«Cultural selflessness»: independent bookstores at the Siberian book market

Abstract

The article analyzes independent bookstores activities. It compiles and synthesizes data on modern Russian small bookshops (city, year of foundation, store area, titles number in assortment, sale personnel number). The basic characteristic features of small-format book-selling business are revealed: basic and auxiliary range, staff work, services offered to clients, ongoing activities, space design, enterprises environment. A particular attention is paid to the history and activities of «shopping club backstage format» Siberian bookstores: «Dog’s Heart» (Novosibirsk), «Beacon», «Fyodormihalych», «Korneyivanovich» (Krasnoyarsk).

Keywords

• autonomous book distribution
• shops of backstage club format
• specialization of book selling enterprises
• assortment
• club activity