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Outside the Detroit Store.
Inside the Atlanta Store.
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Fairhope, Alabama, a city of approximately 12,000 residents, which prides itself on "the storybook charm of its shops and flowers," is in the midst of a battle to keep big box retailers, including Wal-Mart, out of its surrounding area. Among the group of concerned citizens who organized as "A Fair Hope of Success" to ensure the continued viability of Fairhope's downtown businesses is bookseller Karin Wilson of Fairhope's Page & Palette bookstore.
On Monday, October 17, Georgia's Chapter 11 Bookstore filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of its restructuring plan, Chapter 11 will close five Atlanta area stores, as well as its Gainesville and Athens locations. Stores in Peachtree Battle, Ansley Mall, Sandy Springs, Emory, Northlake/Briarcliff, and Highland Plaza will remain open, and Chapter 11 will maintain its Internet operations and business-to-business branch.
This week, as part of its continuing coverage of the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on the booksellers of the Gulf Coast, Bookselling This Week talks to Scott Naugle of Pass Christian Bookstore in Pass Christian, Mississippi, and New Orleans booksellers Britton Trice of Garden District Bookshop, Cynthia Dike of Maple Street Books and Maple Street Children's, Tom Lowenburg of Octavia Books, and Joanne Sealy of DeVille Books.
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Gayle Shanks on the Importance of Independent Retailers
Changing Hands Book Store in Tempe, Arizona, was recently honored by the Center for the Advancement of Small Business at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University with a 2005 Spirit of Enterprise Award, recognizing ethics and excellence in entrepreneurship. In accepting the award on behalf of the entire store, co-owner Gayle Shanks spoke eloquently about why "independent, local ownership is the essence of our unique American experience."
Over a month after Hurricane Katrina unleashed its devastation on the Gulf Coast, those in the hardest hit areas are just now able to return to assess the damage to their homes and businesses. This week, BTW spoke to four of the affected booksellers, who are beginning to rebuild their lives.
On Saturday, October 1, many ABA member booksellers joined in a special effort to raise money for the Bookseller Relief Fund, which is providing humanitarian aid to booksellers affected by disaster conditions in the Gulf Coast region, as well as for future emergency situations. Booksellers were encouraged to donate a percentage of the day's sales (to be determined by the individual store) to the fund, which is providing assistance for such items as temporary housing, food, clothing, transportation, medical expenses, and/or other personal items lost or damaged.
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 On Monday, October 3, Kepler's announced that, after successfully renegotiating its lease with its landlord, the Tan Group, the popular Menlo Park, California, bookstore would reopen this coming Saturday, October 8. The reopening will be preceded by a public rally and celebration at 11:00 a.m. "I am excited and appreciative beyond words," Clark Kepler said in a prepared statement.
Larry Portzline, author of Bookstore Tourism: The Book Addict's Guide to Planning & Promoting Bookstore Road Trips for Bibliophiles & Other Bookshop Junkies, takes to the road for an author tour to four of the Southwest's premier, independent bookstores.
By Larry Portzline
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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.
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