Thursday, July 21, 2011

Key West's Borders Bookstore to Close

Border's Bookstore, which entered bankruptcy in February of this year, was hoping that a buyer would step forward and save the company.  

No buyer has emerged.  The auction scheduled for this week has been cancelled. 


As a result, Borders has announced they are closing all stores - including the Key West location.


The local Borders, actually a scaled-down version named Borders Express, was a sad statement on the state of the public's appetite for books.  The inventory was focused on mass-market fiction, $5 coffee table books, and seemingly aisles of "________ for Dummies" books.


Was it the eBook or the poor store execution that doomed Borders?  Maybe both.


Either way, if you are looking for literature, or an inspiring, curated collection of good reads, here are your best bets:

  • Key West Public Library - 700 Fleming Street
  • Key West Island Bookstore - 513 Fleming Street's
  • Voltaire Books - 330 Simonton Street.
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4 comments:

Cayo Dave said...

Update: Borders Express is having a going out of business sale starting TODAY, July 22.

Anonymous said...

Good! I'm unhappy with big corporate businesses in general and especially unhappy when they try to control bookstores which is a vital source of liberal information.
Viva les bookstores independant! They offer personal service, localized book subjects and more value for money.
---Allen Meece

Aodhnait said...

Has Voltaire Books also gone?

Cayo Dave said...

Enid & Ciaran: Yes, Voltaire Books is also gone. The only bookseller left is Island Books on Fleming Street, just above Duval.
The building that used to house Borders Express is about to become a pet supermarket. (the local pet shops are not happy about this...sort of like what the big box booksellers did to the independents, then the internet/kindle killed them all).
I must also say, the Key West Library is excellent. Visit it if you haven't.