Borders to Close Their Doors in Silver Spring

It's a bittersweet day for book lovers in Silver Spring after Borders book company officially announced that it is closing its doors.

When the company filed for the Chapter 11 Bankruptcy back in February and closed hundreds of stores, downtown Silver Spring had been spared. But the location's future became drastically uncertain when the company sought an approval for liquidation of the remaining 399 stores in a U.S. Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York Thursday.

An early morning email sent from Mike Edwards, the president of Borders Group, bid farewell to customers. Edwards pointed to the economy, "a rapidly changing book industry" and "the eReader revolution" as main reasons for the 40-year book industry giant's fall.

About 10,700 employees are expected to lose their jobs during the liquidation of the stores nationwide. According to a press release, they are expected to officially close their doors in September.

It's still unknown what store will replace the space in downtown. A large sell-off of all the store's merchandise begins Friday.