The Observation Deck

Why in the world Lakewood doesn't have a viable bookstore?

I think that is a more pressing problem than an additional eatery. It's nice that Applebee's and Panera and Five Guys are coming to Lakewood, but with one of the largest school districts in the area, it is a wonder that we don't even have a Half Priced Books.

You'd think somebody would have done something about this by now. It's kinda embarrassing that I have to drive to Crocker Park to get books for school.

Thealexa:

About five years ago, I was involved in several discussions about how a bookstore might be brought to Lakewood. Even then, I doubted that a bookstore alone could survive the digital bust-out of analogue retail patterns and valuations.

I believed that a Wine/Bookstore might have a chance.

I believed that a value priced occult/cult bookstore, with used items none above $5 along with a beverage and active experiential gathering zone might fly.

A Temple of Phenomenology in the Masonic Temple was even floated.

Years back when LCPI was beginning, I met with a board member interested in the book store idea for downtown. I arranged a meeting with John Zubal of Zubal Books, who had no interest in opening up a little something in Lakewood. John did offer to supply stock in the value priced occult/cult bookstore price point of $5. He inventory is quite incredible and I felt an interesting concept store might be possible. But the key is cash flow from books will not be enough to make a viable business.

I even called Half-Price Books corporate to sell them about a space then available near Around the Corner.

There was also a pipe dream from Cleveland State University about the new manager of their book store opening an annex in Lakewood in the same vicinity explored with reps from the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and LCPI. Following assessment, it was not a viable fit.

Finally, the Big Box bookstores, like Borders and Barnes and Nobles, were part of the credit/development/hot money/stock market bubble. Nursing a coffee, scanning terrain for a literate mate in a post-literate age, and slobbering over print merchandise not actually purchased is not a formula for business success in these days of economic reckoning and wreckage.

I hope this gives you some sense that the city may be sleepy but people are not always asleep at the wheel.

Sometimes the business case cannot be made. Other times the interests and the entrepreneurial agents with capitalization, know-how and time are not available.

Kenneth Warren

there used to be a crowded comic book store on madison. B & L or something. The comic book market has long since tipped over. but it is amazing something like that was viable for so long.

A book store in Tiffin seemed to still be operating last time i was there. they carried many newspapers, industrial/professional/hobbyest/craftsmen/trade type magazines. It was more like a newsstand with also many books. As a town in the middle of nowhere with very much job loss in the industrial and agricultural sector, the rents were probably a lot lower.

So would the proposed bookstore carry school books, magazines, niche/specialty books, best sellers? Even in the three posts there seems to be some need for a marketing analysis to see what Lakewood consumers are leaving it's borders (no pun intending) to buy things that could be sold here.
Beyond that with the commercial spaces that are most common here, would we be limited to a boutique store (between 1000 and 2000 sq ft)? Certainly, it has it's items on the plus side - fits well into the walkable shopping experience, doesn't necessarily require high end technology (unless online access is desired) or mechanical updates to the building, parking requirements might be nominal.
Is there anything from the Library's perspective on this regarding requests for books that are not in stock? That may be a good place to start measuring the demand of the public. Are requests being made for new hardbacks that could be sold privately, are there magazine titles that are not carried but have sufficient demand?

A Turn of the Page did not last in Lakewood nor did Liberty Books in River which carried hundreds of magazine titles.

I think our inability to attract or keep a bookstore has more to do with national bookbuying trends than anything unique to Lakewood.

Small bookstores appear to be a thing o f the past. They cannot compete with the larger chains or with internet retailers. Think Amazon.

I highly doubt we'll ever go back to the way it was.

There is some kind of bookstore, I think it is like one of those Thousands of Books places, where Liberty was.

I haven't been in there.

I don't buy books anymore. We've got a great library and I always get what I need.

I know my kids used to buy used books for their lit classes on Amazon. Some of them were very cheap.

I could see perhaps a combination wine bar/coffee shop that also happens to have books ... though it'd probably be more successful with used books rather than trying to compete in the new book market against Borders (itself near bankruptcy), Barnes and Noble, and now Books-a-Million. Essentially make it a gathering place that just happens to have a lot of good books to read and/or purchase. That might work.

Thealexa Becker wrote:Why in the world Lakewood doesn't have a viable bookstore?

It's kinda embarrassing that I have to drive to Crocker Park to get books for school.

You're probably way overpaying. Amazon is the way to go...or half.com (an extension of e-bay) for used text books. I always got the best deals online.

Shawn:

From my view in the public library, the only demand expressed to LPL and not satisfied is textbooks and expensive specialized texts related to specialized studies. These elements do not fit the public library’s collection development focus.

Perhaps foreign language books could be another element, but demand is weak. Because no single foreign language group exceeds 10% of the population, the critical threshold is not reached and requests are referred to Cleveland Public Library.

The market for books has changed greatly in the past ten years. There is extensive material on the Web describing changes in book selling, stores, on-line selling, the loss of neighborhood book stores, etc.

The CSU Bookstore Annex idea did appeal to the manager.

The college textbook market has also changed away from bricks and mortar with on-line selling and DIY after-market selling.

On-line selling and the inventory glut from DIY vendors are shifts that helped bring about a collapse of bricks and mortar used-bookstores.

Owners of such stores would travel from Michigan, PA, WV, IN and NY in the 80s and early 90s to Lakewood for Friends sales and spend $500 to $1,000 on opening night. Those days are long gone and the vendors are out of business. Now many people have entered into the selling of books via E-Bay and Amazon and purchase inventory at the book sales.

Thus one book supply resource in Lakewood not to be overlooked is the Friends of Lakewood Public Library Book Sales, which attract a large number of people three times a year to a great mix of materials at unbeatable price points.

Under Paul Dimmick’s leadership, and the generosity of people who donate books and media, the Friends of Lakewood Public Library Book Sales offer quality and quantity.

Again, I am not in the market to open a book store. But talk to any small-time book dealer or read any of the numerous articles describing the cries of uncle by people leaving the business and you will learn that running a book store is a labor of love.

Only such a laborer, perhaps with a license to sell wine, or a rich grandmother to back her up, could attempt to make a go at such risky business.

Even Borders is on the ropes.

I hope this gives some measure of insight from my experience and observation.

Kenneth Warren
Director
Lakewood Public Library

If my memory serves me correctly....there are quite a few books stocked at Sullivan's. Taverns and bars are a good place to loiter and read during the day, before they get busy. The small book store may be obsolete. oh well.

Kenneth Warren wrote:From my view in the public library, the only demand expressed to LPL and not satisfied is textbooks and expensive specialized texts related to specialized studies.

Ken,
One other huge need in my book is the ability to sit down with a nice cup of coffee or other beverage and read through a book in one of the outstanding new rooms at the Library.

Not really book related, but thought I'd throw it in.

I will agree with Bryan, If the LPL would allow coffee I would do all my studying up there. To be fair I understand the need to not allow drink.

Liberty Books probably would have done fine if the owner hadn't made some bad mistakes at his other stores.

Giant Book Sale (where Liberty was) closed about a month ago, or moved to Florida, however you look at it. It was never really meant to be permanent.

What is the future of retail, and or what the traditional book store sells or offers. Can it even compete with a top library that is attentive to the needs of its residents?

I would say no.


Crocker Park on Tuesday at 7:30pm. The streets or so empty it
is not hard to understand why the perception of security melts away.



What was billed as the city of the future, now sits empty, lonely,
nearly a ghost town on a night that should have seen some vibrancy.



Fat Tuesday, should have seen some activity in the "bar area" but there
was nothing to speak of. When a town is built on economic development, it is also tied to the possibility of economic downturn. This is just one reason why, the future of Lakewood should never be tied to trends, but tied
to long range, solid visions.


While not Barnes and Noble or Borders, all stores were equally empty.

I believe that Ken, and as he pointed out with the help of Paul Dimmick the LPL offers a great alternative to NEW books and media. Possible something LPL couold look at is a service of some kind that can sell new books to those that want them. Possibly as simple as the Record Exchange model. Buy a new book, LPL profits a little. Turn in in when you are done, and get back that small profit, to use for your next book purchase.

It would seem that this could be a massive win, win for the library and the community.

All I know is that it would seem that the era of large bookstores, and or large bookstores in Lakewood is nearly over.

Perhaps, focus should be elsewhere.

.

I'd like to take this opportunity to mention a project that I am working on for Lakewood Is Art. We are starting a LIA Art Book Library. The purpose of which is to collect donated art books for use at local businesses such as coffee shops, doctors and dentist office lobbies, hair salons, anywhere people have a place to sit down and spend some time, rotating the collection periodically to keep things fresh.

We also want to make these book available to students and art teachers for use in the classroom and plan on being able to post an online catalog of the materials we have.

Please feel free to pm me if anyone has art books they would like to donate.