By Alex Smith
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kcur/local-kcur-973093.mp3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – During the last 20 years, there's been a kind of quiet war going on. It's over who sells books and how they do it. In the early 90s, most book selling happened in small, locally-owned stores. But the rise of giant retailers and then Amazon.com threatened many of the small stores with extinction.
Today, e-readers are changing the game again, and it appears the retail giants are losing out. Here in Kansas City, two Borders bookstores recently closed. But, at the same time, local stores are experiencing a minor renaissance. KCUR's Alex Smith visited some local stores to find out what's been happening on the front lines of the retail book war.
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