End of Borders Leaves a Local Blow, Changed Book Landscape

The liquidation of Borders Books & Music will result in a loss of 45 jobs at its Mount Kisco location, and the loss of a community bookstore.

“People are so connected to this store. They love it,” said General Manager Kathie Bannon, herself a Mount Kisco resident and employee at the local branch for six years.

Bannon described a clientele that is wedded to reading through many age groups, including those who still want physical books in an age of rising demand for e-readers.

She said, “they’re always saying to me, I want a book to hold.”

Upset customers have also contacted the local Borders about its end, she explained.

Ironically, the Mount Kisco store, which has been in business since 1997 and takes up a prominent, 22,000-square foot space on Main Street, benefited more in the short term from recent Borders store closures in Connecticut and southern Westchester, as customers from those locations came over, according to Bannon. This was on top of the store already having a regional hub status in northern Westchester, often attracting people from places such as Chappaqua, Bedford and Armonk.

The store was a busy one, and while Bannon could not disclose exact data, she noted that business for it has been good. They never stopped having a back list, she said.

Borders’ operations were also economically beneficial to downtown Mount Kisco, with people who go to the store also going to nearby businesses. Bannon said, “we all thrive off of each other.”

The Mount Kisco Borders’ operation appeared to be significant, both in tax and rental revenue. According to federal bankruptcy court documents, $26,890.74 in village property taxes were owed from June 1, 2011 through Nov. 30, 2011. Borders also owed the landlord, Mt. Kisco Associates LP, a base rent of $46,156.25 for July 2011.

The landlord is currently looking for a new tenant, according to attorney Harvey Strickon of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, which serves as its counsel.

The liquidation process, which multiple media outlets reported as having been approved Thursday by a federal bankruptcy judge, is officially set to start Friday. However, no date has been set for the final closure of the Mount Kisco Borders, although its cafe operation is being closed down this week.

Reading Landscape Altered

Without Borders, the choices for physical book readers are notably diminished, although several options still remain.

For residents in Mount Kisco and New Castle, , an independent operation in Pleasantville, is the closest. With a small interior that contrasts with Borders’ large spaces, it has a staff that is also passionate for books. Employees there have experience locally, including from the former Fox & Sutherland, a Mount Kisco independent , and Chappaqua’s Second Story Book Shop, which closed in 2009.

Like Borders, The Village Bookstore has also attracted a sentimental feel from local patrons who shop there.

“I would just weep if anything happened to this,” said JoAnn Terdiman, a Mount Kisco resident and publisher of The Westchester Review, which is a list of regional authors. Terdiman, talking about the loss of Borders, said “it is a sadness.”

Terdiman also noted the significance of the bookstore as a beloved space.

“People have a connection with bookstores,” she said.

Author Peter Wood, Mount Kisco, hopes that another bookstore will take its place locally.

Aside from a place to buy books, the Chappaqua Library and the Mount Kisco Public Library remain viable options for readers looking for borrowing, as well as for gathering spaces.

Mount Kisco Public Library Director Susan Riley said it is “really awful that they’re closing.” With the loss of a place for readers, however, Riley said there is an opportunity for people “to discover the library.” Patrons would have access to a large book collection, e-books and WiFi, according to Riley.

Pam Thornton, the Chappaqua Library’s director, said that they would go to Borders in Mount Kisco if they quickly needed new inventory. With Borders closing, “there is going to be such a pinch here,” she said. The library also has an opportunity to partially fill the void, with a large e-book collection and WiFi, as well as plans in the longer term to reconfigure meeting space.

During a Chappaqua Library Board candidates’ forum in May, candidate – and ultimately winner – Ellen Smithberg for extra revenue, which would give it an amenity like Borders.

“I think it’s still on the table,” said Thornton about offering it in the future.

Options further out include Barnes & Noble branches, according to its store directory, in Mohegan Lake, White Plains and Stamford, CT. Barnes & Noble also sells the Nook e-reader.

Other locals may visit independent bookstores like in New Canaan, CT, and in Ridgefield, CT.

For online shopping, Amazon.com, with its physical and e-book inventory, plus its Kindle e-reader, also remains a popular option.

Editor's Note: This story has been updated since its original publication.