About Bookstores

In the summer of 2005, when Kepler's Books closed its doors for what owner Clark Kepler believed was the last time, customers of the Menlo Park, California, institution rallied and refused to let it die. In the two and half years since, Kepler's has formalized community support via a membership program, restructured organizationally, integrated a number of on- and offsite events, and undergone an interior redesign.

Booksellers have long championed environmental issues, but 2008 seems to be the year of "Green Retailing" as evidenced by the very positive response to everything green at this year's ABA Winter Institute. Independent booksellers across the country are among those at the forefront of the movement to become smarter, cleaner, more efficient retailers.

Sara Loftus, a former urban planner, opened the 1,000-square-foot Bookworm's Attic in Huntington, West Virginia, a year ago. Transitioning from urban planning to bookselling made sense, said Loftus. "As an urban planner, I've always been interested in neighborhoods and communities. I saw that if I opened a bookstore, it was another way I could make a real difference."

The island city of Anacortes, Washington, is a lovely spot -- mountain peaks are visible across the water, and commuters travel by ferry just as often as they travel by bus or car.

With very little retail experience, and no bookselling experience, Craig Morgan opened Clear Creek Books in Golden, Colorado, on December 6. Although he was armed with knowledge from a Paz & Associates new booksellers workshop, opening a few weeks before Christmas was pure baptism by fire. "It was insane," Morgan said. "We were constantly stuffing more books back on the shelves."

Mary Gay Shipley and her store, That Bookstore in Blytheville (TBIB), have not lacked for accolades this month.

With no shortage of eco-friendly titles, booksellers are expanding their Environmental Sections, creating entirely new "green" sections, and offering tie-in events and sidelines to meet increasing customer interest. Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena, California, has featured a permanent section called Living Green, a mix of books and sidelines, since the fall of 2007, and Changing Hands in Tempe, Arizona, is emphasizing a "Go Green" theme via events throughout January and the rest of 2008.

Before getting into bookselling, Stan Forbes had an unusual career combo: corporate litigator and farmer. He still tends his family's 100-year-old almond orchard, a low maintenance crop that leaves him time to run the nearly 5,000-square-foot Avid Reader at the Tower in Sacramento, California. Forbes opened the store this past April with co-owner Alzada Knickerbocker.

The presidential primary votes have been tallied and the winners declared, and now life returns to normal in the Granite State. But in the weeks and months leading up to this week's much-watched primary vote, MainStreet BookEnds of Warner, New Hampshire, played host to events for several of the Democratic hopefuls, and had some, including Sen. Hillary Clinton, visit the store. Since MainStreet opened in 1998, it has been through three presidential campaign cycles.

From December 9 through December 12, ABA Chief Marketing Officer Meg Smith joined the booksellers at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, for a brief stint as a frontline bookseller. This is her account of what it's like to be a rookie bookseller during the hectic holiday sales days at an award-winning independent bookstore.

For years, Sherri White had her eye on an early 1900s-era, brick building in Brunswick, Maryland. Her dream, if the space ever became available, was to open a bookstore. When the location was listed for lease in June 2004, White worked fast: She secured the space, remodeled, and opened Book Crossing, a general bookstore and café, just three months later.

Oklahoma was hit especially hard during the ice storms that coated the Midwest at the beginning of December. Now, more than two weeks later, nearly 90,000 residents are still without power as utility companies struggle to repair downed lines.

The American Booksellers Association welcomed 15 new bookstore members that opened for business in November. In addition, Berning Books, which opened in October, joined the association this month, bringing October's openings up to 14.

November Bookstore Openings Read More 12 Dec About Bookstores Industry News Books & Books in Cayman Islands: A Grand Opening Celebration South Florida's Books & Books held a grand opening celebration for its Cayman Island location last weekend. Read More 12 Dec About Bookstores Book Sense Industry News Nonprofit Market Street Books Turns Five Read More Pages « first ‹ previous … 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 … next › last » About ABA American Booksellers Association is a national trade association that supports and advocates for the success of independent bookstores. We provide members with education, networking opportunities, advocacy, resources, and technology. In turn our members support local schools through book fairs, donations and author visits; promote literacy; provide inclusive community centers; connect readers and books; add character to neighborhoods; champion and center diverse and new voices; and contribute to the local economy. We feel honored to support them in their work. Contact Phone: 800-637-0037 Email: [email protected] PRESS INQUIRIES: [email protected] INDIECOMMERCE: [email protected] ALL OTHER INQUIRIES: [email protected]     Copyright 2024 American Booksellers Association. BookWeb is a registered trademark of ABA. Privacy Policy, Cookie Policy, Accessibility Statement   Follow ABA       Regional Associations California Independent Booksellers Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Midwest Independent Booksellers Mountains and Plains Independent Booksellers New Atlantic Independent Booksellers New England Independent Booksellers Pacific Northwest Independent Booksellers Southern Independent Booksellers Quick Links   Advertising   Book Buyer's Handbook   Diversity & Inclusion   Events Calendar   Indie Bestseller List   Indie Next List   IndieCommerce & IndieLite   Create a BookWeb account   Log InLog Out     Community: Bookseller Forums