Blue Springs gets a new bookstore

By Olivia Svoboda

Copy Editor

Bookworms, or anyone looking for a quiet place to relax or study, can now rejoice, because a new Barnes and Noble is opening at Adams Dairy Landing in Blue Springs, a few doors west of Target. Many readers were upset when the store in Independence was closed, as that left the nearest Barnes and Noble in Oak Park, which is no short drive.

Senior Carsen Lester, a member of South’s book club, was upset by the closing.

“I was sad and surprised. There are very few bookstores in the area, so its closing left us with very little options,” she said.

The closing was indeed surprising, as the store seemed to get a lot of traffic due to its location next to the theater. And the store wasn’t just for books. Visitors would stop by the coffee shop, or they would browse the gift section.

Abby Cole, South’s librarian, was shocked that the store closed despite these factors.

“I feel like it got a lot of traffic just because it was close to the movie theatre. When people were waiting for their movie to start, like maybe they just got there, they decided impromptu to go … they’d go over to the bookstore, get a coffee and maybe a book to read or look at magazines,” Cole said.

With a closer location opening, readers will no longer have to travel far to buy or browse books.

“I am super excited about the Barnes and Noble. It’s a place that me and my friends look forward to wandering around in for fun,” Lester said.

Readers such as senior Haylee Reznak, who is another member of the book club, like bookstores such as Barnes and Noble because of fresh, new books.

“It’s unlike a library where all the books are already used, and not that there’s any problem with used books, but the smell of new books is intoxicating. It’s very vibrant, I guess, and there’s no smell quite like it,” she said.

As of now, the new Barnes and Noble is supposed to open May 11.