The article, “ >The murder of the bookstore ” (‘Open Page’, Dec.21) sadly highlighted the gradual extinction of the bookstore, a process in which online bookstores and e-books have played a major role. Their offers of discounts and low prices are what entice people. It should not be encouraged. The extinction of the bookstore is a great loss and will hamper the growth of knowledge. The sight of people spending time in libraries is now rare as most have moved on to reading material on laptops and smart phones. Reading a book relaxes the mind and helps one gain knowledge. Nothing in an electronic format can really replace or replicate this experience.
Suruthi Palanisamy,Chennai
