Mississippi Booksellers Discuss Industry Challenges

Four of Mississippi’s iconic independent bookstores took part in a discussion on surviving in the digital age on Tuesday, March 20, at the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics at the University of Mississippi in Oxford.

The program, moderated by Overby Fellow Bill Rose, featured Richard Howorth of Square Books in Oxford, John Evans of Lemuria Books in Jackson, Jamie Kornegay of TurnRow Book Company in Greenwood, and Emily Gatlin of Reed’s Gum Tree Book Store in Tupelo.

The event, which was free and open to the public, touched on many of the things indie bookstores are doing to ensure not only their survival in the face of increasing e-book and online sales, but also to foster the growth of their businesses.

A full video of the event can be viewed on blip.tv. There was also coverage in Mississippi’s Daily Journal, which is noted that indies act as “a bridge between readers and writers.” And to survive in today’s marketplace, these stores are doing everything from hosting weekly storytimes at Square Books Jr. and creating a cafe at TurnRow to catering to the masculine tastes of Gum Tree’s businessmen customers and sending Lemuria staff to visit schools and book clubs.