Scanners Pop-Up Bookstore

Well, I'm back from my far too brief, but absolutely wonderful trip to the San Francisco Bay Area. I had the opportunity to visit two indie bookstores. I was especially excited to visit Scanners, a pop-up used bookstore currently occupying the Mina Dresden Gallery in the Mission district. With the help of a willing accomplice, I was able to get a few pictures both in and outside the shop/gallery.

Scanners is temporarily inhabiting this space, existing as both a bookstore and an art exhibit. Books were creatively arranged on walls and tables. Many of the books available were about art, architecture, film, and counterculture. There were a number of visitors moving in and out of Scanners while we were there, and the proprietors were setting up for an event to be held later that evening.

In the case of Scanners, there's no real business model to evaluate. The store is about art and, in my own interpretation, the art of literature and books. The exhibit spoke to me because I believe many people, especially those in the publishing business, tend to think of books as a commodity or a product. There are very few people who really consider the art of the book these days-- the content, the design, etc. I also think with box stores like Barnes and Noble, people forget about the art involved in creating an aesthetically pleasing or interesting bookshop.

I had the opportunity to chat briefly with the proprietor, who is a bookseller by trade. He said the store will be open only until the end of October, and it will not be popping up anywhere else. Therefore, I encourage those of you in the area to stop by Scanners and appreciate the project, attend an event, and perhaps purchase yourself a book.

I also had a chance to stop by The Booksmith, a great indie store filled with chalked walls and staff recommendations. I picked up a copy of The Book Thief for my book club there. The woman behind the counter was very friendly, and in addition to a great book selection, they had some pretty funny little cards available for purchase. The owners have written a number of articles for The Huffington Post about, among other things, their experiences running an indie bookstore.

Death of Indie Bookstores?

Publishing news over the last several months has been filled with news stories about bookstores closing across the country. With the second largest commercial bookstore chain closing its doors for the last time in September, many people are growing concerned about the fate of brick-and-mortar booksellers. While I never enjoyed Borders stores myself, finding them poorly designed and too impersonal, I have watched with interest as other stores struggle to keep their doors open.

Last month, my Twitter feed exploded with stories about the imminent closing of St. Mark's Bookshop in NYC, a store that could no longer afford it's rising rent. On September 12th, the New Yorker ran an article titled Should we Fight to Save Indie Bookstores? For the first time, I began to feel truly concerned about the fate of bookstores across the country.

I grew up in a suburb of Seattle, which has for years been included in the list of the most well-read cities in the US. Many hours of my youth were spent browsing local bookstores, most notably the famed Elliott Bay Book Company, one of the largest and most successful independent bookstores in the country. As I grew older, I often found myself in the most convenient bookstores (typically the local Barnes and Noble) and I made little effort to seek out independent establishments. But I have always been drawn to them-- their

individuality, their homeyness, and the way they try to foster a supportive community of book lovers.

The book world is undeniably changing. Every week I hear more statistics about the transition to digital reading. This change, like most change for me, is both thrilling and a little scary. Independent bookstores will need to find ways to adapt to the new world of books if they hope to survive the decade.

Through this blog, I want to explore the ways independent bookstores are (or are not) adapting to the digital shift. I'm interested to see which stores will survive, what changes will be made to their business models, and how they will bridge the gap between digital books and the services they provide. Because I live in Washington, DC, many of the bookstores I will visit and follow are local. Still, as I have opportunities to see other shops, I will post about them and provide commentary on any major news items related to independent bookstores as they begin the transition.

The Elliott Bay Book Company (below), image from 5 Magazine