So Long Astoria...I Mean Borders

So Long Astoria…I Mean Borders.

Written by Amy Wahl

Today I woke up knowing what it would feel like if The Goonies failed to save their homes from those evil developers. This week I along with 11,000 other Borders Employees found out that our “homes” would not be saved. Despite the liquidation of hundreds of stores earlier this year, constant news reports, and never-ending rumors, I think we were all holding on to the hope that someone would use their buried treasure to keep our company afloat. Since that pirate financier never showed up, we must now face that reality that in a few short weeks Borders will cease exist, as we know it.

Much like Those Goonies who refused to say die, I am choosing to spend my last few weeks of employment enjoying the company of my comrades, my coworkers. As I begin to close down a store that means so much to me, I smile through misty eyes and try to hide the fact that my heart is broken. I’m sure that many people have wrestled with the loss of a job before, but in a way I think am also mourning the loss of a piece of myself.

I was only 19 years old when I walked into my local Borders Bookstore and applied for a job. I signed on as a cashier excited to work 15 hours a week ringing up customers and telling them to read “The Giver”. The first two years went by in a blur as I juggled work and college courses while attempting to maintain a social life.

By the time school was over I had grown out of wearing graphic t-shirts to work everyday and had learned how to apply makeup and wear dresses. I went on to fill many roles within the company over the years, but always remained in the same store. As I watched so many of my colleagues transfer to other stores or simply move on from the company, I could not bring myself to leave. Family and friends alike would ask me, “Why not go somewhere else? You have enough experience.”

When cornered I’d rattle off something basic such as “They’re short handed, they need me.” or “I won’t find a job that pays as well.” However, deep in my heart I knew that the reason I couldn’t leave was because I had fallen in love with my job—not my actual job but the community that came along with being a part of the Borders family. I loved spending time with my coworkers and helping our kooky customers find that book whose title they could never remember although the cover was blue and the author’s name ended in y. There was honestly nowhere else I’d rather have been.

I understand that this may seem like a sappy love letter to a corporate company, however it’s really a fond farewell to a way of life that is quickly disappearing. With the convenience of online shopping and digital E-Readers, bookstores are sadly becoming obsolete. I loved working at Borders. It gave me a place to go every day where I could share my knowledge and passion for literature with other people who were equally appreciative of books.

Over the years I made many friends and acquaintances there. I led book club meetings, ran events for our adolescent customers, and on one occasion served as the store’s holiday elf. I started there as a meek teenager studying to become a teacher. My job taught me that although I loved working with children, I could better serve them by being an advocate for reading, independent learning and exploration. In a few weeks when our doors close, I will leave my job as a confident adult with a Master’s Degree in Library Science. I will finally move on from the store that I have served for 7 years. Even though I won’t be working for Borders any longer, I will take the experiences that I have gained there with me into my future life.

As I wrestle with the thought of saying goodbye to my job, and ultimately the place that has helped me grow into myself, I am hopeful that others will remember the good times they have had at their local Borders Bookstore. I am confident that I am not the only one who has felt a special bond with this company. Although I remain incredibly sad over the loss of my workplace, I am comforted to know that others are feeling the loss of Borders as much as I am.

While this does mark the end of Borders Bookstores, it does not have to signify the end of the book community. Just as The Goonies faced being separated by the demolition of their neighborhood, we too stand on the brink of the unknown. If we go quietly without a fight, the only bookstores left will be the virtual kind.

As we mourn the loss of an exceptional company, let us not forget about the other bookstores that are still out there. It may not feel the same at first, but concentrate on getting that community feeling back. Relish in the experience of being able to physically pull a book off the shelf and read it. Ask your local bookseller for some recommendations. If nothing else, enjoy the feeling of knowing that although one bookstore company has fallen, there are others out there ready to serve your book-reading needs. Together we can launch the bookstore renaissance.