Archive for May, 2006
Wednesday, May 31st, 2006
Meeting to Save Cody’s on June 8
As reported in the Oakland Tribune and elsewhere, the Berkeley City Council has approved a plan to revitalize Telegraph Avenue. This action seems to be largely in response to the impending closure of Cody’s.
However, David Lazarus expresses skepticism about the City Council’s plan in the San Francisco Chronicle. Lazarus suggests that the City Council [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Books, General, Save Kepler's by Rick
Wednesday, May 31st, 2006
Do Bookstores Have a Future?
Paul Collins asks this question in his Village Voice article, which is essentially a review of Laura J. Miller’s new book, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption.
Collins writes,
Today’s field, though, may not be the future’s. Superstores live and die by generous zoning, massive inventory, co-op money, and deep discounts. Zoning laws may [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Books, General, Save Kepler's by Rick
Monday, May 15th, 2006
Reviving Telegraph and Cody’s?
KGO reports on the city of Berkeley’s plan to improve conditions along Telegraph Avenue near campus.
And, in a footnote, serious investors interested in preserving the Telegraph location of Cody’s, please email me. (Sorry to be vague about it.)
No Comments » - Posted in General by Rick
Monday, May 15th, 2006
The anti-independent argument
Tyler Cowen has an article in Slate that makes the case against independent bookstores. I, of course, disagree with him on multiple counts, but his argument is well worth reading. Cowen seems to write from the vantage point of someone who has little interest in small titles or publishing houses. I’m willing to bet that [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Books, General, Save Kepler's by Rick
Thursday, May 11th, 2006
Chances of saving Cody’s?
Many people have asked me about this subject over the past couple days because of my involvement in saving Kepler’s. However, there seem to me significant differences in the situations of each store. In the campaign to reopen Kepler’s, the major objectives were to a) raise capital b) renegotiate the store’s lease and c) implement [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Books, General, Save Kepler's by Rick
Wednesday, May 10th, 2006
Cody’s on Telegraph is Closing
Cody’s Books on Telegraph in Berkeley will be closing on July 10 after being open there for 43 years. According to owner Andy Ross, the Telegraph store has lost over $1 million and its sales have declined by two-thirds since 1990. Cody’s stores on Fourth Street in Berkeley and Stockton Street in San Francisco will [...]
