About two years ago Birchalls announced it would be closing in Launceston.
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The closure signalled the end of an era.
The store was open in 1844 and was the first bookstore in Australia.
Birchalls was responsible for the invention of the notepad and was the first business to sell ballpoint pens.
In 2017, the announcement the historic store would close surprised and saddened many shoppers.
Twenty-four months later and the news about Collins Booksellers on St John Street has also surprised many customers.
The closure of a second bookshop in two years signals the demise of the bookshop.
However, recent surveys and studies signal the love of books is alive and well in Australia.
Back in 2017, the Australia Council for the Arts and Macquarie University conducted a survey of reading
“The findings highlight how reading helps Australians transcend their daily lives and become absorbed in stories – in fiction and non-fiction, for escapism or thought-provoking reflection," Dr Wendy Were, Australia Council for the Arts executive director strategic development and advocacy, said.
"We are delighted that this survey shows 92 per cent of Australians are classified as readers and the majority believe that books provide much greater value to our lives than the price we pay for them."
Of those surveyed, 71 per cent agreed that books made a contribution to their lives that go beyond a cost and that it was important for Australian children to read books set in Australia and written by Australian authors.
Fifty-seven per cent said books were too expensive.
In 2018, the Australian retail book market reported for 2017 a marginal growth of 0.9 per cent in sales. It's estimated digital books consume about 15-20 per cent of the market.
The closure of Collins Booksellers leaves Launceston with two traditional bookshops.
The statistics indicate the love of books is alive, so let's hope the love of local will improve with people supporting the shops in our CBD.