The Death of Borders

Much is being written about the death of Borders, and ebooks are often mentioned as the cultprit. While ebooks (and mp3 downloads) may have been what nudged them over the edge, they weren't the main instigator. Borders had a failed international expansion and took on huge debts. Barnes and Noble, which has survived (so far) stayed relatively debt free and always seemed to do a better job of managing their inventory. It also sounds like Border's in store inventory was mandated by company management and infrequently allowed store and regional managers to adjust for local taste.

Anyway, the upshot is that a flawed, but pleasant institution is gone. One more item, in a You've got Mail vein, in my experience bad independent book stores have suffered far more than good ones. Stores with poor selection, hours, or located in unwalkable neighborhoods have died. Other notable victims were those shops with holier than thow staff. On the other hand, stores such as The Elliot Bay Book Company and the Toadstool are still going strong.