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New Chapter for Rare Books
By Bob Oakes
 Listen to story (Real Audio)
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More buyers are going online in search of rare books. (Photo: Sarah Bush) |
CONCORD, Mass. - July 15, 2008 - Are you someone who loves the musty aroma of history...that rich fragrance you find only when you?re exploring shelves of used books?
You're not alone in the hunt for bookstore treasure. But there are fewer of you now than ever before...and, as a result, there are fewer stores for rare and used books.
In New England -- known as a land of bibliophiles -- the number of used book stores has fallen by more than 60 percent since 2000, according to Book Hunter Press.
The landmark Harvard Book Store recently announced it's looking to sell, though the owner says it's still profitable.
Many other bookstores are not in the same position, as readers increasingly turn to the Internet, both to shop and read. We recently went to Concord to talk about the trend.
Robert McDowell -- who's vice president of Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers -- runs a rare book business out of his home. WBUR?s Bob Oakes started by asking him how the Internet has transformed the rare book industry.
WBUR's Sarah Bush produced this story.
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