Adelaide bookstores losing technology fight as another chain The Book Boys group closes Hollie Wickstein of Henley Beach buys at Dymocks in Rundle Mall. ADELAIDE bookstores are counting on the human touch to stay competitive against the online publishing juggernaut and the clout of big department chains, as more prepare to close. The announcement that The Book Boys group will close its seven remaining stores across the state by March, costing 30 jobs, follows the closure of Adelaide's renown Mary Martin Bookshop this year , and dozens of others in the past two years. Bookstore owners say they know they are up against dramatic market changes driven by ebook technology. However, those who can keep their doors open will be able to offer customers some services a computer screen cannot deliver. Dymocks Adelaide owner Mandy Macky said the traditional industry offered services that websites could not, such as employing staff with good book knowledge. We just continue to try and carry a really good range ... I like to think about books that make people's lives better (like) craft, health, emotional relationships, cooking, feel good stuff," she said. While you can get a recipe on your iPad, there is nothing like a glorious photo that you go back to that makes you want to go and cook it. Although younger readers are thought to be driving the ebook revolution, 22-year-old customer Hollie Wickstein said book lovers could not get everything they wanted from a laptop, tablet, or Kindle reader. "I don't think there's anything like a physical book," she said. "I can see it (digital publishing) is very efficient ... but it's a struggle to find real books, now," she said. Ms Wickstein agreed the opportunity to talk about books was an attraction of traditional stores and that opportunities to meet authors during store signings could not be replicated online. She believed a "book as a present" remained a special gift that was preferable to receiving an electronic coupon for an ebook.