Two customers consider possible selections on a table stacked with new books during the opening day of Oswego’s new Barnes & Noble bookstore. (Photo by Jack McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

Around 125 book lovers patiently lined up outside Oswego’s new Barnes & Noble bookstore as the grand opening time neared on Wednesday, June 12.  

That number kept rising as more book fans arrived after doors flung open at 9 a.m., following a ribbon-cutting by children’s author Sherry Duskey Rinker. 

The wait was worth it for a community of more than 37,000 residents that has long sought a bookstore. 

“Two weeks ago, this was an empty store; and this team in a little over two weeks built a great bookstore for everyone,” said store manager John Crum. “This is the new (model) of Barnes and Noble bookstores. There’s only a few in the Chicago area and we’re excited to bring it to you.” 

Customers were greeted with the subtle scent of ink on paper as Duskey Rinker settled in near the entrance to engage with young readers and sign copies of her books in the first of a series of author appearances. 

The rush never let up. Evening visitors found a parking lot nearly full and business still “booming,” according to one checkout clerk. 

Oswego’s new Barnes and Noble, located in the Prairie Market Shopping Center, is among the

The checkout line quickly grew at the new Oswego Barnes & Noble as
customers brought their books and other
purchases to the front. (Photo by Jack
McCarthy / Chronicle Media)

company’s 50 planned store openings nationwide this year. There are now 600 outlets around the United States with a retail presence in every state. 

The 16,000-square-foot bookstore features light wood, natural and overhead lighting and nine-foot shelves and dividers.  

Subject areas — such as history, fiction, biography, technology, business, young adult and others — are divided into distinct areas that feel separate from adjacent subjects.  

sBooks on state and local topics have two display areas and three shelves of magazines cover a variety of interests. There’s a collection of audios, videos and toys, including a selection of Lego products. 

Need a gift? Barnes and Noble has non-book products, wrapping paper and cards. In a sea of printed books, a small display offers the company’s Nook digital readers for sale. 

A cafe features Starbucks coffee products and treats. Ten tables and chair sets offer room to consume and relax while two elevated tables feature power outlets for connection to digital devices.  

Formerly a DSW shoe outlet, Barnes & Noble is located next to a Best Buy electronics store, while a Kohls is about the length of a football field to the west. 

If last week’s debut is any indication, the addition of Barnes & Noble should add considerable traffic to the mall. 

Community surveys as far back as the 1990s identified a bookstore among desired businesses as Oswego population rose from just under 4,000 in 1990 to 37,074, according to a July U.S. Census Bureau estimate. 

Oswego’s Barnes & Noble joins the company’s existing west and southwest suburban footprint, with locations in Oak Brook, Bolingbrook, Joliet and Geneva. Oswego also essentially replaced a downtown Naperville store that closed earlier this year after 25 years when its lease was not renewed. 

A new Northbrook store also opened on Wednesday, June 12. A Chicago location north of Lincoln Park debuted last month while another in the Wicker Park neighborhood is scheduled to open in July. 

“It’s been 17 years since we’ve opened a Barnes & Noble near Kendall County — and now Oswego is one of two stores in Illinois, and one of four nationwide, to open its doors on June 12,” said James Daunt, Barnes & Noble CEO, in a statement. “It’s an exciting endeavor to be expanding the footprint of physical bookstores, with no plans of slowing down anytime soon. We look forward to welcoming readers to our new Oswego location just in time for the summer season.” 

The Oswego store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays.