Around Indies

Waucoma Bookstore Celebrates 35 Years

Muir and Jenny Cohen

Waucoma Bookstore in Hood River, Oregon, is in the midst of a month-long celebration marking its 35^th anniversary. Events, which continue throughout October, include several author appearances, a trivia quiz, and a deal a day.

Waucoma’s current owners, Muir and Jenny Cohen, purchased the business in 2008 from Sally Laventure and her husband, Charley, who built the store’s shelves out of lumber from a local mill. Over the years, the store, first known as Waucoma Books & Herbs, moved twice. It has been in its current location, on Oak Street, since 1982.

Upstate New York Bookstores Help Libraries Rebuild

Three upstate New York bookstores have set up a fund to help rebuild the book collections at their local public libraries, which suffered damage from Hurricane Irene.

Susan Novotny’s Market Block Books and The Book House in Troy and Albany, respectively, and The Open Door Bookstore & Gift Gallery in Schenectady, owned by Janet and John Hutchison, are collecting donations over the phone and in store. As a result of flooding, the Schoharie Free Library lost books on its bottom two-plus shelves throughout, and Middleburg Library lost one-plus shelves. Both libraries are currently closed for clean-up.

Buffalo Street Books Thrives

Six months ago, residents of Ithaca, New York, came together to save Buffalo Street Books by turning the store into a cooperative organization. Last week, the Cornell Daily Sun reported that the community-owned bookstore is thriving and continues to receive investments.

“I have a sense that people who bought shares really think of it as their store in a really concrete way, which is exactly what we were hoping would be the case,” Bob Proehl, community outreach coordinator at Buffalo Street Books, told the Sun.

New Children’s Store Opens in Katonah

Little Joe’s Books in Katonah, New York, is celebrating its grand opening today, October 6, as reported by the Lewisboro Ledger. Jennifer Cook announced plans to open the children’s bookstore above her coffee shop, NoKa Joe’s, last month. Cook told the Bedford-Katonah Patch that she was opening the store in response to customer requests and to help fill the void created by the closing of Borders Books & Music in nearby Mount Kisco.

Little Joe’s will carry books, games, and other gifts. But, Cook said, it will be “first and foremost a bookstore.”

Women & Children First to Host Women’s Voices Weekend

On October 15-16, Chicago’s Women and Children First will host its first-ever Women’s Voices Weekend to celebrate women writers and to offer readers a chance to converse and learn from them. Participating writers will include Dorothy Allison, Esther Hershenhorn, Nami Mun, and Achy Obejas.

In addition to fostering a sense of community, store co-owners Ann Christophersen and Linda Bubon told Windy City Media Group that they want to showcase the invited writers and allow Chicagoans who are interested in writing to take advantage of their knowledge and skills.

Tickets are available for the entire weekend and individually for the workshop, cocktail party, or author readings/conversations.