Why do people love to spend time in Barnes and Noble but not at their local libraries?

Answer 1

While local libraries now offer coffee bars, even our university libraries do so...people love to spend time in Barnes and Nobles because it is a place to shop and browse. Libraries offer an overwhelming amount of information, Barnes and Noble offers very few books by comparison. As a business, they are designed to have books that most people will want, for if they did not, they would not stay in business. They have multiple copies of what most people are likely to want, and because of their smaller collections, items are easier to find. Plus, they usually have better coffee than most libraries, and they don't mind if you browse while you drink your coffee.

The goal of the library should be, to offer more than what has immediate appeal. Libraries should not be seen as being forced to be economically viable. For a library to try and compete with Barnes and Noble is only a sign that perceptions of libraries have changed. I blame this on libraries and library schools which market libraries as they are part of the for profit world.

Libraries, on the other hand, have lost their way and decided they need to compete with Barnes and Noble. In doing so they will leave our civilization as information poor and by being subject to the market place, bereft of any value, other than as a documentation of what is and was economically viable.

While this is the trend, however, even in the rarified world of University Libraries, preservation is taking a back seat to the coffee shop. So even if they did buy what was economically viable, they probably won't preserve those volumes. Libraries do not see themselves as archives...again, we can thank those who run library schools and try to market libraries as a public access Barnes and Noble.

So, in short, I believe it is a good thing that people love to spend time in Barnes and Noble and not in the library. The library isn't the place to have a cup of coffee and browse the shelves in search of the best seller of the day.

Also, if you are looking for the "hot book" of today, if a library has it, it can take you 30 minutes to find it in their catalog, another ten minutes to check it out, or place a recall notice on it. If time is money, using a library like a Barnes and Noble, makes no sense.

I should also add, that some of the sales people in Barnes and Noble seem to know more about the subjects of the books in their collections than librarians, who are trained in library science, know about the content of the books in their collections.

The problem runs deeper, I believe the fact that you would make any comparison between Barnes and Noble and a library is a sign that libraries have lost their way.

You could also ask the question, why do more people look for answers on Yahoo and Google more than they do in Barnes and Noble and Libraries. They are all very different sources of information, each with it own level of depth, modalities of delivery, accuracy and ease of use.

Answer 2

what a great question, I have never thought of this before. But looking at it quickly it appears that the difference is that the atmosphere is totally different than a library. One is extremely institutionalized being the library and the other is much more relaxed. B&N seems to have a boarder appeal to an across the board age group. Libaries seems to gravitate towards just school aged kids, with a dropple of mix along the way. B&N is a comfortable feeling, like home, the books surround you at B&N even while sitting in one of their overstuffed chairs.

Its an Event, meaning you go there because something is happening. That something is books being read, magazines being looked and people meeting new people. B&N did something really wise, they associated part of their building with a coffee shop. Gets people in the door evey time.

THE BOOKS are new and fresh. Libraries are wonderful, but because of the cold government look about them, they are a put off to the majority of people.

Answer 3

I spend time at both. The library has books that Barnes & Noble doesn't have and vice-versa, but sometimes I want to buy so I can have it for my library so Barnes and Noble is important.

Answer 4

Because of state budget cuts the libraries have not been able to provide the selection of new books that Barnes and Noble does, they frown on talking, and there is no coffee.

Answer 5

I'm not sure I agree with your premise. My local public library is full to overflowing with people reading, using computers, browsing for books, CDs, DVDs, and magazines. I'd be very surprised if my local Barnes and Noble sells as many books per day as my local public library checks out.

Answer 6

Barnes and Noble can be a place to socialize, listen to music, browse all the lastest and greatest new books and or magazines, have coffee or latte and a scone. Let your children run wild in the kids section and find great bargins or get out your laptop and get some work done if that's your thing.

Answer 7

I believe that the libraries in my discipline are very welcoming towards youngsters, as they have got their possess phase in particular for children books, that's colorfully adorned and has a few toys for the very younger youngsters. Some of them even placed on puppet suggests, and lots of have summer season studying techniques for children and young adults. I suppose the desktops are well for men and women who cannot have the funds for their possess laptop, or whose laptop perhaps damaged. As good as that, whilst you pass to the library, you'll be able to appear at books and use the laptop even as, for this reason maximizing your study abilities. The factor with a library that's exceptional than the superstores is that you'll be able to borrow the books. With a situation like B&N, you'll be able to most effective sit down within the retailer and browse (which a few do not need the persistence or time to do), otherwise purchase the publication. It is way higher to only examine out a publication from the library if you happen to do not need the time to sit down eternally in a shop and browse a publication, or do not need the cash to shop for never-ending quantities of books, if you're a bibliophile. Having studying techniques for children and young adults is one approach to advertise the library. You would additionally promote or supply away books which are too ancient to be of any use any further, or different ones that possibly don't seem to be as general, however ought to accept away to make room for brand spanking new ones (I'm now not certain how they come to a decision which books, however a few libraries in my discipline do that). Stuff like that may lift exposure and get men and women to become aware of what the libraries ought to present.

Answer 8

1. They don't let you drink coffee in the library, and libraries smell like old newsprint.
2. You don't have big, soft comfy chairs in which homeless people can crash at the library.
3. There's no bitchy librarian giving you the stink eye for sitting at a table reading a book.

Answer 9

BARNES AND NOBLE IS A GREAT PLACE TO SOCIALIZE AND RELAX AND GO SHOPPING AT THE SAME TIME..A PLACE FOR MEN TO SIT WITHOUT FOLLOWING THEIR WIFE AROUND!!

SOME GUYS ALSO PICK UP A DATE..YOU NEVER KNOW!! HELLO MISS WOULD YOU LIKE A COFFEE WITH THAT?

Answer 10

Barnes and Noble has better hours and serves coffee.