Independent Booksellers

* Re “Booksellers Battle Back: Independents Try to Stack Up Against Superstores,” Dec. 19.

Thanks for your coverage of independent bookstores. Since before our opening in 1983, chain bookstores have dominated San Fernando Valley bookselling. No change there.

The greatest changes we have seen over the last 17 years are the advent of so-called superstores, the appearance of some books some of the time in warehouse, drug and grocery stores, and the growth of e-tailing. To some degree, all of these developments respond to social changes in our Valley, as residents devote more and more hours to work and as traffic-congested streets make a trip to a nearby retailer seem like a trek.

How I wish that the articles conveyed that the unique experience of visiting each independent is worth the effort. And how I wish that the Web links box gave a clearer message that stay-at-home or office shoppers can buy on-line and still support independent booksellers. Consumers can find a vast variety of independent bookstores by visiting www.BookSense.com, where most of the stores are devoted to new rather than used books (in contrast to ABE [Advanced Book Exchange Inc.] for used and rare books).

To learn about our busy calendar of events, see a sample of our recommendations and order from us, go directly to www.pagesbooksforchildren.com or through BookSense.com.

DARLENE DANIEL

President, PAGES, Books for

Children and Young Adults

Tarzana