The Case For Large-Scale Bookstores In Deep East Texas

Call me old-fashioned, but there's just something about sitting down and reading out of an actual, paper book. I've tried doing the e-book thing before, but it's just not the same. Because of this preference, I'm still a huge fan of large-scale bookstores. You know, the ones with thousands of books in them, complete with areas to sit and read.

I think that those kinds of stores are one of the things that Deep East Texas is missing at the moment. I think back to when Hastings was still located in Nacogdoches. At one time, it was a decent bookstore, complete with a coffee shop, lots of seating, etc. However, that's now gone.

What Kind of Bookstore Would You Like to See in Deep East Texas?

When it comes to bookstore chains, I'm not really picky. Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, anything along those lines would be just fine with me. Now, before you get technical and start telling me that there's already a branch of Barnes & Noble on the SFA campus, that's true. However, it's a B&N College store and isn't the same as the full-fledged store.

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Also, before anyone accuses me of overlooking local stores that are already in operation, I'm not. I'm just saying that I prefer the larger stores with mass amounts of titles to browse.

Where Could a New Bookstore Be Located?

The next big consideration would be where to put a large-scale bookstore if one were to come into Deep East Texas. Off the top of my head, there are a few locations that I thought of. In Lufkin, I think that the most logical place - at least in my opinion - would be the mall. There are several vacant stores that could house it.

In Nacogdoches, I think the case could be made to put it in the Northview Plaza, possibly in the space where the movie theater was. Or, if you were to build from scratch, it could go in the space where T-Rex-S Outdoor Sports and Excel Car Wash used to be, further up North Street.

Again, these are just my thoughts. I don't know that I see a full-scall bookstore chain making its way back into our neck of the woods. However, stranger things have happened!