By FELICIA CZOCHANSKI
ASSISTANT OPINION EDITOR

After a number of bankruptcies and mergers, Barnes & Noble is the only remaining bookstore chain in the United States. A few weeks ago on Jan. 7, Barnes &Noble was forced to close its last flagship store that began operating in 1932.

The floundering American economy has hurt the print book industry, causing chains like Barnes & Noble to close. Due to these increasing financial constraints, many middle-class Americans have been forced to adjust their lifestyles and hobbies. Most industries have started to see a consumerist decline in the past couple of years, even those that have been around for centuries. The publishing industry is experiencing a decline as consumers seek out cheaper ways to access news and entertainment.

In recent years, the shift from print to online books is tremendous. Not only are e-books cheaper, many people find them more convenient. Others feel more comfortable carrying around a physical copy, regardless of the increase in cost.

As our economic future remains unclear, it simultaneously spurs the invention of new technologies to make things cheaper and more convenient for many people. Thanks to the invention of new technologies, such as the Kindle, the true meaning and definition of a book is no longer clear. For hundreds of years people have been content with the magic of a physical book. Billions of people have enjoyed turning the thin pages, folding the corners and experiencing the irreplaceable feeling of opening a brand new book.

Recently, it has become common for people to stare into the depths of a small LCD screen and tap to turn to the next page. The intimate charm is quickly disappearing and both local and chain bookstores alike have been forced to face the consequences.

The Barnes & Noble flagship store that closed earlier this month was known for its authentic feel, as it did not include more modern additions such as the Starbucks café. Our modern-day economy is not entirely to blame; however, it is the main initiator for the need to find creative, cost-efficient alternatives for everyday items and tasks. This is where the inventions of devices such as the Kindle and Nook come in (the Nook is a product of Barnes & Noble). This move has left its physical bookstores crippled while its online store is ranked as the second most popular in the country.

As this flagship primarily sold textbooks to college students, it is clear that there has been a shift from print to e-books not only in genres for pleasure reading, but also for academic books. This shift is understandable, as purchasing an online textbook from sites such as Amazon or b&n.com can easily shave off half the cost, as well as provide the convenience of purchasing from home. Professors who have been adamant about restricting technology use in class, such as psychology professor Roberta Willim, will now permit students to bring laptops to class so that they can access their online books.

Once thought of as an untouchable industry, it is becoming clear that the time left for brick-and-mortar bookstores is limited. As America’s largest bookseller, Barnes & Noble, was forced to close the doors of its last flagship store, it is inescapable to realize how much danger print literature faces.

Due to a combination of a weak economy and the invention of cheaper alternatives to print books, the possibility is looming that the future of our literate society will be filled with the closings of many more bookstores and a spike in online reading purchases.

Felicia Czochanski, FCRH ’17, is an undeclared major from Metuchen, N.J.