Founded in 1970, the Bank Street Bookstore in New York City is closing permanently at the end of August. In an announcement on the store's website, manager Caitlyn Morrissey wrote in part, "Despite our efforts to strengthen sales over the past few years and our wonderfully knowledgeable booksellers, the temporary closure of the store since mid-March combined with the challenge and cost of meeting ongoing social distancing measures has led us to this decision."
Morrissey noted that the store opened in the lobby of Bank Street College of Education. "Originally intended as a small store serving the needs of the College community, the Bookstore grew into a resource for the neighborhood and for parents and educators worldwide. The Bookstore also regularly welcomed authors and illustrators for special events, creating a space for children and their families to find joy in books together and foster a shared love of reading.
"Historically, children's literature has been a significant part of Bank Street's work, beginning in 1937 with The Writers Lab--a workshop for published authors to encourage and critique each other's works-in-progress. The program, which continues to operate today, focuses on producing high-quality children's literature that shows an understanding and appreciation of the language of growing children, is aware of and responsive to children's real and imagined worlds, and affirms the social and cultural heritage of every child."
Morrissey added, "We will continue to look for ways to honor and maintain Bank Street's important history and deep expertise around children's books. As Bank Street Founder Lucy Sprague Mitchell said so precisely in our mission statement, 'We see in education the opportunity to build a better society' and books--with their ability to help children discover and learn more about the world--can be tools to do just that."
In danger of closing in 2015 when the lease on its space expired, Bank Street Bookstore was able to move five blocks to its present location on Broadway at 107th Street in Manhattan.