The reports of books' death have been greatly exaggerated. This is no doubt a difficult time for many booksellers, particularly smaller ones and those in the business of selling high-priced classics. Very old books in Latin which almost no one can understand don't have as much appeal to younger generations. What that does not mean is that books have no such appeal. The reality is very different, the trend being the opposite.
Architectural Digest published an article online on December 13 last entitled Book Clubs, Book Bars, and BookTok: Examining Why Everyone Suddenly Wants to Be Perceived As Well-Read, by Sydney Gore. The subhead is From the sexy librarian aesthetic to bookshelf wealth, immersing in the literary world has never been more on trend. What is leading an exclusive publication such as Architectural Digest to make such a claim?
Ms. Gore explains that despite underfunded libraries and book bans, “reading remains a beloved pastime for so many Americans during these unprecedented times.” She cites several examples. There is the Booktok phenomenon on then hugely popular (and maybe soon to be banned) Tik Tok website and its Booktok subset. It quite literally has millions of visitors who go there to hear other readers describe books they have read. Its audience is primarily younger, mostly women, and avid readers. They may not be reading “great books,” it's more light romance novels, but they are reading books, as opposed to glued in front of a TV set like many older people.
Then there is the “bookshelf wealth” phenomenon. This involves stylishly arranging bookshelves to be aesthetically appealing. The shelves aren't limited to displaying books, but books are an essential ingredient. While aesthetics are important to bookshelf wealth, it is not supposed to be all about pretty looking covers but also about books the owner has read or at least have some particular meaning to that person. They should say something personal about the owner. It is somewhat reminiscent of the trend for important people being interviewed at home for TV appearing in front of a bookshelf. The books are meant to illustrate the intelligence and seriousness of purpose of the speaker.
The author also cites the rise of book clubs. She is speaking particularly of New York, where some of these clubs also list celebrities as members. Of course, book clubs are nothing new, but these are in-person events that are bringing young people together rather than just older, retired book collectors. Then there are online book clubs too that also draw in notable people. The author asks rhetorically, “If you’re not an active member of a book club are you even relevant?” Online book club Library Science features cover images of numerous popular recent books, but among the covers is Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. The great writers of an earlier generation are not totally irrelevant after all.
Other trends include the appearance of book bars, sort of gathering places for bibliophiles to talk while enjoying something stronger than coffee, with snacks or even a meal. Gore asks another rhetorical question, “What could be better than getting buzzed on books and booze? Now that’s what I call paradise.”
What is particularly reassuring about the current trend is the rejection of those that only appreciate the exterior aesthetics of the book, with no regard for its substance. It has no use for fake books, those with pretty covers but literally nothing inside, no pages. Color coding, shelves with red books or blue books is rejected. Books by the foot wouldn't make the cut. Jordan Santos of Seen Library opines, “It [the trend] makes me happy to think that people can be influenced to buy more books instead of more things they don’t need.” Ryan McCarthy, founder of Spencer's (a spa that displays books), says “If a perception of being well-read is what it takes to get good books back into the hands of the people, then so be it. Engaging in good literature is engaging in good literature… I think the net-net is all positive.”
Here is something that jumps out at me from reading this story. It is the absence of even a mention of electronic books. E-books became the rage a decade or so ago and are very popular for their convenience and accessibility, but claims that they would completely replace physical books were unfounded. It turns out people still want physical books. Everything in this article is centered on things that involve physical books. A little while back, Vermont State University's President announced that all physical books would be removed from their libraries, everything becoming digital. The uproar from students and faculty was so great that the plan had to be scrapped and the President resigned. This is a message for libraries that keep paring their physical book collection to support their electronic editions. E-books are fine as a supplement to physical books, but not as a replacement.
There is also a message for those in the collectible book trade. The people described in this article may not think of themselves as book collectors, but many effectively are and others are becoming such. People usually collect things that are a part of their lives, and as long as physical books play a part in our lives, they will be collected. It may require an updating of inventory, but that is part of the process all merchants face. Book collecting is not dying, it's just evolving. Booksellers need to evolve too.
