Around Indies

La Casa Azul Owner Honored by the White House

On Tuesday, June 4, Aurora Anaya-Cerda, owner of the La Casa Azul Bookstore in Harlem, New York, was one of 12 people honored by the White House for their entrepreneurial use of crowdfunding.

Anaya-Cerda established La Casa Azul online in 2008 with a focus on Latino-themed literature. In order to open a brick-and-mortar location, she launched a drive on the fundraising site Indiegogo. She raised $40,000, which was matched by an anonymous backer, and opened the store last spring.

“Bookstores are still relevant in the Internet age,” Anaya-Cerda told the New York Daily News, “but we have to adapt. We need the continued support of the community. We feel that we’ve become a third place. A place where you would go to hang out.”

Water Street Bookstore Receives Accolade

Water Street Bookstore in Exeter, New Hampshire, has received the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce’s Business of the Year Award in the retail category. Water Street’s business model is based on forming a connection with the community, store owner Dan Chartrand told Seacoast Online.

After 22 years in business, the store continues to help “build community around the written word,” said Chartrand. “It’s not about selling books. It’s about building community between the staff, the authors, and the patrons.”

Mysterious Galaxy Kicks off Movie Club

On Wednesday, June 5, Mysterious Galaxy Books in Redondo Beach, California, hosted a screening of the movie Galaxy Quest as part of its Mysterious Galaxy Theatre 3000 series.

Once a month, the store is hosting movie events that include screenings of “the best of the worst science fiction, fantasy, and horror,” according to the Beach Reporter, which noted that a Twitter feed will run alongside the movie screen during the showing.