As the year draws to a close, new indies continue to open, most recently Classic Lines Bookstore in Pittsburgh. Others, like , Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, are expanding.
Established stores are thriving in the run up to the holidays. Barrett Bookstore in Darien, Ct., just celebrated its 75th. Newer stores like Acorn Books in Dover, Del., and the Book End in the Phoenix Cafe in Tulsa are both poised for a strong finish to the year.
Openings & Closings
Classic Lines Bookstore Opens in Pittsburgh: The director of the Pennsylvania Academic Library Consortium spent three years planning his recently opened 1,000 sq. ft. new and used bookstore in Steel City.
Espresso Bar Opens Above Literati in Ann Arbor: Chris Van Allsburg and local authors Philip and Erin Stead are among the authors and illustrators who have participated in joint events with Literati Bookstore and its neighboring cafe, which opened this fall.
Piccolo’s to Close by End of Month: The Long Beach California bookstore is being forced to close for redevelopment; owner Piccolo Lewis is looking for a new space.
Stone Soup Books to Close at End of Month: The eight-year-old bookstore and cafe, partly owned by employees, is closing at year’s end and has put its building on the market.
Other News
Buffalo’s Rust Belt Books to Move: Kristi Meal and Erin Verhoef will move the Buffalo, N.Y., bookstore and performance center that they have run since 2004 to a new home next month.
Book End in the Phoenix Cafe Holding Its Own: With the loss of a number of Tulsa area bookstores, cafe owner and city councilor Blake Ewing turned the restaurant’s library into a full-fledged bookstore this fall.
Acorn Books Thrives in Dover: In 2012, one year after Atlantic Books closed, former employees Ginny Jewell, Marie Shane, and Kirstey Murray transformed the regional chain’s Delaware store into a successful new and used indie.
Barrett Bookstore in Darien Marks 75 Years: A gallon of gas cost 10 cents and the top song was “Over the Rainbow” when this long-time Connecticut bookstore opened in 1939.
ABFFE Auction a Success
http://www.bookweb.org/node/30469
The eBay holiday auction of nearly 100 pieces of art by leading illustrators raised over $14,000 to support the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression’s defense of the free speech rights of kids.
James Daunt: The Man Who Saved Waterstones: Waterstones managing director—owner of six eponymous London bookstores—talks about how he turned around England’s largest brick-and-mortar bookseller.
Annapolis Bookstores Try New Things to Pump Up Sales: In a Bookish Freaky Friday the owners of the Bookplate in Chestertown, Md., and the Annapolis Bookstore in downtown Annapolis will swap jobs for a day and promote their stores to a different customer base.
