Winter weather has put the kibosh on bookstore sales at many stores, particularly in the Boston area, where 95 inches of snow have taken their toll. Bookstores have been forced to close for two days or more, and subway service that is still not operating in all areas has made it difficult for some employees to commute. The snow has also forced stores to reschedule author appearances. To make matters worse, some, like Brookline Booksmith in Brookline, Mass., have snowed in loading docks that delivery trucks can’t reach. And a Barnes & Noble in Newington, N.H., was forced to close temporarily because of cracked steel beams from the weight of the snow on the roof.

Events
Amelia Island Book Festival: The Fernandina Beach, Fla., festival began with a concert Thursday evening. Writers workshops take place today, followed by a “readers extravaganza” on Saturday.

Openings & Closings
New BAM for Cleveland: When Books-A-Million opens at SouthPark Mall on March 7, it will be the first bookstore to open there since a Waldenbooks closed in 2010.

Bookstore/Bar for St. Joseph, Mo.: The Tiger’s Den, which will carry a broad selection of mystery, horror, and classic literature, is slated to open by late spring.

Hart’s Haven Bookstore in Fresno Will Close: After failing to find a buyer for her 20-year-old used book business, Shirley Hart, who turns 80 next month, is closing the store and selling the building so that she can retire.

Gray’s Bookstore Near UCF to Close: After seven years, Gray’s College Bookstore in Oviedo, Fla., is closing its doors at the end of the month. Retail merchandise is up to 80% off.

Other News
Snow Hits Boston Area Hard: Winter weather has hit small businesses hard over the past three weekends. So much so that Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared this Valentine’s Week.

B&N Closes Temporarily in Newington, N.H.: Structural damages from snow on the roof forced the temporary closure of Crossings at Fox Run mall and with it a Barnes & Noble store.

Borderlands to Stay Open: After a public meeting, the SF fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror bookstore, which had planned to close because of a steep rise in minimum wage, has found a way to keep its doors open. Within an hour and a half of posting on Thursday that it would sell $100 sponsorships for the year, 50 customers signed up.

B&N Fights Comparisons to Applebee’s in Class Cert.: The country’s largest chain retailer continues to fight Trimmer v. Barnes & Noble, Inc. et al (case 1: 13-cv-00579) in federal court in a case involving overtime pay for assistant store managers in its New York stores.

Ivy Bookshop Owner Talks about Changes in the Baltimore Store: It’s been three years since Ed and Ann Berlin purchased the Ivy. Although bookselling is harder than they anticipated, they’ve been able to maintain 8-10% sales growth.

Avid Bookshop Plays Cupid on Valentine’s Day: The Georgia bookstore hosted a singles party and gave out free books wrapped in kraft paper with captions like “I love you so much I could eat you.”