About Bookstores

Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, Kentucky, has been named the recipient of this year's Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year Award. Co-owners Carol Besse and Michael Boggs were stunned, said Besse. "We're really gratified to have been nominated, and we just didn't have any expectation at all that we would win." PW cited the bookstore's close relationship with its customers, as well as its tripling profits over the past decade.

The Book Rack in Fort Collins, Colorado, is going through a complete makeover -- it's moving, expanding, and changing its name. The bookstore will close on March 31, move into a historic firehouse in the indie-friendly area of Old Town in Fort Collins, and will reopen as Old Firehouse Books on April 10.

Changing Hands Offers Series of Hiking Events

Tempe, Arizona's Changing Hands Bookstore, which is co-owned by ABA President Gayle Shanks, is offering customers "Changing Hands Outdoors," a series of hiking events with themes to expand the mind, body, and spirit. The price of each hike includes a sack lunch from the Wildflower Bread Company, and most include a copy of a related title.

Booksellers who missed the popular ABA Winter Institute program "Using Multimedia to Market Your Store" -- which Tova Beiser of Brown University Bookstore described as full of ideas that "seem really cool and worth doing" -- can find something of a recap in a downloadable PDF create

Harvard Book Store Launches New Green Delivery Service

On Tuesday, February 17, Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, announced the launch of "a super speedy, environmentally responsible, and inexpensive delivery service." The bookstore is delivering orders in the Boston area using MetroPed emissions-free vehicles, "unique pedal-powered vans" that "help create stronger, more resilient, and self-reliant local communities."

In most parts of the country the economy has just about sputtered to a stop, but operations at Rainy Day Books in Fairway, Kansas, are busier than ever. Co-owners Vivien Jennings and Roger Doeren have ensured the bookstore has stayed engaged with customers through a stem-to-stern renovation, constant communication, and non-stop events. All of that activity has paid off.

Beverly and David Hartz, husband-and-wife co-owners of Book 'n' Brush in Chehalis, Washington, already have much to be thankful for this year. The store, located in western Washington, narrowly escaped last month's flooding, which wiped out many area homes and businesses. This is the second time that the soon-to-be 40-year-old bookstore was impacted by severe flooding since the couple bought the store; the first came in 2007.

Vroman's to Provide Text Message Alerts for In-store Events

Vroman's Bookstore has partnered with NearU Search, a mobile marketing company, to provide customers with text message alerts about its in-store events.

To stay afloat in a recession that shows no sign of abatement, savvy indies are cutting costs through careful planning and well-thought-out business decisions. For some, this includes renegotiating a lease or signing on with a lower-cost utility provider.

Community involvement with a special emphasis on the arts has been at the heart of Troubadour Books since its opening in Boulder, Colorado, in August 2005.

This week, 82-year-old Milwaukee landmark Harry W. Schwartz Bookshop announced that it would be shutting down its four stores as of March 31. At the same time, two Schwartz locations are being acquired separately by Schwartz's employees and will open under new names and new ownership.

To mark the historic occasion of Barack Obama's presidential inauguration on January 20, indie booksellers are creating unique ways to celebrate and educate. Events run the gamut from "homey" gatherings to an inaugural ball, from stimulating panel discussions to advocacy efforts in support of local community organizations.

Early forecasts for a dismal holiday retail season were generally met, according to preliminary figures released by MasterCard Inc.'s SpendingPulse unit, which indicate that retail sales, excluding automobiles, fell 5.5 percent in November and 8 percent for December through Christmas Eve, and today the New York Times reported that sales at mall retailers fell by double digits this holiday season.

By Oren J. Teicher, ABA Chief Operating Officer

People look forward to all sorts of different things during the holidays. In December, I can't wait for my annual pre-holiday stint working in an indie bookstore. Beyond it being fun, I have consistently found that my holiday bookselling experiences have been indispensable to my work at ABA. For months after I've returned to my day job, my colleagues often hear me start a discussion with a reference to what I saw and what I learned while working in a bookstore over the holidays.

Schuler Books & Music Featured on WLNS-TV Holiday Shopping Report