Bad news from the Las Vegas literary scene, as the Reading Room at Mandalay is closing. From the LVRJ:
MGM Mirage is retooling some of the offerings inside Mandalay Place, the 100,000-square-foot shopping mall that connects Mandalay Bay with Luxor.
Among the casualties will be the Reading Room, an upscale bookstore popular with the local literary community.
No date has been given for closing the nearly 1,300-square-foot shop that carries new titles, limited editions and selections not found in the major book store chains.
The Reading Room, at the mall’s southern end near the entrance to Mandalay Bay, was also a favorite of local writers who would use the spot for book signings and launches.
Scott Voeller, vice president of hotel marketing for Mandalay Bay, said the Reading Room fell victim to what happens routinely in the retail industry. Mall operators will often look at the mix of retail tenants and how the stores relate to the shopping center’s primary customer base.
Sadly, Voeller said, the Reading Room had a strong local base of customers, but wasn’t able to draw from the visitor market brought in by Mandalay Bay and Luxor. He didn’t say what would replace the Reading Room.
“We want to make sure we are offering the right type of mix for the type of customer demographic that is frequenting the mall,” Voeller said. “We know (the Reading Room) has a place in the hearts of a lot of locals. But we have to look at who we are and who we attract at Mandalay Bay and Luxor.”
I don’t know how much money the Reading Room was making for the company, but as a Las Vegan who likes to read, I’m very sorry to see the Reading Room go. I’ve done several book events there–including the Global Launch Party for Roll the Bones, and I really enjoyed working with the staff. They really cared about books, not just moving units of merchandise.
So does this mean that literate people don’t go to casinos? I don’t know, but highbrow–as opposed to simply upscale–attractions are probably a hard sell in the casino environment. You don’t see too many ads for casinos vacations in the New York Review of Book, so take from that what you will.
Hopefully there will be a little corner of the Fontainebleau reserved for a Reading Room 2.0.