My recent trip to the US was a pleasure, except for one shock: I went to the nearest Borders bookstore, and discovered the bookseller chain had closed forever the preceding week.

I do favor small independent bookstores, and have been worried about their tendency to disappear under pressure of the larger chains; still, I had to admit that Borders had a pleasant aspect that provided a bookworm with a delightful experience. Seeing it go under – one can surmise, due to the pressure of Internet-based alternatives and other shifts in information consumption habits of the 21st century – was profoundly saddening to me.

So, to pay my respects to this venerable bookseller, I dug up an old bookmark I have  (I collect bookmarks of stores I like)  from their Ann Arbor location – the town where Borders originated 40 years ago – and here it is. Somehow the serene reading lady in this vignette represents the pleasure that Borders had given us all.

It will be remembered fondly.