Why do I go to a bookshop? To buy books you would rightly say. Whatever it is we look for in books, do we still need bookshops?

For those who know where to find their kind of book and can go to a main or special bookshop, buying a book is easy. Indeed, one can easily order a book on the internet. However, if I wish to take a look, browse through books on shelves, buy a book and carry it home with me, then I go to a bookshop.

I may not have time to go to any, but the local bookseller - for this and for all those who can ill afford to go far to get a book - I wish to point out the importance of bookshops today.

Nowadays, bookshops largely display books supplied to them by the distributor who, at regular intervals, collects money for books sold or takes back unsold books. Therefore, a distributor delivers a set of assorted books to a shop for a set time. This may be an efficient way of ensuring that all books get to all shops and that books gather no undue dust, but it is frustrating to return to a bookshop looking for a book which has ran out of 'shelf' time.

Some bookshops complain of discrepancy in dates of write-ups of books in newspapers to when they are published and out for sale. Others wonder if the public is aware of old classic books which have been newly printed.

I personally own no bookshop, but since I like books I often discuss them with different people and I wonder if what we really need - be it author, publisher or someone out to get a book - is a friendly bookseller to help us find what we are looking for.