Timothy Egan takes a look around:
There are two big questions about the future of books and technology. One is: are people reading more and, by implication, buying more books? The answer is yes. In their annual report last August, the Association of American Publishers reported that overall revenues, and number of books sold in all formats, were up sizably in three years since 2008. Without e-books, the numbers would have been flat, or declined. …
Well then, what about the second question: the fate of the independent bookstores, those imperiled isles of words?
The headline from a release by the American Booksellers Association during last year’s holiday buying season was telling: "Indies Defy Conventional Wisdom as Sales and Locations Continue to Increase." The release quoted Oren Teicher, head of the association, as saying, "An array of factors are fueling the resurgence of independent bookstores." Among those factors are sales of e-books by indies.
The Dish 