Course:LIBR548F/2010WT1/Bookstore as Third Place
Local, neighbourhood, or community bookstores, typically independently owned and operated, can become "third places," conferring social and psychological benefits on individuals who own, work in, or frequent these places. Bookstores that operate in this mode contribute to their community by serving as participatory public spaces in urban environments. The "third place" aspect of bookstores is not thoroughly studied, but evidence indicates that bookstores become third places when there is extensive personal service, strong knowledge of books for different reading habits, a relaxed attitude towards financial transactions, and a willingness to allow the space to be used for non-book-buying purposes.
The "Third Place" Defined
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg has developed the concept of the “third place,” a non-work, non-home, social space where leisure is allowed, ideas are exchanged, wit is on display, and friends are encountered or made. Oldenburg sees these places as central to the functioning of healthy urban communities, by allowing leisure to take place in low-pressure social situations. “Third places” are characteristically neutral ground, where all may come and go as they please; are places where conversation, particularly wit, is the main activity; are physically unimposing; keep long hours and are centrally located; maintain a consistently playful mood; have "regulars"; provide a levelling effect between high- and low-status individuals; and are seen as a home away from home.[1]
Oldenburg attributes a variety of social and psychological benefits to third places. They provide diversity which is often greater than that found in workplaces, and this non-homogeneous group will discuss varied matters, thus providing variety which can be lacking in industrialized societies. All who attend are themselves participants in a mutual act of entertainment, rather than serving as either consumers or providers of entertainment (as in other locations such as the theatre or church). The wisdom of the group can be tapped, and discussions are allowed to become heated, but are also infused with humour. Nobody is above being teased. Enjoyment is taken from participation, and if most interactions are casual, they are also free of many of the stresses of close friendships. Oldenburg believes third places serve a democratic purpose, in creating spaces where political opinions are openly discussed and the circulation of ideas is encouraged.[2]
How Bookstores Become Third Places
One hallmark of bookstore third places is that participants describe them as "more than a bookstore." In some cases the bookstore is seen as providing information that is difficult to come by in other locations: for example, feminist bookstores fit into this model.[3] Many of the bookstores that exhibit third place attributes offer credit when customers are unable to pay. Staff knowledge of the books is also a crucial factor in creating the right atmosphere for wide-ranging discussions. Staff take time to talk to customers, creating an atmosphere in which customers therefore talk to each other, whether about books or general topics. Because of this congenial atmosphere, customers return to become "regulars," and the chances of running into a friend or acquaintance increases. Most bookstores also sponsor story hours for children and/or author readings for adults; some bookstores additionally allow outside groups to meet there or to use the space as official or unofficial headquarters.[4]
Third place bookstores typically act overtly in support of other community institutions, and these activities may perform neighbourhood-building functions as a secondary benefit:
Under the shelter of the front of the store were bins of books left out overnight with a box for coins that was used to support public radio. The bins of books also put life on the street after-hours, thus making for a safer neighborhood.[5]
It is important to note that while chain bookstores imitate physical characteristics of independent bookstores—cafes or seating, small rooms housing different topics—these factors alone do not create third places. The chains often do not have the knowledgable staff or the personal connection to customers to enable them to become third places. The seating spaces at chain bookstores are often used for solitary rather than group purposes, and because they serve entire cities rather than a neighbourhood , there is little chance of friends running into each other there. There is no mechanism for getting a book on credit at a chain bookstore, and there may be corporate policy preventing it. While filling a need for seating and study spaces in urban environments, these bookstores cannot be said to be third places.[6]
Further Readings
Oldenburg, Ray. The Great Good Place. 2nd ed. New York: Marlowe & Company, 1999.
- Oldenburg builds on thinkers such as Jane Jacobs to develop the notion of the third place.
LaPorte, Paul. "Horizon Books," in Ray Oldenburg, ed., Celebrating the Third Place. New York: Marlowe & Company, 2001. pp. 43-52.
- A case study of a bookstore which functions as a third place.
References:
- ↑ Ray Oldenburg, "The Character of Third Places," The Great Good Place (New York: Marlowe & Co, 1999), 2nd ed., pp. 20-42.
- ↑ Ray Oldenburg, "The Personal Benefits" and "The Greater Good," The Great Good Place (New York: Marlowe & Co, 1999), 2nd ed., pp. 43-65 and 66-85.
- ↑ Junko R. Onosaka, Feminist Revolution in Literacy: Women’s Bookstores in the United States (New York & London: Routledge, 2006). See in particular chapter 7, "More Than a Bookstore: Books and Visions," pp. 117-135; Kathleen Liddle, "More Than a Bookstore: the Continuing Relevance of Feminist Bookstores for the Lesbian Community," Journal of Lesbian Studies 9, 1 (2005): 145-159.
- ↑ Onosaka, ibid; Liddle, ibid; Paul LaPorte, "Horizon Books," in Ray Oldenburg, ed., Celebrating the Third Place (New York: Marlowe & Company, 2001): 43-52; "About Us," Third Place Books website, http://www.thirdplacebooks.com/about (accessed Sept. 19, 2010).
- ↑ Ray Oldenburg, chapter introduction, Celebrating the Third Place (New York: Marlowe & Company, 2001): 155.
- ↑ Laura J. Miller, Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption (Chicago & Londong: University of Chicago Press, 2006. Miller does not use the "third place" matrix in her analysis, but see especially chapter 5, "Serving the Entertained Consumer: the Multifunction Bookstore," pp. 117-140, in which she contrasts physical and service components of independent and chain bookstores.