Around Indies

Indie Booksellers Embrace What Really Matters

On Wednesday, December 1, BNET, the CBS Interactive Business Network posted a feature by Donna Fenn that looks at the ways indie booksellers “have wholeheartedly embraced the philosophy that it’s not the ‘what’ of business that really matters but the ‘how’” to stand out in a crowded market.

Featured booksellers are:

• Madison, Connecticut’s RJ Julia Booksellers, for expanding the reach of the store’s market with the program Just the Right Book.
• Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for going green with its “super speedy, environmentally responsible, and inexpensive delivery service to the Boston area” through a partnership with MetroPed.
• Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vermont, for creating a store within a store to sell Zutano children’s clothing.
• Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Washington, and Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona, for practices, such as offering free meeting space, that establish them as anchors of their communities.
• BookPeople in Austin, Texas, for cultivating the next generation of customers with its summer camp program.
• The Booksmith in San Francisco, for “getting social” with bimonthly Bookswap events that offer “food, wine, and free-flowing literary discourse.”

Narnia Children’s Books Gets New Owners, New Name

The Richmond Times-Dispatch noted this week that Narnia Children’s Books in Richmond, Virginia, was bought last month by two best friends, who frequented the store.

Jill Stefanovich and Jenesse Evertson told the paper that there would be no big changes, although they plan to expand the store's reach with a website and a social-media presence and to increase inventory and add titles from overseas. The new owners also plan to develop an events calendar of readings, workshops, and author appearances. Also on tap is a name change.

In 2006, the copyright holders of the Narnia book series tried to stop the store’s founder Kelly Kyle from using the Narnia name, said the Times-Dispatch. Under the settlement, Kyle was allowed to use the name as long as she owned the store. Stefanovich and Evertson have renamed the business BBGB, which stands for Bring Back Great Books. But, Stefanovich told the newspaper, “It can be anything. We want people to come up with their own interpretation.”

Clark Kepler Recognized for Shop Local Efforts

On Monday, November 29, the Palo Alto Daily News profiled Clark Kepler, who, the paper noted, “keeps opening new chapters at his bookstore.” In addition to working full time at Kepler’s Books & Magazines, which was founded by his father 55 years ago, the paper said, Kepler “often meets with other business owners in his off hours to discuss ways to strengthen their bottom line and make the community understand that dollars spent at local businesses are more likely to stay in the local economy than those spent at a chain store.”

Palo Alto Mayor Richard Cline told the paper: "He's really educated me on the value, not just the idea of 'small-town USA,' but the actual economics of it. You get more bang for your buck."

Although there’s been an “awakening in residents” about the value and contributions of local business, Kepler said “that has not yet been recognized by our civic leaders."

San Francisco Indies Featured in New York Times Travel Section

Yesterday’s New York Times Travel Section featured San Francisco’s lively literary scene. “On almost any day or night in San Francisco, there is likely to be something for the literary-inclined — a poetry reading at a bar, a book swap in a café, or a reading in the book-lined lobby of the Rex Hotel,” said the Times. “This is a place, after all, where dozens of fiercely independent bookstores not only survive but thrive, thanks to a city of readers who seem to view books not only as a pleasure, but as a cause. ”

ABA members mentioned in the piece include City Lights Books, The Booksmith, Green Apple Books, The Green Arcade, and Modern Times Bookstore.

And not to be outdone….

Video Shines Light on Southern California Booksellers

A new YouTube video says “independent bookstores are alive and kicking in Southern California.” Although indie booksellers face the rise of e-books and online booksellers, as well as the struggles facing any small business, “these community havens are surviving,” says the student produced piece.

Featured in the video, which notes that there are nearly 100 indie booksellers in Southern California, are Andrea Vuleta, general manager of Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop in La Verne and Elizabeth Garo, owner of Stories Books & Cafe in Echo Park.