Borders' pending demise seems a sign of the times

Book lovers across the Central Valley both lament and are resigned to the nationwide closing of mega bookseller Borders.

The 40-year-old national chain, which has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization since February, recently failed to receive any bids that would keep it in business. In April, more than 200 of its 642 stores were closed, including the Modesto location. The company is expected to begin closing its remaining stores, including the Turlock site, as early as Friday.

The demise of bookstores concerns those who prefer hard copies to digital readers.

"I hate to see businesses go out, but unfortunately it's a sign of the times," said Dave Russell, who was shopping Tuesday with his son Kyle Russell at Yesterday's Books in Modesto. "And maybe pretty soon stores like this won't be here either, so you've got to enjoy it while you can."Yesterday's Books owner Phillip Gau-thier, who bought the business in 2008 with his wife, Paula, isn't worried about their store's future. The couple has seen sales grow every year. While this year has had up and down months, he said being a used bookstore puts them in a niche apart from the big-box booksellers and e-reader market.

"Within the book-selling industry, we've been doing well the last few years," he said. "We're fortunate in being a used bookstore; we still have a better value proposition than an e-book. So we're somewhat insulated from that."

It was the inability to adapt to a changing industry that helped spell Borders' demise. Thursday, Borders is expected to ask the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York to allow it to be sold to liquidators led by Hilco Merchant Resources and Gordon Brothers Group. If the judge approves the move, liquidation sales could start as soon as Friday; the company could go out of business by the end of September.

"We were all working hard toward a different outcome, but the headwinds we have been facing for quite some time, including the rapidly changing book industry, e-reader revolution, and turbulent economy, have brought us to where we are now," Borders Group President Mike Edwards said in a statement.

The company joins a growing list of casualties during the economic downturn, including Gottschalks, Circuit City and Linens 'n Things.

At the Borders store in Turlock, no signs were posted advertising a closing or going out of business sale. But all of the company's remaining 399 stores, with 10,700 employees, are expected to be shuttered soon.

Modesto resident Deborah Scheffler and her husband, Clark, also were shopping in Yesterday's Books. They frequent major retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Target for books, too. But Deborah Scheffler said she isn't interested in e-readers, for practical reasons.

"During the summer, I read in the pool," she said. "I'd rather drop a $5 paperback in the water than a $150 e-reader."

For the valley's brick-and-mortar booksellers, the rise of e-books and online commerce still poses a threat. But as at Yesterday's, used sellers such as Turlock's Lightly Used Books still see a place for themselves in the market.

Owner Valorie Brown, who celebrated her store's first anniversary Tuesday, said some customers still aren't ready to make the switch to digital. And others just appreciate the feel of real books.

"Hard books will always have a place for some people," she said. "If you want older books or want to share your books with relatives or friends. It's just easier to have a hard copy of a book. You can't really pass around your e-reader."

Even some younger readers, such as 18-year-old Kyle Russell, a recent Big Valley Christian graduate, said he prefers paper books to digital screens. He left Yesterday's Books with an armful of new reads.

"I just love looking at real books," he said. "If all the bookstores closed, I'd be sad."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bee staff writer Marijke Rowland can be reached at mrowland@modbee.com or (209) 578-2284.