She and other booksellers say they’re making every effort to modernize and stay competitive—but bookstore lovers, who say dozens of shops have closed their doors already, are still fearful for the future of the independent bookstores in Harvard Square.

Solano says only time will tell how much longer Grolier Poetry will survive in the Square.

She doesn’t want to pose a guess.

“It’s like announcing your death date,” she says.

But despite a sluggish economy, competition on several fronts, high rents, she and other store owners say they’re faithful that their shops—with their specialty selections, high-quality service and long histories in the Square—will be able to make it through hard times.

Wartime Woes

In the past two decades, fans of small Square bookstores say, dozens have been forced to close their doors.

G. “Pebble” Gifford, vice president of the Harvard Square Defense Fund, estimates that 32 independent bookstores inhabited Harvard Square only “a couple years ago.”

The record of bookstore comings and goings shows a sharp decline in recent years—for example, seven independent bookstores mentioned in a 1992 Crimson article have since left the Square.

And in the past few years—particularly since Sept. 11—a harsh economy has meant book sales are down, store owners say.

Even the Harvard Coop—with its near-guaranteed business from students—has seen a dip in sales.

“The industry as a whole has slowed down,” says Allan Powell, the Coop’s Corporate General Manager. “It’s something we’ve been watching since last fall, just overall a slowdown in the industry.”

But the Coop was recently purchased by bookselling giant Barnes and Noble, and the recession has hit independent businesses—which don’t have corporate support nets—particularly hard, booksellers say.

“We’re going through a difficult time,” says Frank Kramer, owner of the Harvard Bookstore. “We’re surviving, but it’s really a challenge.”

Some booksellers say that the war in Iraq has caused a deeper slump in sales.