Jennifer Steele, Open Books executive director, sent a public letter<\/a> to the community in early February about the closure, saying the decision was made to protect the nonprofit\u2019s mission and finances. Steele told Block Club last week the store was not turning a profit and the decision was made after months of evaluations and meetings with management and board members<\/a>.<\/p>\n But the four staff members who worked at the Logan Square store said they were blindsided by the decision and terminated as they came into work on the same day they learned about the store closure, one day before Steele alerted the public in early February.<\/p>\n The former employees said the sudden termination was shocking and disrespectful.<\/p>\n \u201cI understand why they made the decision to close the store, but I felt disrespected by the organization and the leadership that they didn\u2019t give us any prior notice,\u201d said Charlie Bendtsen-Schumann, who worked at the location for half a year.<\/p>\n The former employees said they wished they were able to work at the store until it closed and to have income while they looked for new jobs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe directors disregarded booksellers\u2019 expertise a lot, and this is apparent in the way that they terminated us, because they didn\u2019t even give us a chance to work in the store until closing and collaborate with them on ways to make sure the books that are remaining in here get a better home,\u201d said former employee Rae Clay.<\/p>\n Steele said the decision to terminate the four employees without prior notice, and to not offer them an extra month of work, was made to save money for the sake of the larger organization.<\/p>\n \u201cGiven the resources that we had at the time, we had to make decisions on the timeline that \u2026 allowed us to be able to preserve our ability to continue our mission work,\u201d Steele said.<\/p>\n Staff from other Open Books locations worked the Logan Square store, which had reduced hours during its last weeks, also a financial decision, Steele said.<\/p>\n There was no financial room for the four employees to stay at the organization and work at other locations, Steele said.<\/p>\n The former Logan Square workers were asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for a severance package, according to three former employees and emails from management that were shared with Block Club. The agreement shared with Block Club had a non-disclosure and confidentiality clause, as well as a section requiring signees not make \u201cdisparaging\u201d statements about the organization online or to any third parties.<\/p>\n None of the four former employees signed the agreement, and they did not receive their severance, they said. Open Books offered them $500-$2,000 depending on how long each employee had worked there, former staff said.<\/p>\n Steele said the employees were provided the \u201cbest support that we could financially as they were exiting the organization.\u201d She declined to share more about the agreement, citing personnel policies.<\/p>\n Bendtsen-Schumann, Clay and other former staffers said the way the closure was handled goes against Open Books\u2019 core values of respect for and accountability to its employees and the public. Former store manager Kimberly Salamanca was not aware of any financial struggles the nonprofit was facing, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cUsually, in meetings they would update us on how we were doing, and it had not been mentioned at that point that we were close to a closure or that it was coming,\u201d Salamanca said.<\/p>\n Steele pushed back, saying management had meetings with staff in the fall where they disclosed the nonprofit\u2019s financial challenges, and the team tried to come up with strategies to hit necessary financial marks for sustainability.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/open-books-daytime-1024x707.jpg\")
The Open Books store at 2068 N. Milwaukee Ave. seen closed on March 13, 2026. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli\/Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_0280-15-1024x576.jpg\")
The front of Open Books\u2019 new headquarters in North Lawndale seen Nov. 3, 2023. Credit: Trey Arline\/ Block Club Chicago<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Unity-Park-Story-Trail-1024x682.jpg\")
The Open Books Mobile parked at the Story Trail at Unity Park at 1900 S. Kostner Ave. in North Lawndale, seen June 17, 2025. Credit: Provided<\/p>\n