An interesting post. Whilst I like the idea of some bookshops becoming “community hubs”, I worry about the loss of quiet spaces in which to browse and read books. I’ve seen libraries turned into “community hubs” and it is not invariably a positive development. The danger is that the books come a poor second to dance and other social activities. Kevin
K Morris - Poet 
Lets hope we will win against the virus. Then i think a lot will be possible. Here in Germany a lot of public libraries are changed to meeting points, with coffee, cakes, and sometimes hand crafting lessons. đ xx Michael
I am sure we will find ways of dealing with the virus, although it will remain with us, probably forever. Treatments are already improving and vaccines are (thankfully) cutting deaths. What do you think of the change to “community hubs”? Is it, in your opinion a good, bad or mixed blessing? Thanks for commenting, Michael. Kevin
Thats true, we will have to live with this virus, as we are doing also with all the previous. Oh, community hubs are a good thing, in my meaning. But you need a well structured community, as you in the UK are having. Here we are only a community of egoists, and more bad – less people are reading more than some lines of the daily newspaper.
Its interesting that you say we have a well structured community, Michael. Napoleon famously described we British as “a nation of shop keepers”. I used to think that we where (by and large) a nation of individualists with a sense of community. However, given the way in which few people questioned the Corona virus restrictions I am no longer sure that my view is correct. As a nation of individualists would have been far more critical of governmental edicts. We are often told of the virtues of the German model of the Social Market economy, so its interesting to hear your perspective. Kevin