Bookland has announced it is closing all operations with a going out of business sale, as a result of the non-profitability of the enterprise due to the lack of support from the public.
The Georgetown Reading and Research Centre (GRRC) opened Bookland, with an inventory of over 200,000 books, at Woolford Avenue and Albert Street in April last year.
However, the GRCC, which has been in business for the last 15 years, is ending Bookland and all its operations due to the non profitability of the business, Director Rupert Hopkinson told Stabroek News yesterday.
“We have little support and it has been a while now since we wanted to close for that non-support but we felt guilty,” Hopkinson said.
He stated that he came back to Guyana with the intention of advancing literacy. ”I got this rare desire to be a greater asset in society and I came back with a mission to put books in every household but there was little encouragement,” he said.
According to Hopkinson, he started the business with the intention of promoting reading and education in Guyana because he sees education as a citizen’s responsibility. More needs to be done beyond schooling, he said, while adding that everybody benefits when people are educated.
Hopkinson also said that he plans to migrate, so Bookland would have been closed either way.
Bookland, which has thousands of books for children, adults and students, will cease operations after all the books have been sold in the massive going out of business sale. It is offering fifty to ninety percent off all books, while a fifteen percent commission is being offered to people who assist in selling the books.
The venue will be available for school lessons, birthday parties and weddings among other occasions.
