Toronto Star

Toronto may be a city that reads books, but not one that goes to the store to buy them. After 29 years on Markham St., Ballenford Books, the city's best architectural bookstore, will close its doors. "I was delusional," says owner Susan Delean, "because I hear from people I like. But it's got to the point where it's become a personal thing. I'm putting my family in a situation where they're in financial jeopardy." According to Delean, a store like hers can no longer survive the onslaught of the Amazon.coms of the world. For most buyers, their appeal lies in the lower price of books sold online, about 30 to 40 per cent lower than bookstore prices. The fact that Amazon's lineup doesn't come close to Delean's only makes things worse, she says. Then there's the sudden rise in the dollar, a crisis for the Canadian publishing industry. Add to that the slim margins available to booksellers that aren't chains, even at the best of times.