Charlotte’s Baker & Taylor to close after 197 years, cutting 500+ jobs

Charlotte’s Baker & Taylor to close after 197 years, cutting 500+ jobs

Charlotte-based book distributor Baker & Taylor, founded in 1828 and once the nation’s largest library wholesaler, will close in January after a failed sale to ReaderLink. More than 500 workers will lose jobs without severance. The shutdown leaves libraries, including Charlotte Mecklenburg’s system, scrambling for new suppliers.

Baker & Taylor plans NJ layoffs ahead of 2026 closure

After announcing plans to shut down operations by early 2026, nationwide library book distributor Baker & Taylor is laying off workers in New Jersey. In a filing with the state Department of Labor & Workforce Development, the Charlotte, N.C.-based company said it will eliminate 67 positions at its Bridgewater site between Jan. 4–23, 2026. During an Oct. 6 town hall meeting, Baker & Taylor President and CEO Amandeep Kochar reportedly announced th…

Local Media Coverage on Baker & Taylor Closure (Reports From Indiana and North Carolina) & More Library News Headlines

AI NotebookLM to Get New Feature Updates, Magic View Mystery Solved (via Testing Catalog) Baker & Taylor Closure (Local Coverage) Hundreds of Jobs Will Be Lost as 200-Year-Old Charlotte Company Prepares to Close (The Charlotte Observer) Indiana: Region Libraries Scrambling After Nearly 200-Year-Old Book Distributor Collapses (via NW Indiana Times) Iowa Libraries Scramble For Suppliers After Major Book Distributor Ends Operations (via Iowa Publ…