Around Indies

The Next Page and The Open Book to Merge

On Wednesday, April 8, The Next Page Bookstore and The Open Book in Frisco, Colorado, announced plans to join forces as a single business entity as of May 1. The new business will retain the name of The Next Page Bookstore and the store's current location on Main Street in Frisco.

"In coming together, our goal is to continue to thrive in this community by providing customers with the exceptional quality, service, and expertise they've come to rely on from both stores," said Karen Berg, owner of The Next Page Bookstore, in a statement.

Added Amy Yundt, founder of The Open Book, "Both Karen and I love books, love the business of books and are 100 percent committed to this community. By joining together we will be in a much stronger business position to deliver the best indie bookstore experience to Summit County, and will be able to provide an even higher level of service in the form of merchandise, events, and expertise to our customers."

Plans for the new Next Page call for frequent author events, expanded book club services and, "along with cards, stationary, totes, and the Sock Lady socks, an assortment of items by local Colorado artisans."

Pleasantville Bookstore Owners Named Business Persons of the Year

Roy Solomon and Yvonne Van Cort, the husband-and wife owners of The Village Bookstore have been named Business Persons of the Year by the Pleasantville (New York) Chamber of Commerce. The couple was honored for their contributions to the community at reception at the Pleasantville Country Club on April 2.

The March-April edition of the Pleasantville Chamber newsletter said, "Yvonne and Roy not only run an excellent bookstore, providing exceptional customer service, they also exemplify community spirit, supporting numerous organizations, such as the Pleasantville Fund for Learning, the Community Scholarship Fund, the Pleasantville International Association, the Special Education PTA, the Pleasantville Music Festival, the Pleasantville Master Plan Update Committee, and the Pleasantville Chamber of Commerce."

Powell's Partners With Portland Farmers Market

From April 25 through October 24, Powell's Books will be selling new and used books at the Portland Farmers Market's Portland State University location on the last Saturday of each month. In a 10-foot by 20-foot booth, Powell's will offer a curated selection of books focusing on topics relevant to the market season.

"The Portland Farmers Market and Powell's Books are a perfect match, bringing together two of Portland's greatest loves: food and books," said Michael Lamb, customer services manager of Powell's Books, in a statement. "Our participation in the farmers market is a natural extension of our sustainability efforts and that is part of the reason why we'll offer used books at the market."

Weekly topics at the 2009 Powell's Books at the Market series include seed gardening, preparing local food and eating locally, barbequing, preserving, and more. Local authors will also be stopping by the booth to sign and talk about their books.

Powell's is donating 10 percent of the gross sales to Portland Farmers Market, a 501(c)6 nonprofit, to help the organization fulfill its mission to operate vibrant farmers markets that contribute to the success of local food growers and producers, strengthen the food economy, and serve as community gathering places.

Powells.com is also hosting an aisle of books featured at the market and is including the Portland Farmers Market in its Portlander's page.

Doylestown Bookshop to Host the Philly Liars Club

On Saturday, May 2, the Philly Liars Club is kicking off a celebration of independents with "The Liars Club Tells the Truth About the Doylestown Bookshop," in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature games, giveaways, as well as the club's many authors and other creative folk "who basically lie for a living," said the Philly Liars Club in a statement. The group, which wants to draw press attention to what makes Doylestown Bookshop special, is hoping to bring the tour to independents stretching from D.C. to New York.

"Independent bookstores have done so much to promote authors and great books. We thought it was time for us to promote them," says Marie Lamba, author and Liars Club member.

The Philly Liars Club includes L.A. Banks (The Thirteenth-Vampire Huntress Legend, St. Martin's Griffin); Gregory Frost (Shadowbridge and Lord Tophet, Del Rey/Random House); Merry Jones (The Borrowed and Blue Murders, St. Martin's Minotaur); Don Lafferty (a social networking/promotion guru), Marie Lamba (What I Meant..., Random House); William Lashner (Blood and Bone, William Morrow); Jonathan Maberry (Patient Zero, St. Martin's Press); Jon McGoran, aka D.H. Dublin (Freezer Burn, Berkley); Ed Pettit (Poe scholar); Laura Schrock (Emmy Award-winning writer/producer, currently producing the canine comedy web series It's Todd's Show); Kelly Simmons (Standing Still, Washington Square Press); Keith Strunk (Prallsville Mills and Stockton, Arcadia Publishing); and Dennis Tafoya (Dope Thief, St. Martin's Minotaur).

The group invites other indies that would like to host an event to contact them at [email protected].