It’s been announced today that McNally Robinson is closing two of its stores and have entered bankruptcy protection for restructuring.

For those not in Winnipeg, it’s worth mentioning that the independent bookseller is a local success story, having started here in 1981 and grown to have stores not only in Winnipeg, but also in Saskatoon, Toronto, and New York as well as online. Many Winnipeggers have a “feel-good” sense about supporting this local option for their book purchases, and it’s a popular spot for book launches as well. Most locations also feature a (non-Starbucks) café/restaurant of some sort, the Prairie Ink Café. To be clear, I like McNally Robinson as a bookstore. The locations I’ve been in are all large with a good selection of titles and special promotion for local authors.