Making way for Labyrinth, Micawber closes

Micawber Books, the 26-year-old independent bookstore on Nassau Street, closed its doors for good on Saturday.

The University bought the store in November from longtime owners Logan Fox and Margaret Griffin and announced a partnership with Labyrinth Books, a small chain that already has locations at Yale and Columbia. With the agreement, the U-Store will begin to phase out its bookselling business in the fall and Labyrinth will become the only major bookstore in town.

On its final day of business, Micawber was almost entirely empty. No books were left on what few shelves remained, and the long display table at the center of the only storeroom was populated by an array of postcards, a small box of CDs and various travel maps or brochures. Wooden planks from disassembled book cases were stacked in a far corner. A few small, thinly framed cartoons sat at the end of the otherwise empty display case running along a side wall, with most of the glass covering the display case having been removed.

Almost every visible item in the store was being offered for sale, from shelves and display cases to computers, swivel chairs and stereo speakers. Signs advertising discount prices were posted throughout. Several Micawber employees stood behind the front counter, answering occasional questions and thanking customers as they left.

"It's still unthinkable to me that the store is closing," employee Mark Gillan said in an interview. "A part of me feels like I'll be here next Tuesday, as usual."

Gillan, who has worked at the store since 2002, said he considered his experience at the store to have been both edifying and rewarding. "At Micawber, I found a love for working with books," he said. "I think books are like no other medium: They can get people together, start dialogues and inspire imagination. There's a special kind of camaraderie created when people discuss a genre they like or a book they find particularly interesting. That's what I found here."

He also spoke highly of the uniquely personal work environment he found at Micawber. Especially noteworthy, he said, was "the family atmosphere created by [store owners] Logan and Margaret," who "kept the store from becoming too broad and generic, while still keeping it accessible."

Luke Fox, the son of co-owner Logan Fox, started working at the store in 1998, while he was a high school sophomore. "I feel like I owe my life to the bookstore," he said. "I practically grew up here, around books. It's where I made a lot of friends, a lot of memories. Having the store close feels almost like a member of the family has died."

Fox said that the memories he has of the store and the people who worked there have been invaluable to him.

"Most everything that's helped me develop a perspective on the world has come from here," he said. "One of the big things I've learned is humility because at the end of the day, it's a customer service job."