Quick Update: the Espresso Book Machine and NYC

Once again, the week has gotten away from me. I thought finally being home for a weekend might give me a chance to plan ahead a bit and prepare a few new posts. Instead, it meant running around doing errands I often go weeks without completing. Still, I did get a chance to stop by Politics and Prose, my favorite local indie bookstore. They have a new Espresso Book Machine (see image right)! I didn't get to see it in action, but these machines have great potential for indie bookstores. It gives them access to thousands of titles they may not have shelf space for, or that have been blacklisted. It also allows them to stock more books by indie presses and self-published authors. I'm hoping one of these days I'll get to catch the machine while its printing.

In other personal news, my job is sending me to New York City for the weekend, and I'm very

excited about doing a quick little bookstore tour. I have already been to Strand, and I'm certain I want to visit St. Marks. However, NYC is a major indie bookstore hub, and I know there are many more shops I need to visit. McNally Jackson is on the list, but I'm open to suggestions! I'm interested in seeing how some of the more niche stores operate (i.e., rare books, comic books, used shops, etc.), and would love to hear about any that are doing a particularly great job adjusting to the digital age.

Quick Update: Pop-ups and San Francisco(!)

Tomorrow at this time I will be on a flight to San Francisco for a very exciting, not-work-related trip to the Bay Area. If you recall, the city made the news twice in last week's round up. While I don't expect to have too much downtime, I am hoping to catch one of these pop-up bookstores in action on Friday afternoon. The only one I know for sure will be open is Scanners, which seems pretty compelling. Hopefully I'll get a chance to stop by and snap a few pictures. Or... is that allowed?! I'm getting the vibe from the artsy website that it might not be... Anyway, if anyone knows of any other pop-ups in the area, let me know.

And since I'm on the topic of San Francisco, the city has a host of amazing indie bookstores that are not pop-ups. I recommend City Lights, which is both a bookshop and a publisher. Similarly, Modern Times Bookstore has been an important part of SF's Mission District for 40 years. Both are worth a look if you find yourself in the area.

Quick Update: Mobile Apps and Pittsburgh

I thought I should give a quick update/review of the Politics & Prose Mobile App I mentioned yesterday now that I've had a full day to use it. This is a very useful application for both Politics & Prose newbies and members. It's designed not just for people trying to learn something about the store (i.e. location, phone number, book clubs, or events), but also includes useful in-store tools like an inventory search feature and staff reviews. Additionally, it provides links to all their social networking profiles. It's an excellent tool for locals.

In only peripherally related news, I will be in Pittsburgh this weekend and am hoping to check out an indie bookstore in the area. I am open to recommendations! Otherwise I will use those generated by IndieBound and double-checked on Yelp. So far the leading contender is Caliban Book Shop, which is apparently a used shop with a fabulous selection of paperback and hardcover books. Still, any other suggestions are welcome.

Bookstore Tourism

In the past, I've found good bookstores either through recommendation, or simply by stumbling upon them on one of my daily walks. This works well for cities where I've either spent a great deal of time, or have book-loving friends and family available for suggestions.

In my travels, I've begun to seek out stores that might offer satisfying book-browsing, purchasing, and chai-tea-sipping experiences. Since I'm often in places I've never been (Mt. Vernon, Arkansas?) nor encountered anyone

from (Elkton, Kentucky?), this has naturally involved a lot of Google searches. In this process, I have discovered that there's actually a whole movement of folks who do this regularly. And by "this" I mean "travel to places with the express purpose of patronizing independent bookstores." It is, apparently, called "Bookstore Tourism." The organizer shuttles people on a charted bus to various indie bookstores, handling the travel arrangements and presumably generating revenue for the bookstores.

At first I found it a little strange. Given my nature, travelling around with a bunch of other book-loving folks probably wouldn't be the most enjoyable experience. With a little more reflection though, I realized it is essentially what I do as an individual all the time. While I have not yet succumbed to the temptation of visiting a city with the exclusive intention to experience an independent bookstore, there is always some shop on my to-see list on any trip. I also have an unspoken (until now) rule to buy a book and something from the cafe as a way to show my support. In this way, the concept of Bookstore Tourism isn't so foreign at all. In fact, I would go so far as to encourage people to engage in Bookstore Tourism. You can find out more information by visiting the site and following the Bookstore Tourism Twitter account.

For people like me who often grumble during guided tours and try to leave any organized group activity several hours before its scheduled end, I recommend the IndieBound Store Finder. While it's of little importance to me to find indie clothing stores and coffee shops, the site has on more than one occasion helped me discover an excellent bookstore in an unfamiliar city.