Lectorum Publications, one of the largest and oldest distributor of Spanish-language books in the United States, announced that effective Sept. 30 it will close its New York City retail store, Librería Lectorum, and shift its consumer business to its bilingual Web site. Lectorum will continue to service schools, libraries and college bookstores their its national sales force and catalog ordering.
The Manhattan bookstore is on 14th Street where it served as a community gathering space for 47 years. “Unfortunately, this part of the city is no longer a hub of Latino life and with Spanish-language readers now living in communities all across the country, we can reach them much more effectively through our Web site,” said Teresa Mlawer, who has been president of Lectorum Publications for 30 years.
Lectorum Publications, which has been a subsidiary of Scholastic since 1996, distributes more than 25,000 adult and children titles throughout the United States. Lectorum also publishes children’s books in Spanish.
