Yeah, that bookstore looks pretty upscale, nearly a boutique, especially in a developing country. Not unlike others built for bookworms where browsers are free to read almost anything.

In such a bookstore, the customer is not always right.

Asides from the protection from humidity and dirt, I feel they also don't want to sell a frayed damaged book or magazine -- I feel that would count for them as a loss -- unless the customer paid for it, so they put limits on casual browsing. This, RFID tags and CCTV cameras to deter shoplifters.

Otherwise and in some places they put out a selection of open unwrapped publications and let anyone, provided they also pay for the coffee or hang around and pay by the hour, to read at their leisure in a dedicated cafe.

Only sure way for you to know a new book is to scope out the copy online if it has an ebook equivalent.