They were one of my favorite places to hang out before the movies. My best friend and I went several times together to browse and learn more about each other's favorite things to read. She went through the fantasy area while I was found in the Music History or Women's Studies selections. I bought my first feminist book there and made it a tradition until last Friday to buy all my feminism books from Borders.
The employees I talked to (both at my job and on my days off) were nice and friendly. Contrary to popular thought, Borders wasn't staffed with rude jerks. I never had a terrible experience there. I liked that it always smelled freshly-painted for so long. Don't know why the last thing is interesting, but had to mention it (at least, for the location I frequented).
They were great competition for Barnes & Noble. Borders was the laid-back, on-the-porch-storytelling sibling to the sophisticated and sitting-by-the-fire-during-a-cold-winter coziness of B&N. They sometimes had books that the other didn't have. Contrary to popular thought (again), we never eyed each other suspiciously across the way. If anything, we always high-fived each other for staying around for so long in the lieu of the e-reader boom and the economy.
Sure, their CDs were ridiculously expensive and their member's program never made sense (to me, at least). But I never went there for those reasons and never held it against them.
~
To all the employees, I wish you nothing but the best as you work your last days. May there be a new job awaiting you at the end, along with benefits and good pay. If Barnes & Noble builds more stores and starts hiring for them, we hope you join us, if you want to. As we B&N employees watch our competition and compadres fade into history, we are not cheering. It is a sign of the economy. And nothing worries people more than lost jobs that will never be found or reincarnated. As this year churns on with more uncertainy, and the debt issues continue to drag out, we sometimes worry "will we be next?"
We all don't know. Such is the uncertainty of life.
Farewell, Borders. You were more than another bookstore. You were fellow booksellers doing the same thing under a different system and coats of red paint. Thanks for everything you have done for your local communities and loyal customers.
Borders
1971-2011
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