Around Indies

Community Saves Buffalo Street Books

When Ithaca residents learned about the impending closure of Buffalo Street Books, they came together to keep it alive. Bob Proehl, an employee of the store, proposed that the community pitch in to turn the store into a cooperative organization, reported the Cornell Daily Sun. Proehl set a goal of selling 800 shares for $250 each – a total of $200,000 in order to keep the store running.

On Monday, the Sun reported that 997 shares had been purchased, which surpassed the original goal.

Owner Gary Weissbrot broke the news on the store’s website, adding, “In the very recent past I stated that I was closing because the market had spoken. It is now clear that Ithaca has spoken louder.” Though Weissbrot is “flabbergasted and thrilled,” he will be removing himself from the store’s transition, leaving most of the co-op’s leadership to Proehl. However, Weissbrot plans to remain “integrally involved with the management of Buffalo Street Books, this time as an employee and shareholder.”

{pages} Marks One Year of Bookselling

On Saturday, March 12, {pages}: a bookstore, in Manhattan Beach, California, celebrates its one-year anniversary. The store’s partners, Patty Gibson, Linda McLoughlin Figel, and Margot Farris – all of whom had a background in the book industry – opened the store with the intentions of introducing new books to their community. The store quickly gained popularity and is now frequented by both locals and tourists alike.

{pages} prides itself on its carefully selected inventory and in-store events, such as community book clubs, reading groups, children’s story times, writing classes, and author signings.

The store is inviting all customers to the March 12 celebration, where cake will be served, compliments of a local bakery.

Antigone Books Goes Solar

Antigone Books in Tucson, Arizona, recently announced the installation of new solar panels, which it noted makes it the first 100-percent solar-powered bookstore in the country. The bookstore shares the street with two other solar-powered businesses: Brooklyn Pizza and Sky Bar.

Indies Increase Non-Book Inventory

Schuler Books & Music, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is embracing the new retail landscape, reported Mlive.com. In addition to selling e-books, the store has expanded its gift section to include kitchen items, scarves, board games, and puzzles.

“It’s almost impossible to tell what the bookstore will look like in five years,” Schuler co-founder Cecile Fehsenfeld told Mlive.com. “I would like to think we are building a new model for what the next kind of bookstore might look like.”

On a similar note, Tatnuck Bookseller, in Westborough, Massachusetts, is adding several new departments, such as giftware, toys, and clothing.

“All bookstores are in the same position,” Tatnuck General Manager Charles Napoleon told Wicked Local Westborough. “We maintain sales by adapting, and despite e-readers we’re still doing pretty well.”