"Bookstore Closings Offer a Mixed Bag of Emptier Strip Mall Spaces, Unemployment and Creeping Illiteracy
The booklover's calendar in 2010 will hold a number of farewells. B. Dalton, Lighthouse Christian Stores and Waldenbooks are closing their doors in alarming numbers. At the same time, California leads the nation in low prose literacy skills. Coincidence?"
The booklover's calendar in 2010 will hold a number of farewells. B. Dalton, Lighthouse Christian Stores and Waldenbooks are closing their doors in alarming numbers. At the same time, California leads the nation in low prose literacy skills. Coincidence?"
Gone in 2010: All B. Dalton Bookseller Locations, Lighthouse Christian Stores and 200 Waldenbooks Stores (Borders Express)
Dating back to 1966, B. Dalton was a powerhouse of booksellers. When Barnes & Noble bought the chain, its once proud number of 798 stores had dwindled. In October of 2009, CBS 2 out of Chicago confirmed that Barnes & Noble plans on closing all B. Dalton stores by January 31, 2010.
This is bad news for smaller communities that are underserved when it comes to book stores. This is especially true for those with Waldenbooks stores in their areas. Among the other fiscally (and intellectually) impactful events in 2010 is the closure of 200 Waldenbooks stores - as reported by News Record, quoting the AP - which results in about 1,500 job losses.
Another 2010 calendar item to commemorate is the closure of the Lighthouse Christian Bookstores. The Long Beach, CA institution is currently holding its "everything must go" sale, but the Daily Breeze reveals that the gradual closure of this 64 year old business has been in the making for the last four years. While the LB store is still hanging on, it will likely close early in 2010.
What Will 2010 Bookstore Closings Do for California's (Il)Literacy?
Dating back to 1966, B. Dalton was a powerhouse of booksellers. When Barnes & Noble bought the chain, its once proud number of 798 stores had dwindled. In October of 2009, CBS 2 out of Chicago confirmed that Barnes & Noble plans on closing all B. Dalton stores by January 31, 2010.
This is bad news for smaller communities that are underserved when it comes to book stores. This is especially true for those with Waldenbooks stores in their areas. Among the other fiscally (and intellectually) impactful events in 2010 is the closure of 200 Waldenbooks stores - as reported by News Record, quoting the AP - which results in about 1,500 job losses.
Another 2010 calendar item to commemorate is the closure of the Lighthouse Christian Bookstores. The Long Beach, CA institution is currently holding its "everything must go" sale, but the Daily Breeze reveals that the gradual closure of this 64 year old business has been in the making for the last four years. While the LB store is still hanging on, it will likely close early in 2010.
What Will 2010 Bookstore Closings Do for California's (Il)Literacy?
