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John Smith’s: historical perspectives and historical precedence.

Frost, S. and Hall, S., 2015. John Smith’s: historical perspectives and historical precedence. Book 2.0, 5 (1-2), 27 - 37.

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DOI: 10.1386/btwo.5.1-2.27_1

Abstract

This companion piece to ‘Bespoke Bookselling for the twenty-first century: John Smith’s and current UK higher education’ (also in this issue of Book 2.0) provides a historical narrative of the bookshop chain John Smith’s. From its emergence in Glasgow in the 1750s, through its negotiation of the Net Book Agreement around 1900 and its strategies for survival and growth after the agreement’s collapse in the digital era, the article provides the only comprehensive history of this unique book retail business up to the present day. What is apparent is that its current diverse business model has a clear historical precedence. Their business involvements have included publishing, circulating libraries, library and learning material supply, creation of cultural events, transitioning from local to global and, especially, cooperation with higher education. John Smith’s is a perfect example of how bookselling was and is far more than simply the activity of selling books

Item Type:Article
ISSN:2042-8022
Uncontrolled Keywords:Glasgow; Glasgow Cookery Book; John Smith’s; Net Book Agreement; bookshop; higher education; library supply; retail
Group:Faculty of Media & Communication
ID Code:28360
Deposited By: Symplectic RT2
Deposited On:28 Mar 2017 13:28
Last Modified:14 Mar 2022 14:03

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