New stores open this month in Gardner, Mass., and Sandy, Utah.

Events
Salinas Valley Comic Con 2015 (Dec. 18-20): John Steinbeck was a fan of comics and wrote the introduction to Al Capp’s The World of Li’l Abner. The National Steinbeck Center builds on that connection with its second annual comic con.

Openings & Closings
Rainy Day Books Opens in Gardner, Mass.: Brad Scarbrough, who has been selling used books on the street in three neighborhoods in Cambridge, Mass., opened his first bricks-and-mortar bookstore earlier this month.

The Printed Garden Opens in Sandy, Utah: Long-time bookseller Aaron Cance, who worked at The King’s English Bookshop in Salt Lake City for eight years, will open a 2,000 sq. ft. bookstore, which combines new, used, and rare, this week.

Powell’s Books by UIC to Close December 23: With the closing of its three-year-old store in University Village near the University of Illinois at Chicago campus, Powell’s will have one remaining store at Hyde Park. It closed its Lincoln Avenue store in June, 2014.

Other News
B&N Wants to Add Beer & Wine: It’s worked at a number of other bookstores. Now Barnes & Noble is looking to get a beer and wine license for its store in New Hartford, N.Y.

Raleigh’s Quail Ridge to Move in the Spring: After losing the lease to its long-time location, Quail Ridge Books will relocate to a slightly smaller space at the North Hills Shopping Center.

UConn Co-op in Financial Trouble: Following months of conversation with the nonprofit co-op that has run the campus bookstore for the past 40 years, University of Connecticut is putting its bookstore operations out for bid.

New Owners, New Space for Traverse City Bookstore: Jeff and Jo Currier, owners of Ways to Wellness in Midlands, Mich., bought the Higher Self Bookshop earlier this month and changed locations. The bookstore moved across the street and has a retail space and classrooms.

Bookstore Granted Temporary Restraining Order Against LLC: After Gibson’s University Bookstore filed suit, Ingham County Circuit Court in Michigan has temporarily blocked Lansing Community College’s book voucher policy. Under it students can only use student aid to purchase books online from the MBS store. They can’t buy from any other retailer, including Amazon or Chegg, until weeks after classes begin.