Independent Book Stores - a Renaissance?

The Atlantic's December 1 issue features at article by Ann Patchett on her new independent book store Parnassus Books in Nashville and more generally on the resurgence of interest in independent book stores. We have lived through a period of consolidation when many book stores merged, consolidated, and then there was a severe pruning of the survivors, most notably of Borders, a large chain that left many, many customers in the lurch with options being principally Barnes & Noble for a physical presence or Amazon on the web.

Patchett is a writer who has published nine books, seven of them novels, and she took on this challenge of starting Paraussus Books with her partner Karen Hayes. I don't want to summarize or pre-empt the article. Read it in The Atlantic in Patchett's article that is enjoyable and encouraging.

What encourages me is the idea that there may in fact be a resurgence of interest in the reading public in out local communities to get back the independent book store, a place to spend quality time, to listen to readings and get authors' autographs, to expose our children to books again, to pass a few quiet hours away from the rush of modern life, and to instill hope that e-books may not be the only and inevitable option for the reader. That would make me very happy.

I hope a lot of people read this article in The Atlantic that some of them might be inspired to take up the challenge and open up independent book stores in their own communities. It's a worthy cause for a community of readers to take up and I would like to do my part to encourage it. Pass the word along and find out more about Parnassus Books in Nashville. Maybe you can do something similar in your own community. Spread the word.

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College Education Critical but Our of Reach for Middle Class?

Study: College Degree Holds Its Value : NPR

From Thursday´s National Public Radio program All Things Considered comes the following report by Claudio Sanchez: "A new study shows college graduates have fared much better in the economic recovery than those without a degree. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce reports that nearly all of the jobs recovered since the economic downturn have required a post-secondary degree. And despite the struggles of many recent graduates, workers with college degrees still enjoy a substantial wage benefit over those with only a high school ¨

It's a important story and I urge you to click on the link and listen to it. Basically NPR reports that it is becoming essential to have a college education if you want to have a reasonable chance at good, continuing employment. The economic crisis that began in 2007 has eliminated millions of jobs that non-college graduates held and the Georgetown University study asserts that many of those jobs either will not be coming back or will be replaced by better-paying jobs for college graduates.


This story in itself is perhaps not surprising to many of us, but when you stop to consider the sky-rocketing cost of a college education, the problem posed by this change in our employment market takes on a lot more meaning and represents a very worrisome development for the future of our country. Another element of the situation that plays a vital role as well is the conservative campaign to cut back on support for student loans.

All of these factors playing together then paint a picture that calls into doubt the future of my grandchildren and their children. They will need a college education to get a decent job that pays well enough, but will they be able to afford it? Is our society being transformed by the conservative governments at federal, state and even local levels into one where college will be for children of wealthy families while middle-class children will not be able to afford it or get student loans to help pay for it?

There may be other forces in play, some of them inherent in the market. As ability to pay becomes more of a factor, will universities finally look for ways to bring down the costs of post-high school education to more reasonable levels? This may provide some relief, but perhaps not enough.

With the tremendous economic pressures on middle-class families increasing, are we heading for a crisis in the not-too-distant future in which a quality education at a front-line university will be out of reach for the middle class? Will the only option become Community Colleges, two-year schools, and other more educationally limited and cheaper alternatives that will lock middle-class children into a generation of mediocre, poor-paying jobs?

Apart from the impact these factors may have on our future generations, do we as a nation want to continue to limit access to a quality college or university education to wealthy families? If the trend strengthens, the effect this can have on our nation and its ability to compete in the global market is a motive for grave concern. When a college education becomes essential to gainful, remunerative employment, can we afford for it to be transformed into a privilege instead of a basic right for all qualified citizens needing it to provide a better future for their families?

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