Following reports that it would end its lease in December and might close for good, RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth has received a flood of support, leading owner Tom Holbrook to express cautious optimism that it could be saved

RiverRun will host a community meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 9, to discuss the bookstore’s future. The store moved to its current location in 2006, but a combination debt, the recession and new e-book technologies have made it difficult to stay afloat. Holbrook recently announced he would let the store’s lease expire on Dec. 31 and would likely close it permanently if he did not find a new space and new investors. 

Since then, however, the store has received hundreds of e-mails, phone calls and visits from supportive customers.

“We’ve already received a few commitments of investment, but we have a long way to go and a short time to get there,” Holbrook said in a press release. “We will use the meeting on Wednesday to test out our strategy with the public and gather new ideas as well.”

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at RiverRun Bookstore, 20 Congress St., Portsmouth, 603-431-2100. It’s open to the public.