Pictured above is just one of many Borders already closed. Our Flowood store is still open for business. The closing date is still to be determined.
We have all heard the news . . . Borders is going out of business. We at Lemuria have been keeping up with this story and in fact have been publishing this Bookstore Keys series since January. Read up on this series here.
When the news broke on Monday that it was actually happening I had very mixed feelings about it. My first reaction was, “Hell, yes!” finally one of the big bad monsters that I have constantly been worried about has had its head cut off! Lemuria has survived the Borders Beast!!! My job has survived the Borders Beast! My second reaction was to empathize with the employees of this company. Now I admit that I don’t consider all big box store employees booksellers but I can recognize the concern one feels about not knowing if your job is going to be around for long. That is a fear that independent bookstore owners and employees have been dealing with for years.
Last night I was watching the WAPT 10:00 news and they ran a story about the Borders at Dogwood closing. When they ran teasers that said, “local bookstore chain closing,” well, that made me sit up and really take notice: Borders . . . local? I grabbed my computer and checked out WAPT’s facebook page and noticed that they had posted a story about the closing and as I read through the comments there were no mentions of Lemuria. So I posted a comment myself:
Why have none of y’all mentioned Lemuria Bookstore that is a locally owned Mississippi business? Ok so you can get a discount on some titles that the big chains carry but your money doesn’t stay in your community. Before you decide that you have to drive all the way to B&N go to Lemuria and see what they have to offer you. At least check out the website lemuriabooks.com so you can see all the authors that are coming. Lemuria has been a member of this community for 36 years and not one of you has mentioned them. I wonder why that is?
I have noticed now that a Boo Walker did mention us and I really appreciate it. Oh and my point about the ‘discount’…compare prices on some of the books you buy and you will notice that not all of the books are discounted. Then as the news story came on WAPT really punched me in the gut. Check out this video.
Borders Closing in Flowood – Video – WAPT Jackson
If you live in North Jackson and heard a blood curdling scream that was ME! I couldn’t believe what I just saw. WAPT just basically ran an advertisement for Barnes and Noble in their report. They even went so far as showing a map that gave directions from Borders front door to Barnes and Noble’s front door! (FYI…it is 8.2 miles from Borders to Lemuria..I clocked it today.)
I just couldn’t believe that a local TV station had just basically put a big cabash on any future customers that Lemuria, a local business, could gain from the Borders closing. Oh and by the way, we do have The Light in the Forest in stock. No, it is not on our website but we only have our First Editions/Collectible/Author Event book inventory on the website. WAPT did not bother to call or come by to check their facts before running with the story.
Lemuria has been a member of this community for 36 years. Your friends, neighbors, husbands, wives and children all work here, shop here and just have a really good time here.
We have come to your children’s schools: McWillie, St. Andrews, Madison Station, Chastain, Jackson Academy, Jackson Prep, First Presbyterian Day School, St. Richards, St. Anthony’s, to name a few. And we have brought children’s authors Alex Beard, John Stevens, M.T. Anderson and Becca Fitzpatrick to try to help them appreciate and love reading as much as we do.
Where was Borders? Barnes and Noble? Books-A-Million? As a matter of fact, think about who is paying into the state tax revenue system then next time you hit a pot-hole. Lemuria is…not Amazon!
Metro Jackson…Lemuria is your local bookstore come on by and talk books with us… let us know how we can serve you!
WE ARE HERE!!! WE ARE HERE!!! WE ARE HERE!!!!
Best-selling children's author Kate DiCamillo reads from her latest The Magician's Elephant.
Kate had a big crowd in OZ, our children's room.
Lemuria has supported the Jackson Public School System, United Way & the Jackson/Hinds Library System in collecting books for Pages of Promise/One Jackson Many Readers.
John Bemelmans Marciano carries on the legacy begun by his grandfather, Ludwig Bemelmans, author and illustrator of the Madeline books, with stunning watercolor artwork and playful, energetic storytelling.
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