Around Indies

Anderson's Opens a Gift Shop

Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville, Illinois, opened Two Doors East, a specialty gift store, on the Monday before Thanksgiving, according to the Naperville Sun, which noted that the "new venture features gifts, games, wall art, fun food items, an expanded selection of greeting cards, and more."

Two Door East's manager, Kris Nugent, told the newspaper that Anderson's owners, who include ABA Vice President Becky Anderson, had to make a quick decision about the new venture and that "an 'all hands on deck' effort was necessary to open the store." The gift store is in the same building as the bookstore, in a space vacated by a luggage store within the last two months.

"We've always carried greeting cards and seasonal items, but now we have more space to expand that part of the business," Nugent told the Sun. "This new store gives us about 25 percent more space. We've added a new purse line, some funny gifts like things for teens who have just learned to drive, some 'fun' foods like popcorn and things used for stocking stuffers, plus seasonal items like ornaments."

In addition, Nugent said, "We'll obviously have more room for books, which will mean the shelves aren't so tightly pressed together, and people will have more room to walk around." Anderson's will be adding a few new employees, "and efforts will continue to make what is now two storefronts into a seamless synergy between the two," according to the Sun.

Copperfield's in Santa Rosa Plans Move

The North Bay Business Journal reported this week that Copperfield's Books in Santa Rosa would be moving to a new location within the Montgomery Village shopping center. The bookstore's current building is scheduled to be demolished to make way for a new restaurant. Copperfield's new space will be about 11,000 square feet.

Tom Montan, chief executive officer of Copperfield's Books, told the Journal that the bookstore had signed a lease previously, but waited to move because of the struggling economy.

Magers & Quinn Weathers Snowstorm With Skype Author Event

Jay Peterson, manager of Magers & Quinn Booksellers in Minneapolis, reported that "despite the doozy of a snowstorm that struck the midwest Tuesday afternoon and evening," the bookstore was able to present author Hannah Tinti (The Good Thief, Dial) via Skype to its popular "Books and Bars" book club, hosted by comedian Jeff Kamin.

Tinti, who appeared on stage at the book club venue, Bryant Lake Bowl (a combination of bar, restaurant, bowling alley, and theatre), via video projection and audio feed, fielded questions from Kamin and members of the crowd, introduced her dog, Canada, and showed off various items from her New York apartment.

Peterson noted that, although setting up a Skype author appearance offers technical challenges, it's a great experience overall. Due to the popularity of M&Q's "Books & Bars," which generally draws between 90 - 95 readers, he said, the store is expanding its schedule to twice a month through the winter.

Boulder Book Store Donates Thousands of Books to Local Schools

The Boulder Daily Camera noted that Boulder Book Store is donating $200,000 worth of books to Boulder, Colorado, schools and libraries for the fifth straight year in a row.

This Friday and Saturday, the bookstore will stock the school district's shipping and receiving warehouse "with thousands of books, mostly elementary-level, and open the space to local teachers and librarians" who will be able to take as many titles as they like from the collection.

Stephanie Walker, Boulder Book Store's director of marketing and promotions, told the newspaper that store owner David Bolduc "buys excess books from publishers in order to donate them to local educators," who use them for class instruction and to give away to students.

"The teachers love when they can put a book in a kid's hand," she said. "It's a gift given to us that we can then give to students."

Village Books Owner Explains E-Book Offerings to TV Audience

Chuck Robinson, co-owner of Village Books, was recently featured in a segment on local TV station KVOS in which he explained how customers can easily purchase e-books and digital audiobooks in his Bellingham, Washington bookstore (via Symtio) as well as through the store website.

Robinson advised viewers to think of the Symtio title cards "as gift cards for digital media" that allow them to purchase e-books and digital audiobooks in the store and then download them anywhere there's an Internet connection. In a chat with show host Deb Slater, Robinson explained how customers can browse through titles cards bearing the books' cover art and providing a description of the content, whether its available in e-book or digital audiobook formats, and what devices it works on.

Slater told viewers that there was no longer a limitation on where they could purchase e-books. "Now," she stressed, "we can support our local independent bookstores."

Mystery Lovers Bookshop to Receive MWA Raven Award

Mystery Lovers Bookshop of Oakmont, Pennsylvania, will be honored with the Mystery Writers of America Raven Award at the Edgar Awards Banquet, to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City on Thursday, April 29, 2010. The store, founded and owned by husband-and-wife team Mary Alice Gorman and Richard Goldman, is being recognized for its constant support and dedication to the mystery community.

Mystery Lovers opened its doors on Halloween 1990, and, in the 19 years since, it has grown into one of the largest and most recognized mystery bookstores in the country. The store hosts annual Festival of Mystery each spring, which attracts hundreds of mystery readers from across the country. Its 15th annual festival is scheduled for Monday, May 3, 2010.

Good Dog Carl Shops at Third Place Books

Good Dog Carl, who lives with his author, Alexandra Day, in Seattle, shops at independent bookstore Third Place Books, where he filled his "Eat Sleep Read" bag with seasonal Carl titles after his December 2 "reading" from Carl's Snowy Afternoon (FSG Books for Young Readers).

Third Place's Cheryl McKeon told BTW: "You should see a Carl event. He works the crowd -- and not one child is ever afraid of him!"

Happy Anniversary to...

Creekside Books & Coffee in Skaneateles, New York, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on December 5; and Windows on the World - Books & Art in Mariposa, California, which is celebrating its second anniversary on December 12.