Went To The Source
 

I have on two occasions asked staff at the B&N if the rumors that their store might close had any merit. I have been told on both occasions that 1) there was an attempt of a hostile takeover of the chain that failed and 2) the existing management is not interested in closing the store. While I remain suspicious, I did renew my B&N card which for a fee allows me to discount virtually every purchase I make at the store. Obviously if the store closes, I'm out of luck. The next closest B&N is in Ocala. I'm not driving that far to visit a bookstore.

If the store closes, which I hope it doesn't, your membership can still be used to make purchases online at bn.com. I love Barnes and Noble, both going to the store and shopping online. You can even check the availability of books at the local store, reserve them, and go right to the counter and pick them up. When ordering online, members get free delivery with a $25 purchase.

B&n redux
 

While I'm aware that I can use my B&N card online, the reality is many of the purchases I make are not bestsellers. My most recent purchase, a collection on suspenseful and occult short stories by Arthur Conan Doyle of Sherlock Holmes fame was purchased from the budget section. I certainly didn't walk into the store looking for 100 year old stories by Doyle (fantastic book by the way). That is the advantage of a real brick and mortar bookstore. Online retailing can never replicate that. By the way, I'm hoping with two new libraries opening in The Villages and Lady Lake over the next few months that I'll be buying fewer books.