Once upon a time, Foyles was listed in the Guinness
Book of Records as the world’s largest bookstore because of its 30 miles of
shelf space and the number of titles on display. In an effort to regain its
former glory, the store, founded in London in 1903 by William and Gilbert Foyle,
conducted a pair of workshops to discuss a move planned for 2014, what the new
store should look like, and what the nature of the bookstore should be going
forward.
The assembly of authors, poets, literary agents,
booksellers, sales directors, technology developers, and librarians came up
with plenty of ideas, such as the store providing bibliotherapy, which, when
combined with writing therapy, has shown potential as treatment for depression.
Other suggestions included providing personal shopping, membership clubs,
writers in residences, listening ports for audiobooks, and services that would
make the bookstore a social experience.
“Bookshops are often seen as old-fashioned, but these
workshops give books a chance to be at the center of the conversation,” said
Phil Jones, a blogger for The Bookseller, for an article in the The Telegraph.
“It was a fantastic project for us—after all, this is a
chance to work on the most famous bookshop in the world,” said Alex Lifschutz,
the architect designing the new Foyles location. “How many times in our life
will we witness the rebirth of the bookshop?”
Such a workshop—with participants from faculty, staff, the
community, and the student body—could be a catalyst for similar ideas and
discussion in the college store.
