In 2003 Barnes and Noble took over the reigns of BN.com and in October of last year relaunched a much improved website. In the last year traffic has almost doubled and sales have risen over 7% (compared to only a 1.1% increase in stores). It is safe to say something is working.
What I am most impressed with is the Barnes & Noble Studio. It is a rich, multi-faceted approach to the world of books and for those who follow Book Patrol you know that one of my main frustrations in the book world is how segmented it is. Barnes & Noble Studio is a valiant attempt to bridge the gap. Though the content so far leans toward the popular genres with only the latest in-print version of the books discussed being offered the seeds are in place for Barnes & Noble Studio to become a potential prime destination for book people everywhere.
Channels include:
Tagged! A weekly video magazine on the world of books.
Cover Story – video interviews with book designers.
Book Files- an in depth look at the stories behind particular books.
Book Obsessed – a look inside the lives of book collectors.
Here is the latest installment of Book Obsessed.
It is a look into the home and bibliomania of Leonard Schrader.
Schrader, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his screen adaptation of Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman and is the only screenwriter to have written screenplays in both English and Japanese, was a book junkie who had over 100,000 books in his house. His collection included a significant Kurt Vonnegut collection, whom he studied under, and a world class collection of Japanese language books on Japanese cinema.