A Eulogy for Atlanta Book Exchange

OK, so maybe eulogy is a bit melodramatic, but my Sunday afternoon visit to the Atlanta Book Exchange , which is closing its doors on July 5, was incredibly sad.

I imagined the 10 or so patrons that were navigating the overstuffed stacks of  classic literature, poetry and reference books were speaking in hushed tones as if at a funeral.

It was funereal, alright, but it was a funeral with half-priced books. (Until its stock is depleted, the store has slashed its prices in order to move more product).

I admit that I felt a little like a highway bandit when I paid $12 for two relatively new tomes -- one was even a hardcover. As I was checking out, I told the employee behind the counter that I'd no doubt return once or twice before the end.

I would always mourn the loss of an independent bookseller, but for me, Atlanta Book Exchange is something special.

Located in a gracefully aging house, the store is cozy and crammed with books, so much that it was sometimes hard to navigate the pathways between overstocked bookshelves. Walking over there from my Virginia-Highland duplex (it’s a bit of a jog, yes, but it's well worth it), I could easily spend a few hours browsing through the stacks, seeing too many good books to buy.

Atlanta Book Exchange was my one source for music literature. One of the most important things about being music writer is also being a consumer of music writing, and I've bought my weight in writing by some of the greats there. There really wasn't anywhere close by where I could find Gary Giddins' "Visions of Jazz," next to two relatively new-looking copies of "Hamp: An Autobiography" and the requisite academic treatises on Beatles songs.

Of course, music books only take up a small portion of the shop. I've picked up half of John McPhee's oeuvre (that massive copy of "Annals of the Former World" is staring at me as I write this), and a prized copy of Joan Didion's "Year of Magical Thinking." I've also stumbled upon books that, after reading a few paragraphs, I simply had to add to my collection.

Now I could tell you about how the closing of the Atlanta Book Exchange fits into a nationwide trend, that the decline of independent booksellers is noting new and that even the big chains (Borders) are falling to pieces due to a general decline in reading and the rise of eBooks. But you've heard all that before, no doubt.

This recent closing hits me especially hard, and not only because it was my hands-down favorite bookstore in Atlanta. A few months ago, the proprietor of Bookpeople, the main bookstore in my hometown of Moscow, Idaho, announced he was retiring. Unless someone swoops in at the Eleventh Hour and agrees to buy the store, this is the end of the only substantial bookstore in the small, university town. City officials appreciated his service so much, that they made a city-wide proclamation to the owner, Bob Greene.

LonghornBookExchange.com Launches Student Portal For UT | The ...

AUSTIN, TX (PRWEB) August 30, 2004

LonghornBookExchange.com has created a website for the students of the University of Texas at Austin. The college website includes sections to exchange textbooks, find off campus housing, rate professors, a community calendar, a bulletin board…all useful tools for a college community. The launch, announced today, represents the best targeted website for UT student textbook exchanges. The site is a completely FREE SERVICE provided to the Students of the University of Texas at Austin. Unlike some other book exchange websites, Longhorn Book Exchange is not cluttered with advertising and annoying popup banners. All information captured (i.e. email addresses) are kept secure and never sold. The site allows UT students to sell, swap and buy used textbooks directly with other students.

LonghornBookExchange.com, in conjunction with Amazon.com, enables students to use powerful search tools to find the exact textbook for their class. Some of the ways to search, post, and sort books are by price, title, author, condition, ISBN, seller, and contact information. Students can easily search textbooks and then contact the seller. The seller has the option of including multiple methods of contact. (i.e. Phone #, Instant Messaging, Email) In addition, the site provides helpful articles and news on issues important to UT student life. The Longhorn Book Exchange creates an intelligent and easy-to-use way to sell, swap and buy used textbooks directly with other students online.

“LonghornBookExchange.com seeks to be a comprehensive source for helping UT students find the textbooks they need by enabling them to sell and post fast,” stated Christian Lavender, President and CEO of LonghornBookExchange.com and AustinTonight.com. “We created the website in order to provide UT Students with a prime resource for selling and posting used textbooks, bypassing the bookstores and their high fees. Let’s take a $ 100 book for example. Usually a used book store will pay you about $ 35 for that book and then resell it for around $ 70. What if you could skip the used book store and directly sell your book to that same person for $ 50? You’d get more and he’d pay less! Hopefully clearly listed prices and features will increase competition and lower prices.”

Textbooks are expensive. Although you may consider some of your books valuable and keep them for future reference, most texts end up back in the system. Typically the campus store will purchase books back at 50 percent of sticker price and then resell at 75 percent sticker or list price. Of course, this is assuming that the book is going to be used on campus in the upcoming semester. If the book is not a sure bet or if an overload of copies comes in, then you’re stuck with a few dollars back or maybe nothing at all.

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