Borders, Meriden, CT, Nov 16, 2006 - September 15, 2011
I drove over to Westfield Mall last night to pay my final respects to Borders, the large bookstore with café that had thrived here while the rest of the chain ran red.
Without Borders, Meriden*, Cheshire, Southington, Berlin and Middlefield were left without a bookstore.
I looked through the windows of the vacated space with a very tight throat. It wasn’t just the demise of the store, but the Walden store that had preceded it, and most of all the jobs of the loyal staff that had smoothly managed the transition from one to the other.
When the Book Vault closed in Wallingford everyone assumed it had been Borders that had done it in. It wasn’t. The owners said it was the big box discounters that had nailed them, BJ’s and Costco in particular.
I just want a bookstore to hang out in, where I can buy gift certificates and know it is the best present ever for most of the people in my life, where I can nod to employees who will leave me alone unless I want help. Of course a cup of coffee is always good, to sip while meandering around to spend three times what I had intended because everything looks so good when displayed well.
Almost all of the Borders bookshelves have been sold. Several were purchased by a library director who, with a band of volunteers driving trucks and station wagons, brought them to their new home in the Meriden Public Library.
After inspecting the empty store, deeply saddened, I walked around to Best Buy to pick up something for my computer. At check-out I mumbled something about the ghost town across the hall and the kid’s eyes lit up. “But Starbucks is coming!” he cried. After a moment, when I offered no reaction, he added, “Starbucks is coming with Barnes & Noble!”
“What? What?” I said, “Is this for real?”
“Yeah,” another worker said from behind me. “We’ve known for a while. Barnes & Noble is taking the lease.”
I had to check with 5 other Best Buy employees (from whom I also learned that most of the Borders staff was being hired by B & N) before I allowed myself to believe it. It was like a miracle.
“Barnes & Noble is coming!” I told everyone I saw in the parking lot. “Oh, yeah?” one man said. He looked as his wife. “We’ve got that discount card don’t we?” “Yes,” she replied, “and now it’ll be worth it after spending so much on gas to drive to New Haven or Glastonbury.”
Thank you, thank you, Barnes & Noble. You will never regret your decision to live with us here in Meriden. We will take very good care of you.
*We do have the Friends of the Meriden Public Library Bookstore, great used books sold by volunteers for the benefit of the library. (105 Miller Street, Meriden, CT 203-639-1505 Monday, Thursday, Friday 9:30-4:30, Tuesday & Wednesday, 9:30AM-7:30. Stop by and see me on my shift, Wednesdays between 4:30 and 7:30)
I came across this by accident; I have just finished a novel and was looking at Denise Marcil’s agency website in order to send her a query, when I came across your name. I love your books, so had to come over here! So surprised to see you blogging about Westfarms Mall and “my” Borders! I had no idea you lived so close by (I am in Southington). Are you still at the Meriden Library? I will have to come and say hello. Thank you for the great article!
Oops. I meant Loretta Barrett’s website, not Denise Marcil’s.