Bookstores are quiet, but this one is silent. Barnes & Noble in Naperville, Ill. closes its doors after 25 years of business.
The book retailer officially announced its Jan. 21 closure with a letter to its patrons in an Instagram post. The staple in the Southwestern suburb of Chicago will move to the Prairie Market Shopping Center in Oswego, nearly 10 miles away from its original location.
“The new location offers us a huge opportunity to feature our highly lauded new store design,” the post said. “It has truly been an honor and privilege to be your bookseller in Naperville for the last 25 years.”
Community response and closure reason
A mix of emotions, from nostalgia to disappointment, fills the Instagram post’s comment section. Social media users shared their memories and fondness of this specific Barnes & Noble, one even calling it a “prime location.”
Since then, the store’s Instagram page only updated customers throughout its final month of operations on early closing times to accommodate checkout lines lasting over two hours.
This Barnes & Noble was a popular spot, so why did it close?
“It was simply that the landlord chose not to renew the lease,” Janine Flanigan, senior director of store planning and design for Barnes & Noble, told the Naperville Sun (This article can also be found on the Oesterle Library database). Flanigan mentioned that employees of this now-obsolete shop have the chance to work at other locations.
Knowing why it will move to another place feels cathartic, but what will this neighborhood do without it?
Community impact
This Barnes & Noble attracted more than residents, but also students at nearby schools like NCC. This site was a resource for various uses, from academic to entertainment reasons.
“I went to it if I ever needed specific books or novels for class,” Andrea Peguero Gonzalez, ‘25, said. “Or I looked for a newly translated manga volume that I wanted to read.”
Some came in with a mission to purchase items. Others also took advantage of its spacious seating area to catch up on their homework.
“I really enjoyed going there to look at stationery items, the manga and movie art books,” Alissa Madalinski, ‘25, said, “but it was also a great study place on the second level near the Starbucks.”
The newly built Wentz Science Center was the main study attraction in the past. This building enticed students who wanted to stay on campus. Many, however, like Madalinski, preferred the Barnes & Noble down the street for its cozy atmosphere and close distance.
The future
The multifaceted bookstore leaves behind a more-than-two-decade-old legacy of serving customers in the community. As the emptiness settles in, there is the remaining question of what will fill this spot in the future, because there is currently no word about its replacement.
The Oswego location will open Spring 2024, according to the Barnes & Noble farewell post. For now, patrons can visit neighboring locations in Bolingbrook and Oakbrook. Another option is the independently owned Anderson’s Bookshop which is a few blocks away from the old Barnes & Noble spot.
