New stores prep to open in Washington and Massachusetts; a political display gets protection in New York; Barnes & Noble continues to close locations; and more.
BookTree Opens in Kirkland, Wash.: Parkplace Books co-owner Mary Harris wasn’t willing to give up her 40-year career in books when the store closed last year. So she teamed up with a new business partner, Chris Jarmick, to open a store to fill the void when Parkplace closed. The name of the store comes from the BookTree bookself in the children’s department of Parkplace. A ribbon cutting ceremony is planned for November 4; the grand opening for November 5.
Cabot Street Books Opens in Beverly, Mass: After a year-long delay because of building problems, the fourth general bookstore in the HugoBooks mini chain had its soft opening earlier this week on November 1. The store is adjacent to Atomic Café, as is its Book Rack Bookstore in Newburyport, Mass.
Inquiring Minds Wins Fight to Display Anti-Trump Banner with Swastika: Brian Donoghue refused to take down an anti-Trump window display in the window in his bookstore in Saugerties, N.Y. The display, which includes a swastika, shows the parallels between the Republican presidential candidate’s rise and that of Adulf Hitler. At the request of the American Booksellers Association, attorneys for Media Coalition informed town officials that an earlier order to remove the banner violated Donoghue’s First Amendment rights. Officials agreed to withdraw the notice of violations if Donoghue removes the banner after the election.
B&N Closing Costa Mesa, Calif., Store: In addition to its Bronx store, Barnes & Noble plans to close its Metro Pointe store when its lease expires at the end of 2016. A clearance sale has already begun, with some items marked down 30%. B&N has stores nearby including ones in Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, Irvine, and Fullerton.
