An employee stores books on February 7, 2012 at La Procure bookstore in Paris. France’s small bookstores have survived the rise of big chains, Amazon and digital books, but many fear a sales tax rise, part of the debt-saddled government’s austerity plans, could push them out of business. France’s President Nicolas Sarkozy’s government, fighting to get the public finances under control, in November 2011 decided to hike the sales tax on books from 5.5 percent to seven percent, starting on April 1. AFP PHOTO FRANCOIS GUILLOT (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS GUILLOT/AFP/Getty Images)
