Clinton Book Shop, Clinton, N.J., which has been on the market for six months, will close September 29 unless a last-minute buyer appears. In a letter to customers, owner Harvey Finkel said that since announcing that the store was for sale, "We have entertained a few individuals who have expressed interest and have taken the time to learn about the book industry from the perspective of a small-town bookseller. Unfortunately, none of the interested parties wanted to take the plunge."
He called the move to close "not an easy decision to make. In fact, it breaks our heart for so many reasons, one of the most significant is so many of you are more than customers, you are friends. For the last fifteen years we have laughed with you, cried with you, have watched your children grow, and have come to sincerely appreciate the place you have in our lives. As we begin new chapters, we know these memories will be with us."
In his February announcement about the sale, Finkel said he was attending Rutgers University to earn a master's degree in Adult and Continuing Education, "with the goal of sometime in the near future helping adults to learn to read and write as well as getting their GED and working with ESL programs. Literacy and books are in my DNA."
And in May, Clinton Book Shop manager Rob Dougherty launched a crowdfunding campaign to open a roughly 1,000-square-foot, general-interest bookstore in Allentown, Pa. Two weeks ago, he wrote, "Things are moving along. A little slower than I had anticipated; however, it is summer and we are all out and about more than usual."