there may come a E-book lounge where people can still get books and still get that social fix.

But one can only hope. The hardest part for me is that Borders were in places that REALLY needed bookstores, and now with all of them closing, it makes going to the competitior that much harder, or worse, the pressure to advance into E-technology makes paper books even more obsolete. No matter what the decision is, nothing will ever beat the feeling of holding an old book in your hand. I will miss Borders bookstore, I wish all employees who worked for the company the best and I hope that they will find work quickly and that they will be happy.

Fare thee well Borders, but I do not weep, for I feel that you will rise again. Even if it is in a different format.

I believe this is a symptom of the state of the publishing industry as a whole and answers the question, “Can a retail ‘brick & mortar’ business compete with online giants Amazon and eBay?”

The answer is a resounding “NO!”

I only wonder how much longer Barnes and Noble stores will be able to survive.

Over the last decade some powerful retail businesses have fallen victim to price pressure served up by online stores. Retailers Circuit City, Comp USA and Sam Goody, all succumbed to the pressure of competition.

Retailers across the board are suffering from market pressure and margins are growing too thin to support real estate and payroll. The ones to survive will be those that have established a strong online presence and are a price leader in an already crowded retail landscape.Wal-Mart, Target and Best-Buy are all feeling the effects of a soft retail environment as unemployment still hovers above 9% and consumers are clenching disposable income like never before.

For better or worse, Best-Buy has become Amazon’s “Try before you buy” store. Will they be the next big box to end up on life support? Time will tell. In the meantime consumers benefit from low prices and quick delivery.

Now all I need is a tablet that doubles as a cell phone. (And the money to pay for it.)

Borders Group Inc. said it would liquidate after the second-largest U.S. bookstore chain failed to receive any offers to save it.

Borders, which employs about 10,700 people, scrapped a bankruptcy-court auction scheduled for Tuesday amid the dearth of bids. It said it would ask a judge Thursday to approve a sale to liquidators led by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Group.

The company said liquidation of its remaining 399 stores could start as soon as Friday, and it is expected to go out of business for good by the end of September.

Borders filed for bankruptcy-court protection in February. It has since continued to bleed cash and has had trouble persuading publishers to ship merchandise to it on normal terms that allowed the chain to pay bills later, instead of right away.

"Following the best efforts of all parties, we are saddened by this development," said Borders President Mike Edwards. "We were all working hard toward a different outcome, but the head winds we have been facing for quite some time, including the rapidly changing book industry, [electronic reader] revolution and turbulent economy, have brought us to where we are now."

But with its liquidation, approximately 400 stores will close and 11,000 people will lose their jobs.  And that is tragic.

I used to frequent Borders Books a lot before Amazon.com made it way too convenient to purchase books from the comfort of my living room.  Yet, the nostalgia is strong because I met my husband at Borders Books in Buckhead, an in-town suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, on February 24, 2000.  And it’s because I took my laptop there regularly, sat in the cafe and studied there, in addition to searching for books to buy with money I didn’t have that I am sad and disappointed.  Because it just feels like an institution is on the verge of death.

So I’m a little sad.  It’s so unfortunate.

Borders Group is inching closer to liquidation after a bidding deadline passed without offers that would keep the chain in business. That’s according to people familiar with the matter.

Jim Bleikamp of the Wall Street Journal is reporting that a bankruptcy court auction is set for Tuesday, but Borders is likely to entertain offers right up until the scheduled auction in hopes that a white knight will emerge to save the chain.