The Reading Room bookstore in Watertown, N.Y., will close December 31 after more than three years in business. In a Facebook post announcing the decision, owner LuAnne E. Rowsam wrote: "With a heavy heart I am announcing that we are closing.... I have loved running the bookstore and have met some amazing people. This area just can't support a bookstore like mine. Amazon and Kindles are my biggest foes. Thank you for letting provide you and the children of the north country for the past 3 1/2 years. I will miss all of you."
Rowsam "had tried advertising and hosting events like children's book readings and local author meet-and-greets, but couldn't attract the foot traffic she needed to maintain her store," the Daily Times reported.
Online competition was also a factor. "When a customer is standing right in front of me and ordering books from Amazon, it's a slap in the face," she said, adding that once she closes her store, she plans to take a month off before entering another occupation. "I honestly would love to do something where I have a paycheck but can still give back to the community."