{"id":13325,"date":"2024-09-09T19:44:23","date_gmt":"2024-09-09T19:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/?p=13325"},"modified":"2024-09-09T19:50:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-09T19:50:53","slug":"as-bookstores-vanish-the-regulator-endures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/9thstreetjournal.org\/2024\/09\/09\/as-bookstores-vanish-the-regulator-endures\/","title":{"rendered":"As bookstores vanish, the Regulator endures"},"content":{"rendered":"
As you enter the Regulator Bookshop, your eyes may be drawn to the mural in the children\u2019s section featuring an air balloon and a camel, both carrying books. Or you may notice the \u201cnew\u201d section at the entrance, a popular section curated by the owners and employees, from new books they\u2019ve enjoyed to the most-discussed novels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The space is small and may not have every book you want. It\u2019s no two-floor Barnes & Noble, and there is no dedicated romance section in sight.<\/span><\/p>\n In a world of digital consumption, brick-and-mortar bookstores are often seen as antiques of a nostalgic era. Yet the Regulator remains a cherished community staple.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPart of what Durham is, in so many ways, is the intersection between Duke University and the broader community, and the bookstore is pivotal in that relationship,\u201d\u00a0 former Duke professor Laurent Dubois wrote about the Regulator in the book <\/span>\u201cMy Bookstore.\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n But is the Regulator\u2019s pivotal role enough to guarantee its survival?<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/p>\n <\/b>Fifty years<\/span><\/a> ago, Duke alum David Birkhead founded The Regulator Press, printing political <\/span>news<\/span><\/a> for grassroots organizations. Two years later, in 1976, fellow Duke alumni Tom Campbell and Aden Field joined, the trio began selling books and The Regulator Bookshop was born.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Bearing the <\/span>name<\/span><\/a> of a group of North Carolinians who spearheaded a revolt against the British in the 1760s, The Regulator embraces nonconformity and progressive values. It has served as a hub for the exchange of ideas, welcoming outspoken authors such as Margaret Atwood, John Hope Franklin, and former Vice President Al Gore.<\/span><\/p>\n In 1978, following Field\u2019s departure, John Valentine, another Blue Devil, joined Campbell until both retired in 2017 and sold the store to two longtime employees, Wander Lorentz de Haas and Elliot Berger. Campbell and Valentine wanted the bookstore to carry on the culture they forged: championing small presses and catering to the diverse tastes of its community.<\/span><\/p>\n Now the Regulator stands as one of the oldest establishments on a street transformed. The Regulator persists even as other book stores struggle: Durham\u2019s <\/span>Letters Bookshop<\/span><\/a> recently announced they are shifting from private ownership to a community-owned cooperative for long-term survival.<\/span><\/p>\n On a recent Sunday, the soft hum of conversation mingles with the occasional rustle of pages and music curated by the Regulator staff. The tinkling of the doorbell signals the arrival of a young family, whose two children eagerly dart between the bookshelves, heading for the book nook \u2014 two worn couches \u2014where other children and adults are reading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt’s hard to describe how much the bookshop owes to the community,\u201d says Mika Murphy, 27, a longtime Regulator employee. Local elementary and middle schools hold scavenger hunts that lead them to the bookstore, and book clubs shop for their books at the store.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEveryone from your teacher or your garbage collector, public service worker, to our state senators and City Council people come through,\u201d says Murphy. \u201cIt’s like a meeting place for people of all walks of life in Durham.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n ***<\/span><\/p>\n As bookstores nationwide grapple with the challenges posed by the rise of e-books and online retailers, it\u2019s easy to wonder if they are the next Blockbuster \u2014 the multimedia rental chain that ceased operations in <\/span>2014<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Bookstore sales <\/span>plummeted<\/span><\/a> by 45% from 2007 to 2019, falling from $16.8 billion to $9.12 billion. Meanwhile, according to Census Bureau data, the number of U.S. bookstores <\/span>dropped<\/span><\/a> from 12,151 to 6,045 between 1998 and 2019.<\/span><\/p>\n Brick-and-mortar bookstores\u2019 biggest competitor is Amazon. Within five years of Amazon\u2019s inception in 1995, the number of <\/span>independent<\/span><\/a> bookstores declined by 43%. Now, Amazon <\/span>controls<\/span><\/a> over 50% of the print book market and 80% of the e-book market.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAmazon is a concern, though our focus is on books they rarely promote and do not surface easily with their algorithms,\u201d says Lorentz de Haas, one of the shop\u2019s owners.<\/span><\/p>\n Durham community member Jonathan Corbin agrees. \u201cWho wants to give up the experience of going to your bookstore? The calm, safe environment, the smell of books, the friendly people, the opportunity to run across books you could love that isn’t dictated by some algorithm that boxes you in. Need I say more?\u201d he wrote in his Google <\/span>review<\/span><\/a> of the Regulator.<\/span><\/p>\n The store has had to make some changes to survive. The bookstore closed amidst the pandemic and discontinued in-store events after reopening. The new owners no longer lease the downstairs area, which previously housed the events, used books, and a caf\u00e9.<\/span><\/p>\n