Borders Books will close 17 stores early next year. The Detroit Free Press had the news: “Borders Group plans to close 17 Borders superstores nationwide after the holidays including one in Michigan. The last day of sales is Jan. 7 for the store at 30995 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills.”

Today the bookseller also announced today that they will use Google’s Local Availability tool and Meetup Everywhere to create a more interactive shopping experience.

Borders CEO Mike Edwards explained:  “Google’s Local Availability feature is yet another great service we’re offering that enables our customers to quickly search for a book at their local Borders store … Our stores are natural community hubs, where our customers gather together to celebrate books — our participation in Meetup will be a great avenue for fostering a strong sense of community around the joy of reading.” (Via MobyLives)