Possible Effect Of Borders Closures On Independent Booksellers Unclear

The closure of two Borders bookstores in Louisville does not necessarily mean an increase in sales for independent booksellers.The Borders stores on 4th Street and Hurstbourne Parkway are among 200 stores closing across the country as Borders goes through Chapter 11 bankruptcy.Kelly Estep manages Carmichael's in Louisville. She says it's not clear what effect the closures will have on independent shops."Even people who buy a lot of books from us will still be buying books in other bookstores. That’s something that people who work in the book world always know. So does that mean that maybe someone who bought 50 percent of their books from us will now buy 70 percent of their books from us…possibly," she says.Estep says over the years, sales have either risen or remained steady at Carmichael's.The Borders stores on Bardstown Road and Shelbyville Road are not set to close at this time. For the complete list of stores closing, click here.Borders officials would not comment on the closings at this time.