Borders UK calls in Administrators

henrik1971

edgex wrote: »

its interesting how many US firms completely misjudge the UK marketplace.

Couldn't agree more.

However, there are instances where the opposite is true. A year or so before Subway opened, I was talking to people saying I can't believe Subway haven't got stores in the UK.
Also, since that time, I have been saying the same thing about Taco Bell. There is a massive gap in the UK fast food market for tacos and burritos, etc.and British tastebuds are now ready for their famous Fire sauce.

vivatifosi

lemonjelly wrote: »

Given the discussions about libraries on here, thought I'd add this (especially interested to learn viva's point of view on it)
http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6490.aspx

Yes, I know it's Margaret Hodge, but it is her responsibility right now (worrying as that is).

It seems to me that there are vast swathes of the populace completely unaware of the benefits of libraries.

At the same time, I feel there is so much more that a library can do to make it an essential part of their local community.

Any thoughts anyone?

Margaret Hodge is one of those people who has raised the hackles of many library staff. She talks about borrowings being down and people within libraries needing to be IT literate, yet she fails to realise the reality - that borrowings in many authorities are up, after years on a downward trend and that library staff (library assistants in particular) are among the most IT literate low paid workers in the country.

Saying that libraries need to be more aware of IT is also actually quite an insult when libraries already offer IT suites in many large libraries which members of the public can use and many also offer free wi-fi access. If Hodge visited many library authorities she'd realise that quite a few are beyond that step already and facing different issues. For example, a lot of foreign students use my library for wifi access, so we need to strike a new balance between people using wifi and Skype to stay in touch with their families and the desire for a quiet environment among traditional library users. In addition some authorities are now lending e-books, for which users need not visit the library at all (except perhaps to register) and many have embraced RFID technology which can allow better catalogue management, fewer losses and self-service of books.

I'm not saying that libraries are perfect by any means, having come from the other side of the fence (a private business library, information and research centre) they can lack the nimbleness of a smaller organisation. However for the most part the people in them do an incredible job on pretty low budgets. Incidentally, Ed Vaizey, the member of the shadow cabinet responsible for libraries also published his party's vision for libraries earlier this year and that can be seen at the site below so you can compare and contrast the views of the two parties:
http://www.shadowdcms.co.uk/pdf/LibrariesSpeech050309.pdf

vivatifosi

kennyboy66 wrote: »

http://www.virtualtours360.net/vtupload/liverpool/centrallibrary/centrallibrary.html

This is what a great city Library should be like.

Accross the water Wirral (Lab / Lib Dem) council were planning to close half their libraries until Culture Secretary stopped it.

I don't know Liverpool Central Library but it is a beautiful building. The only thing I don't like about it is books being behind glass (though they could be rare volumes, a good reason to keep them locked up) as it deters the public from looking at them and knowing that they can touch.

In terms of the Wirral issue, that was a travesty. However lets not kid ourselves, many local authorities will consider mothballing or shutting smaller neighbourhood libraries over the coming years once budgets start crunching. That will happen whoever comes into power next.

lemonjelly

I went into the borders in birminghams bullring yesterday.

I found the whole experience quite chilling actually, it was almost wrong!

I did really feel for the staff still there, with all the closing down signs.

The main reason it all felt wrong was that with everyone in there, milling about, it felt like we were all vultures picking at the carcass which is borders bookstore.

One part of me is a little disappointed at how little was left - I'd put off going due to time pressures. I'd have liked to have had a better look.

If I'd have gone earlier, there may well have been more stock remaining. As it turned out, there was very little left on the shop floor.

I had to go in twice, as the first time I felt pangs of shame, particularly given the way a lot of the shoppers were behaving in there. Didn't want to identify myself with them I think.

All in all, quite sad...

edgex

henrik1971 wrote: »

Couldn't agree more.

However, there are instances where the opposite is true. A year or so before Subway opened, I was talking to people saying I can't believe Subway haven't got stores in the UK.
Also, since that time, I have been saying the same thing about Taco Bell. There is a massive gap in the UK fast food market for tacos and burritos, etc.and British tastebuds are now ready for their famous Fire sauce.

Taco Bell tried once & pulled out
Subway have done well, but i do think thats down to them actually offering something quite different

Borders wernt different enough, & with small-item retail moving online, they didnt have a big enough brand presence to make it online in the UK market either.

edgex

lemonjelly wrote: »

Given the discussions about libraries on here, thought I'd add this (especially interested to learn viva's point of view on it)
http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/media_releases/6490.aspx

Yes, I know it's Margaret Hodge, but it is her responsibility right now (worrying as that is).

It seems to me that there are vast swathes of the populace completely unaware of the benefits of libraries.

At the same time, I feel there is so much more that a library can do to make it an essential part of their local community.

Any thoughts anyone?

the problem with libraries is that our very idea of what they are is now out of date
we see them as buildings that hold books, when the reality is that they are a centralised collection of information & knowledge, which dosnt actually require a building any longer.


there were some quite weird plans for the 'original' new library in birmingham, which had this idea that people would go in, & get a library assistant to download a book onto their pda/reader.
well, if its downloadable, why go to the library, when it could already be online, & come to you?

movilogo

I go to bookstores only to browse books and read magazines there and then.

Books are too expensive to buy. The authorities prevent importing cheap books from far east (same book which costs say £40 in UK costs only £5 in India). They argue it will push local publishers out of the market.

But see, they are out of business anyway!

The real killer is the internet. Many books are now available on internet (legal or illegal). To save moneyk, people are reading on computer screen.

So many technical books are just free on Scribd.com or similar websites.

vivatifosi

edgex wrote: »

well, if its downloadable, why go to the library, when it could already be online, & come to you?

You shouldn't. If you go to this website:

http://herts.lib.overdrive.com/B13FDEE4-848A-423D-9768-84A0756A6178/10/491/en/Default.htm

You'll see an example of a library service where you can download e-books without visiting the library. It is a nascent service, only a few months old aiui, so you may not be able to get the book that you want yet. But this type of service will roll out. You don't even need to live or work in Hertfordshire to use it, though I think you do need to visit one of their libraries to register to use their services.

Danstar_2

edgex wrote: »

not surprised at all, they simply were not big enough to compete in the UK books market. WHSmiths must have had bigger book sales than them!
wernt they seperated from the US operation a few years ago?

UK Management buyout, they overpaid for it and, consequently, are paying for it.

Shame, I like going to Boarders buying some books to take home to read and sitting in a big leather chair drinking a Starbucks and reading an over priced magazine I have no intention of buying.

lostinrates

A point raised about price of books v magazines......Books are expensive, no doubt about it. (and all that extra for cover art different indifferent countries.....why not just ONE cover? Why not covers like the old penguines....bothing to do with the book, and just a different title?) Not that cover art isn't sometimes beautiful....as a kid I used to love the paper back cover of The Golden Bough. I'm told as young child I tried to replicate it in crayon on a wall.

But magazines! Goodness. There are LOADS of magazines on na plethora of subjects I'd love to get, but the price...I allow myself one cookery magazine (Cucina Italiana, but I might change soon) which I read for language skill as much as anything. I hoard off cast copies of Architecture Digest. Womens' magazines prosper, but what a price!