A local study spot for many college students recently reopened at a new location.
The Streets of Brentwood’s Barnes & Nobles opened officially on Jan. 29 at 9 a.m., featuring a florist, free coffee and tea, and book signings of authors Evelyn Skye, who wrote “Damsel” and Amanda Briar, who wrote “Dawn of Hope.”
The store was jam-packed with many new faces full of excitement, as the buzz of the bookstore seemed to be successful.
Now, with Amazon and other online companies, how exactly does a book empire not collapse?
According to an article written by Laura Washington from the Chicago Tribune, “Books demand attention, and we should heed the call. The Barnes & Noble opening is an auspicious moment. The marketplace is acknowledging that there are attractive brick-and-mortar alternatives to the dime-a-dozen discount books online,” relating to the opening of a Barnes & Noble opening in Chicago.
Another Article titled, ”I love the whole atmosphere and can spend hours browsing: how did bookshops suddenly become cool?” by Sarah Manavis from The Guardian stated, “However, a resistance to algorithmic recommendations popular on BookTok (as well as online bookstores like Amazon) might be one of the most common things driving young readers into physical bookshops.”
Barnes & Noble in Brentwood was no exception to using this tactic. Before opening day, the Instagram profile titled @bnbrentwood was posting updates, deals, and even sneak peeks into what was in store for opening.
With proper social media marketing, they took a growing trend and used it to their benefit, especially for a store that has such a well-known name.
Student Diana Cobian looks forward to checking out the newest Barnes & Noble.
“My favorite part about going to Barnes & Noble is looking at all the books, especially in the romance or nonfiction area, and looking at covers,” she said, adding that she prefers shopping for books in person because it’s a more enjoyable experience due to not having to wait for a book to be delivered.
Although student Jacob Hernandez doesn’t normally shop at Barnes & Noble, he is an avid reader.
“I really enjoyed physical book shopping more than online,” said Hernandez, “Students who are interested in books should shop in physical stores more often, not just Barnes & Noble but other local bookstores just to help keep them open. And from going 100% online.”
Kimberly Wentworth, the electronic resources librarian on campus said that she was also excited for the Barnes & Noble opening.
She added that she used to hang out in bookstores when she was younger, “Libraries are a good place to hang out and browse books.”
Student Milo Pinheiro went to Barnes & Noble after opening. “My favorite kind of books are fiction, scientific, and reading history books since they are really cool,” said Pinheiro.
“It’s important students come to bookstores because you get to read and view it in person and get a feel for it, instead of online where it’s only a cover and a little blurb,” Pinheiro added about the need for in-person bookstores.
The new Barnes & Noble will be open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.
