It is reported that two branches of a famous chain bookstore will close because the rental contract is due. The rent might be too high, which is one of the reasons that lead to the closure of such once-popular bookstore. Other reasons may be 1. Fewer and fewer people read for pleasure or self enhancement. Games, social media networks, films, and dramas are more appealing. 2. Customers' shopping behavior has greatly changed since the advent of online shopping. Some people like going to real-life bookstores for a preview of the books they intend to buy, and yet they place orders on online bookstores, which sell books at a lower price. 3. It may be a trend gaining more and more popularity that E-books are more welcome. P-books, after all, occupy too much space in a house. Storage may be a big problem for those who do not have a large house. There are still other factors that result in the "decline," so to speak, of the bookstore population. Do people need bookstores in real life? What roles do bookstores play? Bookstores are where 1. People have contact with books, of course. 2. Cultural heritage can be passed on through books. 3. Fans can meet writers who are on book promotion tour. 4. A certain ideal is held and meant to spread to more people. For instance, some bookstores promote the ideal of gender equality, hoping to arouse the public's awareness of LGBTQ. Some bookstores intend to create a good reading environment for kids, offering high quality picture books and children literature. The list can go on and on, depending on how one views a bookstore. If there is one bookstore--be it a chain store or an independent one--around you, you can be a frequent guest and enjoy your reading time there. It is hoped that existing bookstores can live on, and more and more people enjoy reading. --

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