Business as Usual at Borders – Until September

Sally Bourque still enjoys buying and reading paper books.

While leaving the Orland Park Borders bookstore on Wednesday, she said losing the store chain is “sad and disappointing.”

“I know they say books are going out of style but I don’t believe it,” the Tinley Park resident said. “It’s too convenient to just pick something up and read it.”

The last remaining Borders bookstore in the Southland at 15620 S. LaGrange Road in Orland Park is open and doing business as usual, until Thursday. That's when the retailer will ask the U.S. bankruptcy court to approve liquidation of the chain's remaining 399 stores.

On Thursday, the court is expected to sign off on the plan to shutter the stores by the end of September.

A manager at the Orland store said Tuesday that details will emerge after Thursday's court hearing but what she has heard so far is that gift cards will be redeemed throughout the liquidation and rewards will be accepted for at least the first two weeks of the liquidation.

"It sounds like rewards won't be accepted after the first two weeks," said the manager, who declined to give her name.

The manager also said customers were pouring into the store on Tuesday.

"It's been busier today than the past three days combined," she said. "I think it's people wanting to use up their gift cards. But we've been told gift cards will be accepted until the end."

Borders Group President Mike Edwards thanked employees and customers in a statement that also described how liquidation of the remaining stores could start as soon as Friday.

"Following the best efforts of all parties, we are saddened by this development," said Edwards in the statement. "We were all working hard towards a different outcome, but the headwinds we have been facing for quite some time, including the rapidly changing book industry, eReader revolution, and turbulent economy, have brought us to where we are now."

Amber Bourque, who also was leaving Borders with Sally on Wednesday, said she found staff at the Orland Borders to be nicer and more accommodating than in other area bookstores.

“I still prefer a book over an eReader,” Amber Bourque said. “Although I can see the appeal they have. Either way it’s just sad.”

.