Bookworm closing in Carbondale

The Bookworm store at Fox Eastgate Shopping Center on East Walnut Street in Carbondale will soon be closing after 17 years in business.

Owners Carl and Kelly Rexroad had hoped to sell the store and see it remain as the last independent used bookstore in the region, but a recent purchase proposal fell through.

"We had planned to retire early this year," Carl Rexroad said, "and started making those plans last fall. We had a lot of inquiries and several serious potential buyers talking with us since November. After the last offer didn't work out, we didn't have any choice but to start our liquidation process."

Rexroad said they are a couple of months behind their original retirement date, but that the delay was worth it with the possibility of a sale.

"I guess I'm more of a book person than a businessman," he said. "We really did want to see a bookstore continue, even though we weren't going to keep it running. I probably would have been one of their biggest customers."

The Bookworm has started its closing sale of more than 100,000 used and local books and merchandise in stock. The earliest possible date of closure is May 5. It won't be any earlier than that, and it could be later in May or even into June, Rexroad said.

All of the items in the store are now discounted, and the discounts will deepen as the sale progresses. Because most of the used books are one-of-a-kind, early birds will get the best selection. The store features books on all subjects, including mysteries, romance, science fiction, classics, history, religion, art and much more. The store also features a large selection of books about Southern Illinois as well as a kids' room and a large young adult section.

There are also boxes of potential "treasures" that will be pulled out of the backroom, Rexroad said. "Over the years we've accumulated books we just didn't have time or space to process. Some of them are probably just old books, but others may be interesting or collectible."

Officially, the bookstore is still for sale.

"It would take a white knight swooping in with funding in hand to save it at this point," Rexroad says.

Rexroad said that the used book business has been up and down over the years, with increased competition from internet sales and electronic readers, as well as specific economic issues peculiar to Southern Illinois and Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

"But the store had a really good year in 2017, and I'm disappointed that we won't be here to visit with all our regular customers and meet new people every day," Rexroad said. "Bookstores are kind of like bars, I guess. We've shared life's adventures with many, and heard a wealth of stories along the way."

The Bookworm will continue its regular hours of Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. through its closure.