Around Indies

Aaron’s Books Co-sponsors Lititz Kid-Lit Festival

Aaron’s Books in Lititz, Pennsylvania, is partnering with Linden Hall, a private, all-girls boarding school to bring authors and other special guests to Lancaster County for the third annual Lititz Kid-Lit Festival. The festival will take place from November 10 - 12, and events will be held at Aaron’s Books, Linden Hall, and the Lititz Public Library.

The annual festival offers events for children from preschool through high school, parents,

teachers, librarians, and other booklovers. This year’s festival will include a “Little House on the Prairie” party, writing workshops, author signings, and a frank discussion of school bullying. A kick-off party at Linden Hall with author Wendy McClure will benefit Lancaster Reach Out and Read.

“We are so proud to work with Linden Hall this year. This partnership really allows so many

new possibilities for expanding the festival,” said Aaron’s Books co-owner Sam Droke-Dickinson.

Phoenix Books Opens Art Gallery

This month, Phoenix Books and Cafe in Essex, Vermont, opened The Gallery at Phoenix Books, as a means to showcase local artists and artisans. The Gallery at Phoenix has joined the Vermont Crafts Council and is participating in the organization’s inaugural Foliage Open Studio Weekend. Owner Mike DeSanto hopes this will be the first of many successful art shows.

The Gallery builds on Phoenix Books’ long-standing relationship with the Essex Art League (EAL) — whose works they’ve exhibited since the store opened in 2007. “Phoenix Books gave the artists of the EAL an outstanding opportunity,” said EAL’s Michelle Jackson. “We’ve made many sales — and customers have brought home original pieces of artwork to enjoy. [DeSanto] is extremely supportive, and it’s wonderful to have a local place to share our art.”

The Book House Celebrates 25 Years

The Book House in St. Louis, Missouri, is celebrating its 25^th anniversary. To mark the occasion, the store, which is owned by Michelle Barron, is offering its customers 25 percent off their purchases when they present the store’s e-mail newsletter at the register.

“We are looking forward to the next 25 years with lots of exciting events and as always the wondrous feeling of having a wealth of inspiration at your fingertips,” Book House told customers via the store newsletter. “In this era of changing technology we are proud to say we are still here, and as any book lover will tell you, no screen or briefly lit scroll compares to the feel and experience of reading a real, tangible book.”

Left Bank to Open Downtown in December

Left Bank Books hopes to open its new downtown St. Louis location on December 10, according to the St. Louis Today website. Co-owner Kris Kleindienst said that she had originally hoped to have the store open by Thanksgiving, but things have taken longer than expected.

St. Louis Today reported that Left Bank is getting the space for free for three years from a developer, who is paying them to manage the store in an effort to attract other businesses to the area. Left Bank has the option of buying the 5,500-square-foot space, which has an industrial feel, at any time.

Bookshop Santa Cruz to Manage Cabrillo College Bookstore

Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, California, will be managing the campus bookstore at Cabrillo College for three months and will be providing input on how to improve the store’s bottom line.

“Bookshop Santa Cruz was one of the first we thought of,” the college’s vice president of administrative services, Victoria Lewis, told Mercury News. “It’s been in business for quite a long time, it’s beloved in the community, and we thought it would be a great idea to develop a relationship with them.”

“I’m really excited about the partnership,” said Bookshop Santa Cruz owner Casey Coonerty Protti. “The book selling industry is very challenging right now, and any time you can form collaboration between two independent stores facing similar challenges, it can lead to more innovation.”

La Casa Azul Launches Capital Campaign

Aurora Anaya-Cerda, the founder of online bookstore La Casa Azul Bookstore this week announced plans to raise $40,000 in 40 days to open a bricks-and-mortar store in East Harlem, New York. Every donation to her campaign, “40k in 40 days,” will be matched dollar for dollar by a donor.

“La Casa Azul Bookstore will sell new & used books, coffee, pastries, art, clothing and locally-made cards and gifts,” Anaya-Cerda posted on her website. “A fresh stock of books by local and Latino writers will help solidify our niche as a purveyor of authors of local and regional interest. La Casa Azul Bookstore will cross-promote with local businesses to highlight the importance of sustainability & buying locally. We will continue to work with area schools and nonprofits to promote literacy in the East Harlem community.”

Anaya-Cerda posted a video on indiegogo.com, which outlines her motivation, and incentives for potential donors, which include books, T-shirts, and naming a bookshelf in the store.

Community Bookstore Marks 40^th Anniversary

The Community Bookstore in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, is celebrating 40 years in business. This weekend, the store will be participating in the Brooklyn Book Festival, hosting a reading at a nearby church that will feature Jonathan Safron Foer, Paul Asterm Siri Hustvedt, Mary Morris, and Joe Scieszska.

This week, the Wall Street Journal published a tribute to the store’s “idiosyncratic warmth.” Catherine Bohne, who has owned the store since 2001, is in the final stages of selling the business to journalist Ezra Goldstein and loyal customer Stephanie Valdez.