#TBT: The Bookshop

After 32 years, The Bookshop (the one with the cats) is closing its doors for good next Saturday, July 15th.

This September 11, 1985 Daily Tar Heel article mentions five other used bookstores in Chapel Hill (not counting Saaremaa and Loeser’s former stores). Today, The Bookshop and Flyleaf Books are the only used bookstores in Chapel Hill.

Founders Linda Saaremaa and Bill Loeser opened the store in 1985 after buying the 400 W. Franklin St. building. Both owned Chapel Hill bookstores before The Bookshop: Saaremaa owned Bookends and Loeser, the Keith and Martin Used and Rare Book Shop.

This April 9, 1992 special section of the Daily Tar Heel discusses the various used and independent bookstores in Chapel Hill and Carrboro.

In 2007, they sold the store—but not the building—to Eric Johnson, who also owns the Recycle Bookstores in San Jose and Campbell, CA. When Saaremaa and Loeser put the building up for sale in 2016, Johnson decided to close The Bookshop rather than relocating.

Saaremaa and Loeser still own Bolin Creek Books, an online used bookstore which they opened in 2009.

When The Bookshop opened, there were five other used bookstores in Chapel Hill; after July 15th, Flyleaf Books will be the only one.

Both of The Bookshop’s cats have been adopted.

Sources
About Us. In The Bookshop of Chapel Hill. Retrieved from https://www.bookshopofchapelhill.com/shop/chapelhill/aboutus.html

Donaldson, K. V. (1985, September 11). Area bookworms may satisfy appetites at specialized local used-book stores. The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved from https://universityofnorthcarolinaatchapelhill.newspapers.com/image/67931954

Lee, M. (1992, April 9). Where does Johnny go to read? The Daily Tar Heel. Retrieved from https://universityofnorthcarolinaatchapelhill.newspapers.com/image/67865566

Wells, A. (2017). Chapel Hill prepares for the final chapter of The BookShop. Omnibus. Retrieved from http://mejo457.web.unc.edu/2017/02/chapel-hill-prepares-for-the-final-chapter-of-the-bookshop/