How are you supposed to know if you'll like a book if you can't read some of it.

It had a nice little cafe too, its not like they won't make money on people buying a few coffees and snacks as they read a book they might not buy.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 98 points 3 months ago (14 children)

I live in Taiwan and the humidity kills books and makes them damp and stinky. So some places our books are wrapped.

  • source
  • hideshow 14 child comments
  • [–] 30 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    Most commercial establishments in the US are air-conditioned. Taiwan has


    as you point out


    a pretty warm, humid climate. Are Taiwanese bookstores not not typically air-conditioned? I'd think that they'd be a prime candidate.

    I was reading about public library humidity and temperature control a month or two back, and it sounded like it was also pretty much the norm to air condition those, for the preservation reasons that you mention.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 16 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Even if they are air conditioned it’s quite likely that the air conditioning does not run 24/7

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 3 months ago* (9 children)

    Dehumidifier in the store...?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 9 child comments
  • [–] 48 points 3 months ago (8 children)

    You don't understand how much humidity is on tropical islands. When I open a bag of chips, the time it gets stale is measured in minutes, not days.

    Even with a humidifier on 24/7, you can never drop the humidity to a point that books don't start rotting.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • [–] 10 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    Cover the books in oil so it repels water?

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • [–] 17 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    But what if we refined that oil into plastic and used that to cover the books instead? That way people wouldn't get oily fingers from reading.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [+] -48 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    Sounds like people shouldnt bother living in such shitholes.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments