After careful consideration and extensive evaluation, The Environmental Defenders of McHenry County has made the difficult decision to close the doors of The Green Spot, our gently used bookstore, in Woodstock. The Green Spot will be closing this fall, September 19th, 2026. 

The decision to close The Green Spot comes from the renewal of the upcoming lease. Due to the Green Spot’s lease renewal, high overhead costs, and overall financial viability, with sales and traffic declining for several years, the Board of Directors came to the conclusion that The Green Spot will not renew the lease. While these actions may seem sudden, we can assure you that they have been under discussion by the Board and Defenders staff for quite some time.

Meanwhile, we have signed a three-year lease for The Green Read, located in Downtown Crystal Lake. The Board recognizes and understands that The Green Read is a vital community resource, and we continue to view The Green Read as a pillar within the Environmental Defenders. Our goal is to ensure that concentrating on just one bookstore, at a location that consistently sees more customers than the Green Spot, will allow us to decrease overall costs while maintaining an important community resource. We know how much our bookstores and our mission mean to the McHenry County community, and we look forward to continuing that work through The Green Read and the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County.

Although we are not seeking another permanent location for The Green Spot at this time, our Board and staff are exploring alternative solutions that will continue to keep books out of the landfill and support our environmental mission. We want to genuinely thank all patrons, volunteers, and our bookstore staff of The Green Spot for their dedication to our store and our mission. We are deeply grateful to our customers, volunteers, and community for your support throughout the years. We hope you’ll stop by The Green Spot before our final day to browse the shelves, thank our wonderful volunteers, share a memory, or pick up a few more books.