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.

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.

Friday: Indie Bookstores in the News

It's Friday folks! Per tradition, here is a roundup of the biggest indie bookstore related news from this week:

An ambitious bookseller has salvaged the remains of a Borders in San Francisco, creating his own store, ODE, in its place. The name is an economical re-purposing of the letters already plastered to the building. Read more in the New York Times.

In more San Francisco news, pop-up bookstores are apparently all the rage this month. The concept is much like that of pop-up restaurants; booksellers rent out a real, brick-and-mortar space for a month or so, then close up shop and move somewhere else. It's an interesting business model that I'll likely explore in a separate post.

The New York Times had an interesting profile on Sarah McNally, owner of McNally Jackson Books in New York. In the article, McNally talks about running her store, acquiring the only Espresso Book Machine in NYC, and, of course, her love a books.

The Espresso Book Machine