Final chapter for last Laredo bookstore

LAREDO (AP) - The final chapter has been written for the lone bookstore on the streets of Laredo.

With a population of nearly a quarter-million people, Laredo could soon be the largest city in the nation without a single bookseller.

The situation is so grim that schoolchildren have pleaded for a reprieve from next month's planned shutdown of the B. Dalton bookstore. After that, the nearest store will be 150 miles away in San Antonio.

The B. Dalton store was never a community destination with comfy couches and an espresso bar, but its closing will create a literary void in a city with a high illiteracy rate.

Industry analysts and book associations could not name a larger American city without a single bookseller.

David Deason, Barnes & Noble vice president of development, says that the company believes a bookstore is viable in Laredo and has identified a location for a large-format Barnes & Noble, but the space will not be available for at least 18 months.