Date
Address
José Antonio Millán
Location
Collaborate
Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional, Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, Residencia de Estudiantes e ILE.
It is a common statement to say that the specialisation of bookstores is a solution to the general offer, which is in danger of being swallowed up by large Internet operators and by the bookstore chains.
Apparently, a statement is certain: recent times have seen a proliferation of specialist bookshops, even in very specific fields. The traditional definition of "specialized library" is one in which at least 60% of the turnover corresponds to books classified in one, two or three subjects. With this approach it is estimated that in Spain a third of the total would fall into this category. The booksellers have come to this type of establishment sometimes as a personal hobby, sometimes by confluence with another project (for example publishing), sometimes in search of a more loyal audience than the general consumer.
Bookstores can be dedicated to thematic niches (crime and crime fiction or fantasy bookstores, to give two examples), or to majors: philosophy, law. They can also appeal to an age range, such as children's literature. They can be at the service of ideological options, such as feminism, anarchism, or LGBTI literature. They can also serve a particular hobby, or a professional sector (which sometimes coincide), such as gastronomy or model airplanes. They can also focus on works of a particular language (in original or translation): for example, Italian literature; or on offer from a particular field, such Latin American bookstores.
These libraries will also function as meeting points of the public, through acts such as presentations or book signings. By the characteristics of their offer, their booksellers function as effective recommender of works to an audience they already know. It is common to have web services or newsletters that inform of of the works that are appearing. Often, novelties, imported novelties, original editions (in the case of works in another language) and second-hand books coexist on its shelves. That is to say: they provide a comprehensive service of access to library resources, which can be sometimes difficult to achieve by other means.
The majority of the specialist bookshops are in Madrid or Barcelona, and, as we have seen, the type of expertise can be very varied. For this meeting we have selected libraries of the two capitals, a sample of which are located outside of them. We have tried to cover all niches theme, origin, hobby and professionals, with the aim of having the broadest possible range and get rich and varied dialogue between the participants.
PARTICIPANTS
10:00 h
José Antonio Millán (digital editor)
"Past, present, and future of the library niche"
10:30 h
Milhojas (Barcelona)
library of cuisine: "To the profession and to the fans"
11:00 h
Ocho y medio (Madrid) library cinema
"Film and paper"
11:30 h
Llibres Chus (Alicante) bookstore specializing in children's literature
"In the service of children... and their parents"
12:00 h
La lata peinada (Barcelona) bookstore specializing in Latin american literature
"Against the insulation of the decades"
12:30 h
Berkana (Madrid) bookstore specializing in gay culture
"An action pioneer"
This project has received the support of the Ministry of Culture. General direction of the book, the comic and the reading
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