At least one chain mall store in Texas slated for closure has been spared as Lufkin‘s Waldenbooks will remain open rather than close in January as originally planned. Meanwhile, Laredo is launching a campaign to lure a new store to this city of 230,000 after B. Dalton’s closes next month. Laredo Mayor Raul Salinas says, “I can assure you, it’s going to be welcome with a red carpet.” The city council “was expected to adopt a resolution Monday night proclaiming the importance of bringing another bookstore to the city.” Barnes & Noble says “it has identified a possible location for […]
Closing
Bookselling: More Closings, Challenges
Leo’s Book Shop in downtown Toledo, OH will close by the end of the year after 42 years in business. Owner Daryl Yourist says he “will continue to operate his textbook business, but not from a retail establishment, and not downtown.”Blade Toronto Women’s Bookstore, a “36-year-old institution and icon of the local feminist movement,” told supporters that it is “in crisis” and is “hoping to raise $40,000 by January – enough to keep its doors open for another three months,” the Globe and Mail reports. The nonprofit is one of three feminist bookstores in Canada.Globe and Mail And the AP […]
Bookselling: Amazon Takes Textbook Trade-Ins; Two Store Closings
Amazon announced this morning a textbook trade-in program that lets students get a quote online for used books, print a pre-paid shipping label, and return those books for credits against Amazon purchases.Announcement Two independent booksellers announced closings: Lee Booksellers in Lincoln, NB is closing after 30 years in business as their lease expires and co-owners Linda Hillegass and husband Jim McKee prepare to retire. “The big effect the economy has had is that we can’t sell the store,” Hillegass said. “We did try to sell the store, and it didn’t work.” Also closing is Ormond Beach, FL’s The Bookstore Cafe […]
Seattle's Bailey-Coy Books to Close Shortly
Owner of Baily-Coy Michael Wells told staff on Saturday that the store will close at the end of November after selling off stock. In a press release he notes: “This has not been an easy decision for us. We have struggled, along with independent bookstores across the country, for the last decade to keep our bookstore profitable and healthy. The economic downturn of the past year, combined with the rapidly changing world of bookselling, has led us to believe that this is the most responsible decision.” They add that “the recent news that Elliott Bay Book Company is considering moving […]
People and Bookselling
Two editors at Pocket, including editorial director Maggie Crawford, and an editorial assistant at Simon Spotlight Entertainment were laid off last week, the Observer reports. At Little Brown UK, David Shelley has been promoted to the new position of deputy publisher. French-language bookstore Librairie de France will close at the end of September after 74 years in business at New York’s Rockefeller Center. The store faced a tripling of its rent.NYDN
Bookselling: New Orleans' Maple Street to Close Children's Book Shop
The dedicated Maple Street Children’s Bookshop will turn into a section within an expanded Maple Street Book Shop. The children’s store has been in business since the 1970s. As Nola.com recalls, “A stop by Maple Street Children’s Book Shop was often a cherished part of the weekend family routine, whether it was for the storytimes held every Saturday morning or an afternoon browse.” The building next door “will become a used book store and space for periodicals and gifts,” Nola.com reports.