"Barnes & Noble released third quarter earnings this morning, reporting a $18.4 million loss compared to a $4.4 million profit the year before. Same store sales fell a whopping 7.4%!" - AJ Kohn from Bookmarklet

They push the membership because it has been a huge win for them. Yet, I think they're reaching a diminishing returns on it now. And yes, Amazon and ... nearly any other retailer is cheaper. B&N is selling a book buying 'experience' and too few now are willing to participate. - AJ Kohn

they cut way back on their magazine racks, and that reduced incentive to go in the store in the first place. and if I know what I want, amazon is cheaper, and with prime, convenient. I'm trying to think the last time I was in any bookstore -- and can't, other than digital guru. and Im' a book geek. - Chuq Von Rospach

I have a feeling stores like Half Price Books will be getting most of the book reader traffic due to the economy, or you will see a rise in Library cards. - Wizetux

@Chuq: It's odd that they cut back on the magazine racks because that would get you in the store and their mission is to keep you there as long as possible. The thinking being - longer stay = higher probability of purchase. - AJ Kohn

@Wize: HPB could get more for sure. (The $1 bins are loaded with treasures for readers and booksellers who can turn around and sell them for *a lot* more.) And I very much hope Library usage does go up. That would be a great side-effect of all of this. - AJ Kohn

I still like visiting a bookstore and scouring the shelves for something that looks intersting. Thats a discovery method that amazon can't beat ( seaarch dosent even come close to it). There is something to be said, still, for the physical over the digital. - Roberto Bonini

@Roberto: I'm definitely with you there. I still love going to the store, though I seek out independent stores whenever possible because they have more interesting and diverse stuff. The one thing I can say is that LibraryThing has helped me find stuff I might not have found as quickly or at all. I'd love a mobile LT app that told me related authors or titles based on an ISBN I provided. - AJ Kohn

@AJ would you want to be able to take a picture of the barcode on the book, or just type in the ISBN? - Wizetux

@AJ you would just need a wrapper app for the ISBNdb.com site. - Wizetux

@AJ Kohn @Wizetux - this is the stuff that makes having an iPhone so good. if we could get somthing like that, it would be heaven. Even a B&N app wouldn't be so bad. - Roberto Bonini

@Wizetux: I'd be okay with either format (photo or typing). ISBNdb is good and a few others do have mobile price apps. What I haven't seen is the related data ... that if I like Jonathan Lethem's The Wooden Sea, what else might I want to search out in the store. - AJ Kohn

Are you sure that is not Jonathan Carrol's "The Wooden Sea"? Also, isbndb.com has a whole section on "Similar Books"... - Wizetux

@Wizetux: Oh crap, yeah, that is exactly what I meant. (Was deciding between Carrol's Sea and Lethem's Girl in Landscape and mixed it all up.) And does isbndb have similar books? Interesting. Is it actually good? User directed like LibraryThing? Gotta make it an easy mobile app! - AJ Kohn