After 33 years of business, Left Hand Books in Boulder is closing. A quick scan of its web site should convince that this is no ordinary bookstore. Calling itself a “volunteer collective”, here is how the web site describes the store:
“The Left Hand Book Collective is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit, nonsectarian bookstore, founded in Boulder in 1979. We sell progressive and multicultural periodicals, t-shirts, buttons, and bumper stickers (among other things)…..Left Hand Books is collectively run, decisions being made at monthly meetings. All volunteers are invited. We are always seeking new volunteers. If you would like to know more, come by the store or call. Our scheduled store hours are subject to volunteer availability.”
Sadly, the utopian Barnes-and-Noble-meets-the-kibbutz is closing due to its “inability to generate enough income to continue running the store (due to declining general sales and a marked loss of revenue from course book sales), and to burn-out on the part of some of us who have been doing the managerial work required to run the store.”
The closing statement from the store also laments the lack of volunteers:
“Left Hand depends on volunteers to keep running. We have a a serious shortage of volunteers at the store. The requirements are not onerous: agree with the principles of unity of the store, go though a training session of about one hour, make a commitment to volunteer for at least six months, and do at least two (3 or 4 hour) shifts per month. Besides staffing the store, the amount of your involvement is up to you: all volunteers are encouraged to “adopt a section” and be responsible for ensuring that the books in that section are kept in proper order. In addition, you can learn how to receive shipments, prepare purchase orders, accept and process customer special orders, and many other jobs that are involved in keeping a bookstore running.”
It’s what happens when the idyllic utopia is confronted by harsh facts of life – people work to be paid, and stores have to make money to stay in business.
About the average lifespan of your typical socialist experiment.
That's open to debate…
I might have a mental disorder, but at least I'm not an asshole.
So how do we explain Borders demise and the struggles of Barnes and Noble? The bookstore and book publishing business is undergoing massive transformation
They lasted 33 years. What a feat!!!!
Gee, I guess all of those other bookstores failed because of their socialist bent. Ever been to Archer, Texas? Remember the Chinook bookstore, Four Corners? Your argument is akin to saying the house caught fire because it was green.
That is like the Pot calling the Kettle Black. His point is Liberalism often do not take in consideration the real life consequences of their actions. Too often I have found Liberals willing to label people so they would not have to think or consider their opinion, I guess you have no problem doing that.
Thank you sir for once again showing what's wrong with Conservatives!
Gee, that's too bad. 🙂
Liberalism is a mental disorder.