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Printer-friendly versionNew Jersey to Welcome Little City Books
Little City Books is slated to open in Hoboken, New Jersey, on May 2, Independent Bookstore Day, and owners Kate Jacobs, Donna Garban, and Emmanuelle Morgen have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the venture, said the Hudson Reporter.
The trio cites Ray Oldenburg’s “third place” philosophy on the store’s Indiegogo page: “With a full program of events, Little City Books will be a third place for Hoboken — a literary and cultural spot to read, browse, linger, relax, talk, listen, and watch the world go by.”
The store plans to sell new and used books and will have a strong children’s section. Its schedule of events and classes will include author readings, writing workshops, lectures, and music. The Indiegogo campaign runs through April 19.
Bank Street Book Store Celebrates New Location
Alongside Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Mark Levine, Bank Street College of Education President Shael Polakow-Suransky cut the ribbon at Bank Street Book Store’s new location at 2780 Broadway in New York City on March 7. The new store is 2,200 square feet, about one-third smaller than its previous location.
Thirty authors gathered to celebrate the Upper West Side bookstore’s ribbon-cutting, which featured readings throughout the day from authors the likes of Jerry Pinkney, Rebecca Stead, and Tim Federle.
SubText Books Goes Aboveground
SubText Books in St. Paul, Minnesota, will be moving from its basement location to a bright, above-ground space in the downtown area this June, St. Paul Pioneer Press reported.
“It’s time to get above ground,” said owner Sue Zumberge, who managed Garrison Keillor’s Common Good Books in the same space until it moved in 2012. “Even though we are in one of the coolest spots in the Twin Cities, we are hard to find. Historic designation limits signage... It’s been an uphill struggle.”
In its new, lower-rent space, customers will be able to access SubText by two skyways and will enjoy two sunny bay windows. The store will open itself to more reading groups and 12-step programs by offering a comfortable seating area, and Zumberge is looking into getting approval from the city for outdoor seating and book racks.
New Owners for North Carolina’s Main Street Books
Adah Fitzgerald and Marcel and Mary Barone took ownership of Davidson, North Carolina’s Main Street Books on March 6 from longtime owners Barbara Freund and Betty Reinke, Davidson News reported.
“My mother and stepfather and I have always imagined that we would like to collaborate on a small town business of some kind … and definitely one with an element of community building,” said Fitzgerald. “We hadn’t ever really gotten beyond talking about it. We imagined it would be something we started ourselves. Then this just popped up.”
Fitzgerald and assistant manager Catherine Hamilton-Genson attended the “Introduction to Bookselling” workshop presented by the Bookstore Training Group of Paz & Associates at Winter Institute last month. Fitzgerald said the experience boosted their “inspiration to become a part of this passionate, creative community of booksellers, writers, publishers, and readers. We feel much better equipped to take on ownership of this bookstore that has longstanding ties to the community.”
A wine and cheese reception on Saturday, March 14, will introduce the new owners to customers and will bid farewell to Freund and Reinke.
Bank of Books Raises Funds for Literary Hall of Fame
California’s Bank of Books has launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise capital for the opening of the Ventura County Literary Hall of Fame, to be located at the store’s downtown Ventura location. A smaller museum is also planned for the Bank of Books Malibu store.
The goal of the Hall of Fame is to bring attention to the area’s wealth of local authors, both past and present, and to serve as a tourist attraction for the county. Titles to be highlighted include the Perry Mason series by Erle Stanley Gardner, Gidget by Frederick Kohner (Berkley), and The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis (Ballantine). The store also plans to offer yearly awards to local authors.
Funds raised through the campaign will go toward construction of the Hall of Fame, a security system, lighting, promotional materials, stock, and to strengthen the operation of the bookstore in general. The campaign runs through May 4 and perks for donating include titles from local authors as well as rare books.
A Poetic Proposal at Flyleaf
Last week at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, one attendee of the bookstore’s poetry slam was treated to a big surprise when she received a marriage propsoal on stage, in front of a full audience and the iconic “Eat Sleep Read” IndieBound poster.