Around Indies

Kickstarter Campaign Underway for New D.C. Bookstore

Paul Ruppert, the owner of several Washington, D.C., eateries, plans to open an independent bookstore on Upshur Street NW. Upshur Street Books will be located near the Ruppert eatery Petworth Citizen, according to New Columbia Heights.

Ruppert is looking to secure $17,000 via a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the bookstore, which he aims to have serve as a gathering place for the community. In addition to books, the new store will carry independent publications and unique gifts. It will also host  readings, book clubs, exhibitions, and other free, public events.

Giovanni’s Room to Reopen in September

Giovanni’s Room, the oldest gay bookstore in the country, will reopen in Philadelphia this September under a partnership between the store’s owner, Ed Hermance, and Philly AIDS Thrift, reported Philly.com. Giovanni’s Room shut down in May due to financial problems and competition from Internet retailers, and will reopen as the Philly AIDS Thrift at Giovanni’s Room, with Alan Chelak as manager.

Philly AIDS Thrift will operate in Giovanni’s Room’s current location in Queen Village and will stock 2,000 new and used LGBT titles, along with housewares, vintage clothing, and other items. Philly AIDS Thrift donates approximately $20,000 a month to the AIDS Fund, which shares the money among 29 AIDS organizations.

The Bookworm Plans to Relocate

Omaha, Nebraska’s The Bookworm plans to relocate to the Loveland Centre, a newly renovated shopping center a little over a mile away from where the store is presently. Owners Beth and Phillip Black have announced in an open letter to the public and on the store’s Facebook page that The Bookworm will be moving in late September. “This move is an investment in our continued belief in the importance of the independent bookstore as a vital place to discover, learn, and share,” they said.

The Bookworm opened 28 years ago and has been in its current location in the Countryside Village Center for the past 15 years. Some improvements resulting from the move will include better accessibility, an expanded children’s section, and an improved community room and event space.

Laurel Book Store to Move to Downtown Oakland

Laurel Book Store is moving to the Lionel Wilson Building on 14th and Broadway in downtown Oakland, California. Owner Luan Strauss decided to move following a downturn in business at the current location on MacArthur Boulevard after a nearby supermarket closed. Strauss plans to move in early October.

“After 13 great years in Oakland's Laurel District, we now have an unprecedented opportunity to be the bookstore and literary gathering place for Oakland's downtown renaissance, in a snazzy new location in the heart of the city,” said Strauss on the store’s fundraising page. She hopes to raise $50,000 for the move.

The new location is in a busy area, where customers will have many other shopping options, parking, and access to the BART and buses.