By Michael Pankonien

Staff Writer

Books: we all need them. Some of us read for pleasure, some for knowledge, and some for work. Now unlike most things these days, you can’t just download a book straight to your computer (hardbacks are better anyway). Where do you go? Your local book store of course. Oh wait…we don’t have a local book store. Here in Coppell, a town of about 40,000 residents, there is not one book store. Surely we have more than enough people to sustain one measly book store.

In Coppell, we have one high school, three middle schools, and nine elementary schools. There are many corporations which have shipping and distribution facilities in Coppell, including CiCi’s Pizza. We have multiple supermarkets in Coppell, an excess of fast food joints, and two gymnasiums. We have churches, dance studios, rental chains, even our own yogurt shop now, but still not one book store.

I’m sure you are thinking, “But Mike, there’s three book stores in Lewisville and several more in Grapevine.” Well that’s great, la di da for them. But what if I don’t want to go out to Grapevine or Lewisville? What if I’d rather go to a local store? We have plenty of shopping space: how about near the Tom Thumb, on Denton Tap? Or anywhere on Denton Tap road? Next to Daddy Jack’s?

This isn’t a cry for a book store based solely on the fact that we are without a book store. The argument that book stores in Grapevine and Lewisville are too far away is too weak to be taken seriously. But this isn’t a cry for quicker access to the latest best seller; this is a cry for our growth as a town.

I admit, Coppell is not known for its mega malls, shopping district, or its wide selection of department stores. And we do already have an amazing public library, but what if I want a place where I can browse and buy books, or order books?

One could argue that in today’s digital age, hard copy books are obsolete. But if you took a poll, how many people do you think would actually have an e-book, compared to a hardback? Towns across America have books stores, from the Moon Rise Bookstore in Burns, Ore. to the Borders Bookstore in Dallas. Books have been an essential part of our lives sense the dark ages, and for Coppell to not follow lack a store that has been so fundamental in the development of any town is calamity.