About Bookstores

Food for Thought Books in Amherst, Massachusetts, is a nonprofit bookstore, collectively owned and operated since the mid-1970s. The collective's five members lean distinctly to the left, stocking much of the 4,000-square-foot store with the latest in progressive politics -- global, domestic, multicultural, and radical; queer studies and women's issues; critical and avant-garde writings; 'zines; comix; and multicultural children's books.

In the late 1980s, while living in Los Angeles and working at a corporate job, Dick Ryan noticed a classified ad in the Wall Street Journal for a tiny bookstore located in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Neither he nor his wife, Leslie, had ever been to the small ski town but within months Dick had negotiated an early retirement package, and the couple had packed up and moved to Steamboat Springs.

Building on the success of its first Unique Bookstores calendar in 2007, the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) is now offering a 2008 calendar, including 48 photographs of bookshop interiors taken in 21 IBF member countries around the word. Among the featured stores are two from the U.S.: Maria's Bookshop in Durango, Colorado, and St. Johns Booksellers in Portland, Oregon.

Opened in 1892, Horton's Books & Gifts in Carrollton, Georgia, has sold invitations, bibles, men's wear, tables, office supplies, organs, pianos, sewing machines, rugs, coffins -- and books. The 115-year-old store has phased out the coffins and pianos, kept the bibles and invitations, added a cafe, and, of course, it still sells books. "We've always sold books," said owner Dorothy Pittman.

The charming town of Woodstock -- the one in Illinois, 45 miles from Chicago, not the 1960s mecca in upstate New York -- was recently named one of the Dozen Distinctive Destinations of 2007 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Among the town's most notable features, according to the trust, are its "delightful collection of shops," which includes Read Between the Lynes, a 20-month-old independent general bookstore owned by Arlene Lynes.

HarperCollins' Kate McCune Honored as Rep of the Year

Several independent bookstores, as well as one regional booksellers association, are among the winners of the 2007 James Patterson PageTurner Awards. Created and funded by bestselling author James Patterson, the awards recognize individuals, companies, schools, and other institutions that find original and effective ways to promote the excitement of books.

As Bonanza Street Books prepared to close its Clayton, California, branch on January 31, 2007, Joel and Christy Harris seized the opportunity to keep a community bookstore in the small town by leasing the space and reopening on February 1 as Clayton Books.

Thirty-five-year-old The Book Bin in Northbrook, Illinois, owned by Janis and Lex Irvine, was originally founded by Janis Irvine and three other women. Two of the partners left after one year, and Janis' husband, Lex Irvine, bought out the remaining partner 15 years ago. The store, centrally located in Northbrook Shopping Plaza, moved eight years ago into a larger space within the same mall. It now offers a large selection of general books in 2,000 square feet.

Rita Maggio, a retired public school principal, is opening BookTowne, a general bookstore in Manasquan, New Jersey, this May. Her 900-square-foot store will occupy the space that was previously home to Landmark Books. When Maggio learned that the owner of Landmark Books was relocating, she acted quickly and secured a lease, which begins today, March 1.

As the six founding partners of 17-year-old River Lights Bookstore in Dubuque, Iowa, prepare to close the store and dissolve their partnership on May 31, one of those partners, Sue Davis, is preparing to open River Lights, 2nd Edition on June 1. The 2nd Edition will open in a new location, with new fixtures, inventory, POS system, and sidelines. What will remain the same, said Davis, is the same great staff, the phone number, and the square footage -- 2,000 square feet. One of her former partners will continue to work at the store as a part-time employee.

Watchung Booksellers, which opened in 1991 and was bought by Margot Sage-EL in 1996, is in Montclair, New Jersey, 12 miles from downtown Manhattan. This scenic town of 38,000, located on Orange Mountain in the Watchung Mountain range, is home to several bookshelves featuring local notable authors and celebrities from all fields.

The media frequently, and falsely, rings the death knell for all independent bookstores every time a store closes, while store openings enjoy far less coverage. Last year alone, 97 new independent bookstores opened, improving upon the previous year's 90 new stores. Equally under-reported, but just as important, are the stores that are changing hands instead of closing, often because a community member or former bookseller purchases the business.

Penny McConnel and Liza Bernard founded The Norwich Bookstore almost 13 years ago, before a building even existed to house it. What is now a 2,000-square-foot general bookstore occupying two stories in Vermont's Norwich Square downtown shopping area was then merely a big hole in the ground. A local builder was razing buildings to create new retail spaces that resemble private homes.

All retailers, regardless of their product mix, share many of the same challenges -- not the least of which is driving traffic to their stores. As more consumers begin to use the Web via wireless connections, booksellers are hoping to attract more customers by offering wireless Internet access -- aka "WiFi hotspots" -- in their stores. And based on reports from a number of booksellers, the strategy is working.