Friday: Indie Bookstores in the News

Another Friday, another set of indie bookstore news stories. I was hoping to provide an update on RiverRun, the bookstore looking to raise more the $100, 000 before the end of the month, but all I have is this update posted to the store's Twitter page. It would be nice if the proprietors announced the dollar amount they have so far received. I think it can really encourage more donations. I'll try to stay up-to-date on this story.

It wouldn't be Friday news if I didn't have at least one story about the closing of an indie bookstore. The week, it's Catfish Books in Lakeport, CA after 17 years of business. Unsurprisingly (am I getting a little callus?) the store does not have a website.

In other, much happier news, today is the grand opening of Parnassus Books in Nashville. The

New York Times ran a piece about the store and its proprietor, successful novelist Ann Prachett, on Tuesday.

Indie bookstores in St. Louis demonstrate the important role they play in rallying their community as they kick off their book drive for the homeless.

Kramer Books

After Politics and Prose, the most well known indie bookstore in DC is definitely Karmer Books. Located in DuPont Circle, the shop is known equally for its book selection and its famous Afterwords Cafe. I had some time to kill this weekend and decided to pay a visit to Kramer Books to see how they're doing. Before stopping in, I checked out their website to see how they're using the internet and social media to connect with their patrons.

The bookstore is not very large, and always busy. I snapped picture, which you can see to the right. They have a great selection and ambiance.

The website is pretty rudimentary. The staff does a good job, however, of keeping the store's social media websites updated. They have a Facebook page, and a Twitter which is actually for their successful cafe. It seems much of Kramer's revenue comes from the business they generate through their cafe. They frequently update menu items and feature live music weekly. Thus, Kramer's provides me with my first example of a bookstore whose business model is mostly dependent on their cafe/restaurant.

Friday: Indie Bookstores in the News

It's Friday once again. As always, I have been assembling a short list of the most pertinent pieces of industry news to share. This was, unfortunately, a pretty rough week for indie bookstores across America.

In Gainesville, FL, 20-year-old Books, Inc. announced that it will

be closing its doors at the beginning of 2012. I tried to find a website for this store to no avail (insert insensitive commentary here). In a similar vein, 15-year-old Sweet Briar used bookstore in Davis, CA will be closing permanently on Christmas Eve of this year. Again, no website.

RiverRun, an indie bookstore in New Hampshire (photo left is from the website), is now asking for donations from its patrons and community members in order to stay in business. According to the website, the bookstore needs to raise more than $100,000 by November 30th in order to eliminate their debt and rebuild relationships with publishers. The owner said today that more than $55,000 has already been raised. Interested parties can donate through the website.

McNally Jackson Knows Bookselling

So as I mentioned a few times, I spent the weekend in NYC, which I think may be the Mecca of Indie Bookstores. Unfortunately work kept me super busy, so I only had the chance to see one, but I made it good. McNally Jackson is an innovative and beautifully run indie bookshop in the East Village. I snapped a few pictures, but I really couldn't do the place justice. To the right you'll see the outside of the shop--a picture I borrowed from the website.

First, I have to say, this store has a FANTASTIC website. To be honest, that's what sold me on making this my one stop. It is navigable, aesthetically pleasing, and both business- and community-oriented. The store is very internet-savvy, with links to their Twitter, Facebook, and Tumblr, which is their frequently updated blog. In their "Shop" section, they provide visitors with concise but comprehensive information about shipping, ebooks, and delivery. That's right-- they hand-deliver books for free to any address in Manhattan. This is a very customer-oriented shop. Here I've reproduced their section on ebooks for a little analysis:

E-books are available two different ways: using Google eBooks, which lets you read on many e-readers, iPhones, iPads, Android phones, and any computer. Other eBooks lets you search for e-books compatible with a number of readers: Sony (use Adobe Digital Editions), Palm (for your Blackberry, iPod & iPhone), and Microsoft Reader. We do not sell books for Kindles.

What additional information could one possibly want? They tell you specifically with which ereaders their ebooks are compatible. They also have a section dedicated to their print-on-demand Espresso Book Machine here. You can search titles or get information about self-publishing! They have a section on their website dedicated to helping self-publishers, which I think is making truly innovative use of their machine. I believe it's already proven to be a smart investment--it was running non-stop during my visit.

I was blown away by this place. I intended to stop in, have a chai latte, and maybe pick up a postcard or something. Instead, I left with two new books, a great tote bag, and a renewed hope that the amazing indie bookstores in this country will find ways to adapt and thrive in the digital age. (That's my sad little picture on the left. But they have a whole section on European literature, much of which is in translation! That's rare and pretty cool. It shows they're dedicated to book discovery.)

Friday: Indie Bookstores in the News

It's Friday again and this week presented several big (and exciting!) news stories related in indie bookstores. Here are my top three picks from the week:

In a surprising turn of events, Cooper Union has announced that they will be lowering the rent of St. Mark's Bookshop, allowing the store to stay in business. This is contrary to the announcement I posted last week, and is wonderful (if not particularly capitalistic) news. I've been following this story since the inception of the blog and have to say, I'm pretty pleased.

BlogHer ran an interesting story about Roxanne Coady, the owner of R.J. Julia Booksellers (pictured left) in Connecticut. It's a pretty inspirational read.

And finally, simply because I haven't posted anything about indie bookstores in the UK for awhile, the BBC published this article about The Book Barge. It's a travelling bookshop the owner is using to promote indie bookselling.

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.

Friday: Indie Bookstores in the News

I've been very MIA this week; with midterms and papers due, not to mention a crazy pickup at my job, I haven't really had too much time to devote to the blog. That said, I've been doing a lot thinking about indie bookstores. Especially with the big news that rent for St. Mark's Bookshop will not be reduced. I'll be in New York next week, and definitely plan to stop by since I've never been before and may never get to go again.

Still, things are not all bad for the indie bookstores of America. Brookline Booksmith (pictured left) in Boston will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary all next week.

Paid Content also ran a great article today about the rise of indie e-bookstores.

Although things have been a little insane, I have great ambitions for this blog next week. I want to talk about the Kramer Books in DC, discuss fixed book prices in other parts of the world, and plan a mini-bookstore tour for New York.