LISNews: Librarian News

Anonymous Patron writes "New York Times: The Gotham Book Mart, one of New York's best known literary landmarks, was saved from closing only two years ago by two white knights who swooped down at the last minute and arranged the purchase of a $5 million building that would house its collection of rare books.

Now, the 86-year-old bookstore is in trouble again."

After being totally destroyed during Katrina, Pass Christian Books (MS) is reopening thanks to the generousity of a local woman, Martha Murphy, who is leasing affordable space to local businesses on the following conditions: "project tenants will pay minimum rent on a temporary basis, but must show they are trying to move back to the downtown area when space becomes available." Murphy wanted to "do something for the community".

Story from Bookselling This Week including pre- and post-Katrina pictures of the store.

Anonymous Patron writes "Famed Cody's Books sold / Buyer is Yohan, a line of bookstores based in Tokyo The latest chapter of the saga of Cody's Books, one of the Bay Area's most beloved independent booksellers, has the store in the hands of a Japanese owner. Cody's owner Andy Ross announced Wednesday that the store had been acquired by Yohan Inc., a book company based in Tokyo."

The Des Moines Register reports the closing of the cooperative bookstore Big Table Books in Ames after thirteen years of operation. Bookstore shareholder Steve Pett sold shares to 156 investors to start things up in 1992, but now Pett and the members of the coop consider the store's demise as another casualty in the war against the behemoth price-busting corporations.