A book behemoth teetering

Barnes & Noble recently announced it will permanently shut the doors of its massive 66th Street store in Manhattan this January, and even non-literary types are lamenting the closure. The New York Times explores how the centrally-located store serves as a place for bookish tourists to gather, and how it will be sorely missed for more than books alone:

Roger Hawkins, a former television news producer who was busy e-mailing on his laptop in the cafe, said he had been a Barnes & Noble member, giving him additional discounts on purchases, but let his membership lapse after he started buying audiobooks online instead. “There are other reasons that people come to this bookstore,” Mr. Hawkins said. “You don’t have park benches on the street anymore. It’s hard to find a place where you can sit down and have a cup of coffee.”