Do we need libraries anymore?

lyndausvi

aleighc3 said:

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

I feel like it's another example of people taking advantage of certain situations.   Like the person who buys one coffee and then sits at the coffee shop for 8 hours for the free WiFi.  Too many people start doing it and they started taking away the "benefit".  Once in a while is one thing, when people do it all the time it can become a problem.

ok, so next time you are in there, ask the manager why there are so many chairs and tables.....if they didn't want people to read, they would not put a place for people sit down and do that. If it was theft and if b&n thought of it as theft the police would be there all day every day...

There is a difference between reading a few chapters and suggesting people can just go to B&N to read all their books for free and never have to pay for a book again.

aleighc3

In all the ones I have been in, they have chairs and tables around. It literally looks like a library.

doeydo

I can see flipping through a few pages of a book in a store to see if I can get into it, but not sitting there for hours on end and reading the whole book. 

aleighc3

Try it, see if anyone stops you...no one will! Unless the "moral" police come a knockin'...

lyndausvi

aleighc3 said:

Try it, see if anyone stops you...no one will! Unless the "moral" police come a knockin'...

and this is what is wrong with our society.

aleighc3

What is? The will to read, or the will not to read?

aleighc3

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

Try it, see if anyone stops you...no one will! Unless the "moral" police come a knockin'...

and this is what is wrong with our society.

No one will stop them because a.) it is not illegal b.) there is no rule against reading books, even if you did not pay to read it....

aleighc3

Actually, I would consider this that is wrong with our "society"

http://www.wfsb.com/story/25277420/banning-whole-milk-at-day-care-centers?hpt=us_bn7

http://www.wisn.com/news/oak-creek-man-charged-with-shooting-killing-wife/25537674?showAds=0&hpt=ju_bn2

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/18/teen-suspended-miss-america-prom/7888049/

If you consider someone reading a book as something wrong with society...it's not them... it's you...;)

pinkshorts27

aleighc3 said:

Actually, I would consider this that is wrong with our "society"

http://www.wfsb.com/story/25277420/banning-whole-milk-at-day-care-centers?hpt=us_bn7

http://www.wisn.com/news/oak-creek-man-charged-with-shooting-killing-wife/25537674?showAds=0&hpt=ju_bn2

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/18/teen-suspended-miss-america-prom/7888049/

If you consider someone reading a book as something wrong with society...it's not them... it's you...;)

I think she is saying that what is wrong is that people need rules to do the right thing. It probably isn't right to abuse store policies for your advantage, especially since it can affect other customers. You don't need a moral police, just do the right thing and don't take advantage of other people's kindness. 

chibiyui

aleighc3 said:

Actually, I would consider this that is wrong with our "society"

http://www.wfsb.com/story/25277420/banning-whole-milk-at-day-care-centers?hpt=us_bn7

http://www.wisn.com/news/oak-creek-man-charged-with-shooting-killing-wife/25537674?showAds=0&hpt=ju_bn2

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/04/18/teen-suspended-miss-america-prom/7888049/

If you consider someone reading a book as something wrong with society...it's not them... it's you...;)

Look. If you're sitting in B&N day after day reading books in their entirety, messing the books up, you're a dick.  And there are too many dicks in the world.  

aleighc3

When I was going and reading books in B&N I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. Do you need rules to live you life everyday? I'm not saying just do what you want. What I'm saying is, if they don't want people to sit down and read their books, don't put a "cafe" in your store and don't put places that people can sit down and read...if they didn't want people to read the books they sell, they wouldn't allow people to do that

monkeysip

aleighc3 said:

When I was going and reading books in B&N I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. Do you need rules to live you life everyday? I'm not saying just do what you want. What I'm saying is, if they don't want people to sit down and read their books, don't put a "cafe" in your store and don't put places that people can sit down and read...if they didn't want people to read the books they sell, they wouldn't allow people to do that

Oh, well if you didn't FEEL like you were doing anything wrong, then you must not have!  

It's not a very bright business model to want people to consume your merchandise without purchasing.  I liken it to play movies on the screens at Best Buy.  They do that to get you interested in buying a DVD... not so that you can spend 8 hours there using Best Buy as your free movie screening service.  

aleighc3

Oh, I think you should write them a letter then and tell them that their business model stinks! A letter should do it...

chibiyui

aleighc3 said:

When I was going and reading books in B&N I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. Do you need rules to live you life everyday? I'm not saying just do what you want. What I'm saying is, if they don't want people to sit down and read their books, don't put a "cafe" in your store and don't put places that people can sit down and read...if they didn't want people to read the books they sell, they wouldn't allow people to do that

Honey, it's retail. You ask a repeat offender nicely to not hog a table/not spill stuff on books/pull his penis out/yell at other associates, that customer contacts corporate and then suddenly you're in trouble. For doing your job. Because someone got butthurt that they can't take advantage of everything to the extreme. 

Here's how I live everyday. I ask myself, "How much of a dick am I if I do this?" if the answer is "Pretty dickish" I don't do it. 

chkmeowt

aleighc3 said:

When I was going and reading books in B&N I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. Do you need rules to live you life everyday? I'm not saying just do what you want. What I'm saying is, if they don't want people to sit down and read their books, don't put a "cafe" in your store and don't put places that people can sit down and read...if they didn't want people to read the books they sell, they wouldn't allow people to do that

I don't understand - if you were going to go and sit and read a book, why not just go to the library and read it there, where you have already PAID for the book, the building, the services, etc. If you love B&N so much, check out the book from the library and just take it with you there, FFS.

jdluvr06

I have to admit that one time my cousin and I sat there and looked through a whole book in B&N once. It was one of those huge coffee table books that was pictures of exotic places. We felt bad about it and ended putting our money together (we were 16 at the time) and bought it. We put it in the rec room of my aunt's house because that is where all the family get togethers are and random relatives have looked at book for the past ten almost eleven years.

aleighc3

debmonn said:

aleighc3 said:

When I was going and reading books in B&N I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. Do you need rules to live you life everyday? I'm not saying just do what you want. What I'm saying is, if they don't want people to sit down and read their books, don't put a "cafe" in your store and don't put places that people can sit down and read...if they didn't want people to read the books they sell, they wouldn't allow people to do that

I don't understand - if you were going to go and sit and read a book, why not just go to the library and read it there, where you have already PAID for the book, the building, the services, etc. If you love B&N so much, check out the book from the library and just take it with you there, FFS.

Because the library was no where near where I worked...

pinkshorts27

aleighc3 said:

debmonn said:

aleighc3 said:

When I was going and reading books in B&N I didn't feel like I was doing anything wrong. Do you need rules to live you life everyday? I'm not saying just do what you want. What I'm saying is, if they don't want people to sit down and read their books, don't put a "cafe" in your store and don't put places that people can sit down and read...if they didn't want people to read the books they sell, they wouldn't allow people to do that

I don't understand - if you were going to go and sit and read a book, why not just go to the library and read it there, where you have already PAID for the book, the building, the services, etc. If you love B&N so much, check out the book from the library and just take it with you there, FFS.

Because the library was no where near where I worked...

so because doing the right thing is inconvenient, it is ok to take advantage? good to know, I've been living life wrong.

smalfrie19

FTR...you can take books you already own into B&N and read them too. I am very fond of the B&N atmosphere and when my FI is pissing me off and I need head space, I grab my book and go to mine.

lc07

Also, I'm fairly certain the staff just assume you aren't being a dick and reading all their books. If I bought a book and decided to stay to read it, they aren't going to come around asking me for my receipt. It would be rude since they probably assume I'm either figuring out whether or not I want to purchase it by flipping through and reading small parts or that I've already purchased the book. It's an honor system.

There are a million scenarios where there is no sign telling you what you shouldn't do and that doesn't mean it's okay to do whatever you want to do.

PrettyGirlLost

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

They don't intend for you to read an entire book cover to cover without buying it. A chapter or two to see if you like it, sure.

It's a business not a library. If you don't intend to buy the books then go to the library and borrow them.

ohannabelle

aleighc3 said:

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

I feel like it's another example of people taking advantage of certain situations.   Like the person who buys one coffee and then sits at the coffee shop for 8 hours for the free WiFi.  Too many people start doing it and they started taking away the "benefit".  Once in a while is one thing, when people do it all the time it can become a problem.

ok, so next time you are in there, ask the manager why there are so many chairs and tables.....if they didn't want people to read, they would not put a place for people sit down and do that. If it was theft and if b&n thought of it as theft the police would be there all day every day...

Here's where I stopped reading. Because the argument presented is so childishly illogical, so ridiculous, that it hurts my brain. Really? Barnes and Noble put chairs there so that you can read books without buying them? They pay the lease and the power bills and cleaning services and store employees so that you may have a pleasant warm place for your lunch hour? None of the people involved in the creation, manufacturing, and distribution of those books should be paid? They exist so you can enjoy a happy lunch? If this wasn't true, the police would be there to stop you?
And yes, there is a sign. It's a great big one on the front of the store. It says "Barnes and Noble, Booksellers." That lets you know that they operate a business, selling books. Note that there is not a sign that says "Barnes and Noble, Free Books and Lunchtime Lounge."
It's generally expected, I think, that any reasonably intelligent and respectful adult would get idea from the "bookseller" part of the sign, and behave accordingly.

lyndausvi

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

Try it, see if anyone stops you...no one will! Unless the "moral" police come a knockin'...

and this is what is wrong with our society.

aleighc3 said:

What is? The will to read, or the will not to read?

yep, you got it.   What is wrong with our society is people's will to read. 

 It could not possibly be that  people are not willing to do the right thing unless the "moral" police comes a knockin'.

FiancB

Well that was interesting.

OP, I do think it would be great if you'd swing by the local library. I don't go as often as I like but did all the time as a kid and I've never seen an empty library and I've moved around a lot. I still go for audio books since I drive a lot, although sadly my library still has mostly cassette audio books and I've pretty much tapped out the supply of books that will work in my car. 

My mom goes to use the computer because she lives in the country where it is literally impossible to get a decent internet connection, and she often needs help because she's the stereotypical elderly woman that can't get the hang of using a computer very well. 

We went ALL THE TIME as a family even though my dad worked a very prestigious and well paying job. There's something about browsing books that leads to find something that you might not have otherwise. I don't always go knowing what exact book I'm looking for, and I've found some of the best reads and resources that way. 

It kind of sounds like you don't see the value of reading past getting x and y done, and that's sad. You learn a lot from reading "as a hobby" too. Reading was my primary sense of entertainment as a kid and at least half of my reading was strictly for fun. It still made me learn critical thinking, to spell and write well (since I was exposed to so much writing), and stories teach things like empathy and often have good role models.

To the privilege argument: my FI is a high school teacher in an impoverished area, near a reservation. He has had a failing student that lived in an abusive home that didn't have windows where it gets -40 and colder. I don't think that kid really has college on his mind a whole heck of a lot. 

So yeah. Not "piling on" or trying to hurt anyone's fee-fees. Just trying to make some points as to why reading and libraries are important and that bettering your life can be a lot more complicated than signing up at the CC. 

Viczaesar

aleighc3 said:

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

I feel like it's another example of people taking advantage of certain situations.   Like the person who buys one coffee and then sits at the coffee shop for 8 hours for the free WiFi.  Too many people start doing it and they started taking away the "benefit".  Once in a while is one thing, when people do it all the time it can become a problem.

ok, so next time you are in there, ask the manager why there are so many chairs and tables.....if they didn't want people to read, they would not put a place for people sit down and do that. If it was theft and if b&n thought of it as theft the police would be there all day every day...

Do you make it a habit not to think critically and use common sense?

arrippa

ohannabelle said:

The original post is so ill thought, so self involved, so obtuse, that I am actually embarrassed for the poster. The free public library is one of the greatest achievements and inventions in the history of the United States. Knowledge and information should be available to all people, regardless of income. If you had asked, your local librarian could have pointed you to many sources of information about how libraries serve and enhance and revitalize their communities. (It would involve reading, which is much, much more than "a hobby," probably involves written matter not on display at Barnes and Noble, and would have spared you the need to appeal to an Internet forum to "enlighten you.")

You do know that libraries were not invented in the US. The Roams had them to preserve their scorlls. The forst modern librabry was in Florence Italy.

aleighc3 said:

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

I feel like it's another example of people taking advantage of certain situations.   Like the person who buys one coffee and then sits at the coffee shop for 8 hours for the free WiFi.  Too many people start doing it and they started taking away the "benefit".  Once in a while is one thing, when people do it all the time it can become a problem.

ok, so next time you are in there, ask the manager why there are so many chairs and tables.....if they didn't want people to read, they would not put a place for people sit down and do that. If it was theft and if b&n thought of it as theft the police would be there all day every day...

They want you to come in and read your Nook. You get all sort of free stuff to read with your Nook in an B&N store. Most stores with chairs and couches have a Nook corner.

cupcait927

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

I feel like it's another example of people taking advantage of certain situations.   Like the person who buys one coffee and then sits at the coffee shop for 8 hours for the free WiFi.  Too many people start doing it and they started taking away the "benefit".  Once in a while is one thing, when people do it all the time it can become a problem.

ok, so next time you are in there, ask the manager why there are so many chairs and tables.....if they didn't want people to read, they would not put a place for people sit down and do that. If it was theft and if b&n thought of it as theft the police would be there all day every day...

*stuck*

Oh hey there, @aleighc3. Former retail worker/cashier here. Just wanted to let you know that you ARE wrong. When I was first starting out in retail work, one of the first things that we learned is that what you're referring to IS theft. You are consuming a product without purchasing it. Think about it like food. Just because the bulk candy or produce is sitting out in the open doesn't mean you can eat it without paying for it. The same goes for books. B&N has chairs and lounges for people to check out a couple of chapters (which is fine) or to use AFTER they've purchased their books. Most of the time when I see people just lounging in a bookstore, it's because they want to get off of their feet for a few minutes or are waiting for someone else to finish up their browsing. The only reason you don't see B&N workers coming up to people all the time to bust them for this is because they don't have reasonable cause and they can't go around interrogating everyone or they would lose customers. So have a little common sense and do what's right - stop reading books for free in a book STORE.

Maggie0829

My two cents...

Libraries offer A LOT more then free books and internet.

And if you treat B&N like a library then you are a moron and have zero morals or common sense.

DaisyMaeMommy

I side-eye anyone who uses B&N or ANY bookstore like a library.

lyndausvi

moemacWed30594 said:

ohannabelle said:

The original post is so ill thought, so self involved, so obtuse, that I am actually embarrassed for the poster. The free public library is one of the greatest achievements and inventions in the history of the United States. Knowledge and information should be available to all people, regardless of income. If you had asked, your local librarian could have pointed you to many sources of information about how libraries serve and enhance and revitalize their communities. (It would involve reading, which is much, much more than "a hobby," probably involves written matter not on display at Barnes and Noble, and would have spared you the need to appeal to an Internet forum to "enlighten you.")

You do know that libraries were not invented in the US. The Roams had them to preserve their scorlls. The forst modern librabry was in Florence Italy.

aleighc3 said:

lyndausvi said:

aleighc3 said:

ok, but there are no "no reading the books" signs anywhere....

I feel like it's another example of people taking advantage of certain situations.   Like the person who buys one coffee and then sits at the coffee shop for 8 hours for the free WiFi.  Too many people start doing it and they started taking away the "benefit".  Once in a while is one thing, when people do it all the time it can become a problem.

ok, so next time you are in there, ask the manager why there are so many chairs and tables.....if they didn't want people to read, they would not put a place for people sit down and do that. If it was theft and if b&n thought of it as theft the police would be there all day every day...

They want you to come in and read your Nook. You get all sort of free stuff to read with your Nook in an B&N store. Most stores with chairs and couches have a Nook corner.

 product that was purchased through B&N.  So you are not sitting there for free, you (or someone else) purchased a product from them.

That is a little different than suggesting people use B&N as a library with no intentions of purchasing any of their products.