New York's Lectorum Bookstore at Risk

By Laura K. Galos -- Críticas, 8/15/2007

Just a few years shy of its 50th anniversary in the Spanish-language book business, Librería Lectorum may soon disappear from its 14th Street location in New York City. Founded in 1960, the store has been a landmark in downtown Manhattan since 1969. Beyond its origins as a small specialty bookstore, Lectorum has become the largest distributor of Spanish-language titles in the United States, and a publisher of select premier Spanish titles.

Fourteenth Street is undergoing gentrification, with new luxury residences and big-name retail shops taking over the small discount stores that have lined the street. Rents are accordingly on the rise, one factor behind Lectorum's troubles. Scholastic, of which Lectorum is a subsidiary, and the landlords of the 14th Street building, the Gutiérrez brothers, have been unable to reach a rental rate agreement for over a year. Kenneth Gutiérrez has claimed that their asking rate is below market value, though he also points out that Scholastic is a wealthy company, and recently told the New York Daily News that he "do[es]n't feel obliged to be generous to the publisher of Harry Potter." The Gutiérrez brothers are the sons of the original founder of Lectorum, Gerome Gutiérrez, and Argentinians by heritage.

Other factors are also playing a role in the pending decision. Teresa Mlawer, president of Lectorum publications, told Críticas that Latino foot traffic has dropped by more than 40 percent on 14th Street in the last five years, and that the building is in need of "major repairs." If a rent deal is not reached, Mlawer has suggested the business become a completely online "Latino Amazon," if only temporarily. "We reach more and more constituents on the Internet" said Mlawer, adding that "for decades, Lectorum […] has served thousands of customers, including librarians and teachers, who have never stepped inside the New York City store," relying instead on phone, fax, and online ordering. She points out the recent growth of their online presence, marked by new offerings such as summer reading lists for kids.

Along with providing many hard-to-find Spanish-language titles for students, teachers, and the greater Spanish-speaking population, the store has hosted numerous renowned writers, including Isabel Allende and Julia Alvarez, events that would no longer be possible if Lectorum closes its doors.

For more information or to see an online catalog, visit www.Lectorum.com.