Looking at places via Google Maps and Google Street View from a position of god is nothing new and many people got used to it. But the magic comes when we go inside. And it gets absolutely mesmerizing when the interiors we enter are full of books.
O’Reilly Tools of Change shared a post on Facebook which invited to have a virtual walk through Tattered Cover bookstore in Denver (here is link to bookstore’s website). I got extremely interested, as I love to find and explore technology that helps people read again. I came to Tattered Cover – and it was a totally striking experience.
The pictures are surprisingly sharp. They are so detailed that you can read book titles. There are shadows of people on the move, giving a feeling of human presence. Once you learn how to use Google Street navigation and zooming function, you can fully enjoy being, well, in a real bookstore.
I was looking for an opened book, to check if it’s possible to read it in Google Street View. I didn’t find it in Tattered, but there is one in Capitol Hill Books (check this Google Street View link and pan down a bit).
Bookstores make much more sense than any other kind of store. It’s where you can be face-to-face with a quietest of human’s friends. All the good memories come back. Books are about magic in life and first place to find this magic is a bookstore or library. Being in such a place makes you want read something – now.
Going to a bookstore without leaving home is definitely not good for health, but on the other side it lets visit these magical places no matter where they are. And, yes, opening hours are not a problem at all.
I have no doubt that somewhere in the future it will be possible to visit a bookstore, open a book, read it virtually, and buy it!
More to come on this fascinating topic, so stay tuned and get free updates by RSS or email.
Tattered Cover bookstore in Google Street View – pictures
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