The Barnes & Noble bookstore in Ellicott City is a happening place on a cold Sunday in January. When I dropped in yesterday, a little after two, the place was abuzz with activity.
First of all, I should note that I love bookstores. I love the smell of bookstores. There is certain energy to a good bookstore that emanates from all those books and readers coming together in one place.
And they’re better than a library cause you don’t have to be quiet.
The Ellicott City Barnes & Noble is a great bookstore. Though it was well past noon when I passed through, every seat in the Café was taken. There were lots of students. Some were studying, others socializing. There couples, old and young and there were singles, engaged in a computer or a book.
And there were lots of people browsing the aisles picking up all manner of printed material, while the B&N eBook, The Nook, was on display just inside the door. They even had a couple of tables set up where you could play with one. I didn’t realize that the Nook had Wi-Fi capability. I quickly pulled up the blog, of course.
You have to credit B&N for their retail savvy. I suspect though, that an all eBook bookstore will not smell as nice as the current blended version.
