Around Indies

Byrd’s Books Owner Named a Person of the Year

Alice Hutchinson, the owner of Byrd’s Books in Bethel, Connecticut, has been chosen as one of the town’s People of the Year. Hutchinson was one of the most nominated people to the list by readers of the Bethel Patch.  

The Patch said: “Alice is a woman with a strong commitment to making Bethel a great place to live. From her days as First Selectman to her work behind the curtains of the Bethel Democrats, she is tireless in supporting good government in our town.  Even more importantly, as a small business owner, Alice brings a wonderful level of opportunity and sophistication to our downtown.  When she elected to move Byrd’s Books to the midst of town, she set a standard that encourages other businesses to join her. Through her spotlight on Connecticut authors and illustrators, especially local people, she has started to make Bethel a destination for artists and customers, bringing more folks to our downtown. Through everything she accomplishes, Alice Hutchinson helps move all of us forward, to the betterment of our town.”

Andover Bookstore Celebrates 50 Years in Current Location

Massachusetts’ Andover Bookstore celebrated 50 years at its North Main Street location and more than 200 years in town with a storewide event and sale from December 29 through the 31st.

Owner John Hugo called the bookstore a “pillar of Andover” and pointed to Phillips Academy as a key part of its success, reported the Andover Townsman.

The bookstore is the textbook center for students of Phillips Academy and houses a complete line of clothing and gifts for the private school; however, the store’s clientele is by no means limited to students.

Local writer Mary McGarry Morris said of the store: “It’s so comfortable, just so comfortable. To be comfortably surrounded by books and people who enjoy them just means a lot to me ... I enjoy that,” the Townsman reported.

Andover Bookstore, which was founded in 1809 on the school campus, is the second-oldest continuously running bookstore in the country, behind Moravian Book Shop in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Food for Thought Gets a Makeover

Food for Thought, Amherst, Massachusetts’ bookstore collective, which was once in danger of closing, is getting a makeover instead, according to local TV station WGGB.

“We are reducing our space to about half this size, but overall we’re going to continue providing a lot of the services that we have provided, not just as a book store or a place for general media, but also as a community center,” collective member Katherine Bhaduri told the station. Though in a smaller space, the store will still have room to host events.

The store sought to raise $38,000 for renovations set to begin this month. “It’s been going really well,” said Bhaduri. “I was a little nervous that we might not even come close, and right now, we’re over $31,000.”

Other Tiger for Sale

Robert Utter and Constance Kilgore have put Westerly, Rhode Island’s Other Tiger up for sale after “10 years of glorious bookselling,” the partners said on the store’s Facebook page. If no buyers come forward by the end of January, Other Tiger will begin closing.

“It’s been the best time of our lives here,” said Utter. “The book world is one of endless fascination and the people who buy books couldn’t be better.” This month, the store is celebrating with sales events and a general party atmosphere.

“We would love to see someone step up and bring new energy to Other Tiger and keep an independent bookstore in Westerly,” Utter said. “They have to find me before the month is out.”

Mrs. Nelson’s to Continue Book Fair/Library Businesses

Owner Judy Nelson has announced that Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop in La Verne, California, will close its doors sometime at the end of January but will be continuing its book fair and library services businesses.

“We’ve been open for 28 years and it’s a wonderful time we’ve had, but it’s time to close now,” Nelson told the Daily Bulletin.

Mrs. Nelson’s Book Fair Company, which has been open for 27 years, produces book fairs for 400 schools, as well as for literary festivals and events; Mrs. Nelson’s Library Services does book ordering and textbook rebinding.

The store is offering all of its products at 50 percent off and clearance products are 90 percent off.