A commentor on the NPR story noted

In many parts of this country, stores like Borders and Barnes&Noble are the closest thing to a “hip”, cosmopolitan space for reading and discussion. I hope rural and suburban America does not get dumber because of this kind of development.

And I have to wonder what the hell has gone wrong in our libraries that people are saying that a store closing will dumb down rural and suburban communities.  Seriously, libraries aren’t as “hip” and “cosmopolitan”?!