Bookstore Ready for Borders Customers

The last Borders store in Cobb County, located at , is on the verge of closing its doors, but that doesn't mean Northeast Cobb readers will lack book-shopping options.

Richard Sims, the owner of Once & Again Books, told Northeast Cobb Patch he believes the liquidation of Borders will help local independent bookstores, which certainly will welcome the business.

The removal of the big-box competitor won't usher in a new golden age for independent bookstores, Sims said, because retail space is too expensive and e-readers are too prevalent.

But a lot of people still enjoy reading a physical book or prefer to buy a used book for $4 or $7 rather than pay $8 to $10 for an e-book, he said.

"I'm confident we'll be around a long time servicing that market," Sims said. "Most local bookstores today sell mostly or only used books, so the challenge is to keep our offerings fresh and appealing.

"We can never match the inventory breadth of a big-box store, but at Once & Again we stock a lot of new books (not just current bestsellers) and focus closely on the local book clubs and kids' books, including schools' required reading. So I think we surprise a lot of people by how often we have what they're looking for."

Northeast Cobb shoppers can visit Once & Again Books at 2960 Shallowford Rd. For more information, call 770-676-6543, or visit www.onceagainbooks.com.

The nearest big-box bookstore is Barnes & Noble at the Town Center Prado Plaza.