The shelves of Half Price Books will soon stand empty. Berkeley’s beloved bookstore is closing, after twenty years serving students and citizens alike. Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, marks the final day for a store that has been far more than a business — it’s been a refuge where Berkeley High School students could explore interests, find new books, and experience the special sense of wonder cultivated by a used bookstore. In their official statement, the family-owned Texas-based chain cited a “decline in customer traffic” as the reason they were unable to renew their lease.
As news of the closure spreads, BHS students have personal reactions; some are shocked, saddened, or frustrated, while others are simply indifferent. Isaac Lacey, a BHS senior particularly concerned about the closure, said, “It’s really upsetting. I mean, Half Price Books is a staple. It’s the used bookstore we have, right? The place is iconic. But I don’t think its closure is sad just because of nostalgia. I think it’s also indicative of wider problems. You know, literacy rates are declining rapidly. I feel like people don’t read books that much anymore, and I think it’s really sad. A lot of bookstores are closing in general just because people aren’t reading anymore.”
Lacey’s feelings aren’t misplaced: a recent study published in the iScience journal found that the percentage of people reading for pleasure “decreased by three percent per year from 2003 to 2023.” In addition to that, global rates of social media usage has doubled from 2017 to 2025, rising to nearly 5.7 billion users, which is about 63 percent of the global population. Social media now has more consumers captivated by their screens instead of browsing bookshelves in person, which may be causing brick-and-mortar bookstores like Half Price Books to struggle. In addition to Half Price Books, there has been a recent pattern of Bay Area bookstores closing. Books Inc., Eastwind Books, and Barnes & Noble all closed locations in the Berkeley and El Cerrito area in the past two years.
BHS senior Moss Vorobyeva has witnessed this. “I grew up in Berkeley, so I’ve seen a lot of stores close down, like John’s Ice Cream and all the movie theaters, and seeing Half Price Books go down as well is just sad,” Vorobyeva said.
Although heartbreaking, the closure could inspire consumers to change their habits. Addressing BHS students, Lacey urged, “It may be too late for Half Price Books, but in general, try to read something, engage in culture a bit. Not even for the broader societal ‘it’s good for the world,’ just do it for you. It’s good to be well read; it’s good to expand your horizons.”
Declining reading rates aren’t the only challenge. Some students, like BHS senior Jaymul Barot, are avid readers but prefer the technological ease of downloading and reading ebooks rather than checking out physical ones. “I feel a bit indifferent, because I read books on my Kindle. It’s more versatile; you can use a Kindle for more things. It’s just a better option for the consumer in my opinion,” Barot said. Could e-books simply be an inevitable fact of the future, destined to outcompete bookstores as a direct result of our increasingly digital world? Maybe, but bookstores still offer something that online retailers cannot: tangible exploration.
Half Price Books excelled at providing a browsing experience where customers could — without knowing exactly what they were looking for — stumble upon interesting books which piqued their interests. Even when exploring one genre, the physical proximity of the bookshelves could lead you into discovering another.
With the rise of online shopping, however, this element of joyful discovery disappears. Digital platforms prioritize efficiency — you search for what you want, maybe browse a few algorithm-generated recommendations, but that’s it, your search ends. Physical bookstores leave a little room for wonder in the way we interact with media. Half Price Books’ closing signifies that, as a community, we’ve begun to value convenience over this browsing experience.
Berkeley is clearly losing a significant piece of culture. BHS Vice Principal Keldon Clegg said on the closing, “The awesome piece that you miss is easy access to a lot of literature, some of it woefully old, some of it right on the money of being new and hip. Also, the culture of being able to sell back your books and buy new ones. I think that’s actually something worth upholding.” Half Price Books made buying books more affordable by creating a culture that recirculates literature within the community.
Clegg also noted how disappearing community spaces will impact BHS. “Our special education program used to take kiddos to Half Price Books in the morning. It was a welcoming environment. Now, it’s just another space gone,” Clegg said.
Some BHS community members who rarely passed by Half Price Books might feel unaffected, but Clegg’s testament proves that not everyone has that luxury. Clegg, whose partner worked at Half Price Books for seven years, voiced his concerns for the employees, “I often think of the humans that are there. Bookstores are closing all over, so when you lose a job at Half Price Books, there’s none that are located really close to us. So are you going to go to San Ramon now? San Jose?” A Berkeleyside article covering the issue reported that the employees are encouraged to apply to other locations and will be given severance if they continue working until the closing date. When asked for interviews, Half Price Books employees cited corporate policy, refusing to comment on anything related to Half Price Books.
BHS students are undoubtedly upset about the closure. For many, Half Price Books was a part of their childhood. A place filled with fond memories of hours spent exploring sections curated to the interests they never knew existed. So, before they close, pay them a visit. Whether you’re passing by during lunch, walking to the bus after school, or simply have time to spare, drop by, buy a book, and appreciate this gem before it’s gone for good.