If you're reading this, then we probably have a few things in common: 1. We appreciate books. 2. We enjoy shopping in local stores. 3. We want to keep these small stores in business. Like us, you're probably concerned that independent bookstores are disappearing, but don't know if or how you can help.

Well, we believe that if you can save the bookstore, you can save the world.

This site lists a few things you can do to become a bookstore superhero.

shop locally first

The first thing you can do is to shop locally first. This may seem obvious, but there are several benefits to shopping locally. There's nothing quite like the experience of physically shopping in a store--whether it's browsing an aisle in the supermarket or a shelf in your local bookseller. Computers are great--websites are getting better every day--but the multi-sensory experience of scanning the shelves for the ideal product just can't be replaced. And while you benefit from the tactile experience of shopping in a real store (and walking away with your purchase), the world saves fossil fuels because you're running on your own energy!

support independent merchants

Remember when your local store had people working in it that actually knew what they were talking about...or even knew you? Remember when you could hold a meaningful conversation with your local merchant and actually learn something? This might not be the most palpable piece of advice we'll give, but it's worth saying: lots of big chain stores just aren't worth your time, because the people that run them are not shopkeepers at all, but out-of-touch corporations that don't provide value beyond pointing to the products they peddle. We've become a nation full of cookie-cutter, boring mega-stores that can't be bothered to do anything other than stock the shelves, and who don't care about staffing their stores with knowledgeable people.

You have a choice: buy from stores that actually offer customer service because they care about their product and their customers.

read for depth

Don't forget that reading is the simplest and most effective way to explore the depths of any subject. Each communication medium has its strengths, so we're not suggesting that everyone stop going to the movies, reading blogs, or even watching TV. Rather, we are reminding our community that books are unique in their ability to teach, to activate the imagination, and to synthesize complicated themes and ideas. In our fast-paced world, we are beginning to forget what it means to have cultivated, in-depth knowledge.

Legend has it that Einstein did not memorize his own phone number because he could look it up in the phone book. Today, search engines allow us to access and learn facts in an instant. To acquire this type of surface knowledge, the Internet certainly is our best tool (though you might want to memorize your own phone number!). What the Internet does not yet provide is the cohesive, pleasurable reading experience of a book--a compact, simple technology that has reliably stored and conveyed information since humans began to write things down. While the Internet allows you to obtain information quickly, it is not an interface for acquiring profound knowledge. It pales in comparison to the familiar, organic structure of the book.

read instead

One of the benefits of real-time broadcast television is that it provides us with a shared context (as an audience), which enables us to build community through shared experiences. Unfortunately, television's ability to do good on a community or global scale has fallen short of its potential. We should remember that books have always and still do serve as tendons of society, transferring experiences, narratives, and vital knowledge amongst citizens and across decades, centuries, and even millennia. Read instead to access diverse communities, to acquire breadth of knowledge and experience, and to gain perspective and insight into other places and times.

help independents integrate computerization technologies

It's no one person's fault that independent stores are disappearing. Economies evolve with the technology available to them, and oftentimes, small businesses cannot adapt. Fortunately, the webification of software and the ubiquity of Internet access are leveling the playing field, and the gaps between independent and giant merchants are narrowing. Now is the time for independent businesses to reemerge, vivified and ready to respond to human needs.

Let's not forget that a commitment to book technology does not nullify the utility and efficiency of computers and the ways that they can improve and streamline businesses. We have observed that, over the last 30 years, small stores have stratified into groups that could afford computerization and groups that could not. Businesses need to operate at a certain scale in order to build a back office and really benefit economically from their hardware and software investments. Unfortunately many small retailers just were not big enough to take full advantage of these technological innovations. The lack of technology made their operations more expensive to maintain, and ultimately smaller stores lost their ability to compete, even to stay in business. Many shopkeepers were experts at running their shop--and offered patrons the many benefits of that expertise--but weren't able or willing to computerize their stores. As franchises took over, they successfully integrated process and data management technologies, but this technology could not replace the expertise of the local business owner. We believe that large-scale technologies and small-scale businesses are not at odds. Computational efficiency and individual expertise are both essential components of a vital small business.

This disheartening trend that pits the obsolescent independent against the soulless chain store is about to turn a corner with the help of Internet-driven software systems like Ka-Zam. Now is the time to take a real interest in your local merchants and fight for their survival by encouraging them to revamp their back office.

net shop; encourage your shop to net-ify

Video may have killed the radio star, but the Internet doesn't have to kill the local merchant. By no means is the Internet the enemy of the local [book]store. E-commerce specifically benefits local merchants because they'll be selling to a world of conscientious consumers rather than just a neighborhood. All the of attributes that make the small-scale buying experience valuable can translate into a global network that caters to an audience clamoring for quality retail experiences. The small store's challenge simply is to find ways to do this efficiently.

Let's face it, sometimes you know exactly what you need or want to buy. If that's the case, why not look it up on the Internet, buy it, and move on with your day? Folks are always surprised when we tell them that we couldn't agree more with the practicality of this scenario. Even when you consider that it takes time to receive the product, that the cost of shipping might be more than the product is worth, that you're not sure what you're getting 'till you've got it--why not? Sometimes online purchases make the most sense.

If this is the case, why not encourage your local merchants to consider ways to make their quality inventories available via Internet sites, so that consumers like you can find and purchase their products online. If they don't sell their inventory on the Internet, the prognosis does not look good. Fortunately, all sorts of software and computing services are emerging to help small businesses benefit from the Internet's global reach. It couldn't be a better idea.

help us save the world

Ok, maybe we can't actually save the entire world with a bookstore. But the ideal is something we can all model ourselves after. We are a talented and resourceful group that is committed to using our brains and abilities to help however and wherever we can--so who knows? We'll be among the first to admit that we're young and probably over-zealous to think that alone we can make a real dent in the problem, but if you don't try how do you know?

how can you help?

There are so many ways. To begin with: take us seriously, read through our site, comment freely, start a dialogue with us, and help us to understand your perspective.

Beyond that, you can support our store, Lorem Ipsum Books: join or give a gift through our used book club; visit in person or online. We'd like to hire more smart people to help us out, so we're currently looking for some "do-good" money. If you know of a funding source, contact us.