A Spanish-Language Store Is Forced to Close Its Books – Librerí Lectorum – New York City

“Edgardo Vega Yunqué, a Puerto Rican-born novelist, began going to Librerí Lectorum, one of the oldest Spanish-language bookstores in New York, in the early 1960s as a student at New York University.

Nowadays, if he needs a Spanish-language book, he is more likely to buy it online. The last time Mr. Vega visited Librerí Lectorum, which closes its doors for good on Saturday, was about a year ago. “It’s more important as a presence rather than a resource,” said Mr. Vega, who lives in Brooklyn. “It’s more like a cultural icon ”” like a statue ”” that reminds us of who we are.”

Unfortunately, that cultural landmark needed to sell books to stay afloat. With new rent increases, “we could not run the bookstore in a profitable way,” said Teresa Mlawer, president of Lectorum Publications, a Spanish-language publishing and distribution unit of Scholastic Inc. that also owns the bookstore. “

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