I love bookstores. We only have one large one in my town, but I could spend hours looking around with a cold frapaccino in hand. And do, on a regular basis.

One of my pet peeves is people who walk around the bookstore blathering on their cell phones. IMHO, bookstores are like libraries - they are places for people to think, read, and entertain their curiosity. Loud conversations aren’t appropriate. I don’t have them myself because I think it’s very rude.

Today I read a bit from a NYT article about Borders bookstores, and what they’re planning to do to some (all?) of their stores. I like Borders because it, like Barnes & Noble, has a nice selection of movies and music as well as books. But this is just not cool:

A new strategy at Borders will reinforce the message that its stores are not just about books: the company has been installing 37-inch flat-screen televisions to show original programming, advertisements, news and weather.

I can watch original programming, advertisements, news and weather at home, if I feel the urge. I certainly don’t want to see (much less listen to) them while I’m enjoying some quiet time at my local bookstore, and I’ll bet I’m not the only one. I’m thinking this idea might not go over so well…