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Good E-Reader reports that Barnes & Noble has applied for a beer and wine license from the New York State Liquor Authority.

(SAED HINDASH/NJ ADVANCE MEDIA FOR NJ.COM)

How does a flailing nationwide book chain combat the likes of Amazon and its powerful electronic ecosystem?



Booze. Lots of it.



Good E-Reader reports that Barnes & Noble has applied for a beer and wine license from the New York State Liquor Authority for a store upstate.



According to Keven Danow, the Manhattan attorney who consulted with the chain on the license application, select locations will begin selling the alcoholic beverages in cafes and will gauge customer appeal, the website reports. In addition, he added, menu items may be modified for pairings.



In the wake of large book retailers such as Borders closing up shop, it's no secret that Barnes & Noble, with 647 stores, has struggled to stay relevant. Some things have helped. Most B&N locations have been modified to add Starbucks-like cafes complete with Wi-Fi and more magazines than a vintage newsstand in Times Square. In addition, some stores have even started selling vinyl records.

With its ill-fated Nook reader, things haven't been much better on the e-book side. The company is fighting the good fight, however. In June 2014, Barnes & Noble received a shot in the arm when a partnership with Samsung was announced. Under the agreement, the electronics company would manufacture Nook tablets using the framework of the well-reviewed Samsung Galaxy Tablet. Whether that's enough to sway customers away from the Kindles and its robust offerings of music, movies and TV shows, it's still too early to tell.



Enter the booze. The New Hartford, N.Y., location will be the first outlet to test the waters. If successful, it's quite possible that by next holiday season, your local bookstore just may be the perfect place for a midday libation.

Anthony Venutolo may be reached at avenutolo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AnthonyVenutolo and Google+. Find NJ.com on Facebook.