The Borders bookstore in Davis recently put up the above signs along the shelves of their manga section. Apparently there is now a time limit of 10 minutes for reading manga. I didn’t attempt to test the system but I think it’s a “soft” limit. That is, Borders employees wandering around the store helping people might politely ask you to move along if they continually to see you sitting or standing there reading the same volume. I also didn’t bother to ask whether the 10 minutes starts over each time you pick up a different volume or an overall thing but I think it’s an overall period of time.
The timing of it coincides with the Christmas shopping season and the anticipation of more foot traffic, although I’m sure a number of complaints could have been another factor. Unlikely but still plausible. We’ll see if the signs stay up past January…
I want to know if this is an isolated phenomenon or if it’s happening across the country (or around the world). Has anyone else experienced a similar thing in their local bookstores recently? If so, is it limited to manga or do the advisories apply to the other sections as well?
13 responses so far ↓
Yume // December 1, 2006 at 9:13 pm
Yes, there’s a time limit for manga at our local Borders too. It was 30 min last I checked, but I haven’t been there in a while, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s 10 min now. It only seems to apply to manga, which makes sense. Normally, the thing lots of people including myself love about the bookstore is that you can take your time browsing books, and really read to decide if you like them enough to buy them. But manga changes things because it’s faster to read and mostly pictures, so they set limits otherwise people would sit there and read whole volumes without buying them. I’ve seen another non-Borders bookstore with a manga reading time limit, too.
Lenners // December 1, 2006 at 9:48 pm
Wow, I hope that happens at my local bookstore
wontaek // December 1, 2006 at 11:26 pm
The local Borders here indirectly imposes the limit: There is parking limit of 1 hour. At least this would apply to all customers.
Adun // December 2, 2006 at 1:47 am
Well I find it as a good idea. I rather not have penniless fools standing there reading whilst I’m trying to browse and buy my manga. If only Kinokuniya enforced such a policy.
DiGiKerot // December 2, 2006 at 11:53 am
I’d rather not have penniless fools who had no idea how to handle a book properly messing up the books I’d be interested in buying ^^;
Kent // December 3, 2006 at 5:05 pm
sucks for all those penniless fools. =[
Anime Nano Podcast #17: Read And Die! at Anime Nano Podcast // December 3, 2006 at 5:15 pm
[...] PartTimeOtaku’s post about the Borders manga limits. Os’ reaction to the limit. [...]
Karoshi » Time’s A Wastin’, Reading Manga // December 3, 2006 at 6:14 pm
[...] I have mixed feelings about this. Now, I’ve already confessed that I’m one of those people who go to Borders alot -sometimes even spending more time there than at home- to read free manga in my other “bookstore posts“. I justify this action to myself by saying that I always end up buying 1 volume of anything every other week or so anyways so either way, they’ll end up with my money. [...]
Mysterio006 // December 11, 2006 at 10:02 am
Bwah, I live in Davis too, and I noticed that the other day. Actually, I read manga for like half an hour before noticing the sign. Maybe the sign is intended for the kids who don’t buy stuff
Slee // December 11, 2006 at 11:05 am
WTF? You can actually read manga @ border’s? Every one of them i’ve been in lately has ALL manga wrapped in plastic that’s a pain to get off even after you’ve bought the damn thing. I live in cali, dont know if that’s only here that they do it.
Slee // December 11, 2006 at 11:09 am
Oh, and yes, this is only manga that they wrap in plastic so that you cant even browse through it. There’s always plenty of adults parked reading magazines and regular books.
Mina // July 15, 2008 at 5:58 am
I live in Australia, and there’s a Borders about half an hour away in the city from where I live. The last time I looked in the manga section [ well, it was actually the first time I've ever seen manga in real life - gah -_-; ] there wern’t any time limit signs. I just hope that there won’t be any of those signs going up any time soon, I’d like to have a good look at the manga I’m about to buy anyway!
chris // August 7, 2008 at 6:04 am
Its called buy the book, I have seen countless times kids sitting their for hours stretched out across the floor. Or they buy a bunch read them and then return them. How do you expect a store to stay in business when these types of things go on. Get a life you puts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Like gas stations in rural Texas after 10 pm, comments are closed.