HUNTER COLLEGE–With its new kiosk tucked under the corner of the East building and a machine at the main store that can print a paperback in minutes, Shakespeare & Co. is trying to do what all booksellers across the country are attempting: stay alive in the era of Amazon.
The bookseller has been at 939 Lexington Ave. for more than two decades and is now also the “official brick and mortar bookstore for Hunter College.” Three years ago, managers added a café and an Espresso Book Machine that prints paperbacks on demand. Now they have staked out a second, more subtle, presence outside the entrance to the 6 train. The new kiosk, which opened in early September, offers coffee, treats, Hunter merchandise, and books located on carts outside.