Stupid economy.

[newredshoes]

Oh hell. This is awful. Trans Allegheny Books, an absolutely astonishing used book store housed in an old Carnegie library in Parkersburg, West Virginia, is closing.

Look at this place. Not only was it a fabulous book store, the building is also out of this world.

Fie.

This was originally posted on Dreamwidth, where it has

Comments

[brewsternorth]

Oh noes!

No chance it could go back to being a library, I suppose. :(

It looks totally like the Hollywood stereotype of "a library" or "a bookstore". You half expect Noah Wyle's "The Librarian" to be mooching around. From the looks of its "obituary" it looks as though it was an important community amenity, too.

[newredshoes]

I can only hope the city or someone with independent wealth is able to afford to preserve it like it should be. Parkersburg has pockets of money, but as a place in general, it's been hit hard for a long time now.

[gramarye1971]

Woe indeed. I wish it wasn't quite so far from me -- five hours one way is too long for a day trip -- otherwise I'd seriously look into trekking out there to visit it before it's gone for good.

[newredshoes]

It's a true treasure. I'm so sad to see it go. I hope whoever gets it takes good care of it, whether it's the city or a private owner.

[hannahrorlove]

I can sort of justify that twenty-five years is a good life for a business like a used bookstore and maybe the owner will retire to travel the world, but that only lasts for so long until I start sulking that it's a bookstore that's not going to be there anymore. Pah.

[newredshoes]

Except the owner of the store died and his children aren't able to continue operating the store, so it's not like it happened by choice. :(

[hannahrorlove]

Erk. Sorry. I skimmed the articles but didn't see that in those.