Book Passage Works to Get the Word Out About Independents

Last week, a group of California residents who filed a petition protesting the impending move of the 10-year-old Greenbrae Barnes & Noble to the Corte Madera Town Center, a block away from Book Passage, were rebuffed by the town council and mayor, as reported by Marin Independent Journal (MIJ). Mayor Jin Yang told MIJ that the town does not "have any grounds to take any action [to stop Barnes & Noble from moving] at this time," and it had no plans to appoint a task force or to pursue other measures in regards to the concerns of some residents that the chain giant could put 29-year-old Book Passage out of business.

Barnes & Noble is taking over a spot in the Town Center that was vacated by a Marshalls department store, plus additional space, for a total of 27,000 square feet. When Marshalls' lease was not renewed this past fall, questions arose over what type of business or businesses would take its place.

After word of the chain store's impending move to Corte Madera got out, a group of local citizens started a grassroots movement, "The Concerned Citizens About Strengthening Independent Bookstores (CCSIB)." The CCSIB immediately launched a website to provide other residents with details of the situation, as well as the names and addresses of key Town Center and Barnes & Noble management staff.

At a February 7 town council meeting, CCSIB asked the town to limit and restrict chain stores and place a three-month moratorium on the "leasing, construction, or remodeling of any 20,000-square-foot retail building," as reported by MIJ. On Tuesday, February 21, the group presented the council with a petition signed by 220 residents who were concerned about Barnes & Noble moving a block away from Book Passage.

However, despite the mayor's and council's response, or lack thereof, it doesn't appear that the issue of chains versus locally owned businesses in Corte Madera is likely to die soon. Elaine and Bill Petrocelli, the owners of Book Passage, are working to educate their customers and other citizens about the importance of independent retailers to the community and the need for main street advocacy.

The store's March/April Book Passage News & Reviews Newsletter, is a special issue, "Bookselling and the Community." It contains an essay on the importance of independent bookstores to a community, penned by Bill Petrocelli.

In his essay, Petrocelli notes:

"The important impact of independent bookselling can best be seen under three categories:

1. Independent bookselling as an engine for local economic growth
2. Local bookstores as a catalyst for new writers and readers
3. Bookstore activities as a focal point for community life

Independent booksellers share some of these characteristics with other institutions. All local retailers, for example, are a better engine for local growth than their chainstore competitors, but the local advantage provided by independent bookstores is arguably even greater. Other organizations provide a gathering point for community activities, but independent bookstores often provide a program of national literary and political leaders who can help energize the local community. Ultimately, it's the interplay of these three types of activities that has made modern, independent bookselling something unique and valuable."

To read Petrocelli's essay in full, visit the Book Passage website, www.bookpassage.com.

On April 30, Book Passage will be hosting "A Balanced Economy in Marin: What Restrictions Should Be Placed on Big Box Stores?" from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The event will examine how other towns, such as Greenfield, Massachusetts, and Santa Cruz and San Francisco in California, have municipal policies that require a review of any proposed Big Box retailer to determine whether it will harm the local economy and the character of the community. It will also explore why Marin County doesn't have a similar ordinance.

In the store newsletter, Petrocelli noted: "We at Book Passage owe a huge round of thanks to the many, many people who called, wrote letters, and turned out in big numbers at meetings to protest the decision to invite Barnes & Noble to put one of its super-sized outlets in Corte Madera. That decision has been a fiasco on many levels. Madison Marquette, the national leasing company, tried to keep the plan a secret until public opinion forced them to acknowledge it. The Corte Madera Town Council has yet to respond to the many concerns raised by this action.

"There are some issues that won't go away. One of them is control of our own community." --David Grogan