Friday, April 17, 2009

Boston Based Book News, In Brief

The Harvard Book Store has come up with a brilliant way to blend eco-friendliness with customer convenience. They've begun offering home delivery -- by bike messenger.


A Lexington aerospace engineer wants to open an indie bookshop where the Waldenbooks once stood. All he needs, he says, "is the right staff."
(Note to Inkwell employees: Don't even think about it...)


Boston.com has put together a sweet slideshow highlighting Boston's lesser known bookshops. Each photo is accompanied by a brief paragraph describing the shop's focus, genesis, and address.


Boston.com again. This time they're reporting on the recent closings of area Barnes & Nobles and Waldenbooks, linking it to a larger change in the public's preferences. Or, as Brookline Booksmith manager, Dana Brigham, put it, "I do think there's a swing back to valuing local and independent."


Waltham bookstore owner Alex Green was pimping city pride when he wrote the following, but the sentiment will be familiar to booksellers-turned-event planners everywhere. Via Waltham Words: In four years of owning a bookstore in Waltham, I have hosted over 250 author events. I am frequently asked to do more to publicize these talks, but the reality is that despite expert training in publicity [...], I am often unable to convince local literary publications (like The Boston Globe Book Review) to list events for Waltham in their print edition. Even a visit from last year's Pulitzer recipient for fiction went unprinted last month.