A downtown bookstore opens in New York; a bookstore reopens in Canada; booksellers turning to bookselling as a second career help revitalize the business; and more.
Monroe College Opens B&N in Downtown New Rochelle, N.Y.: On Saturday Barnes & Noble College held a soft opening for its 9,000 sq. ft. Monroe College bookstore and coffee shop at New Roc City at LeCount Place, near the New Rochelle Metro-North Station. “The new bookstore and café brings fresh vitality to the heart of our city and boost our ambitious economic development efforts,” said Mayor Noam Bramson. The downtown store replaces the college’s previous student bookstore.
Winnipeg Bookstore and Coffee Shop Reopens, without the Food: In August, owner Bill Fugler closed Neighborhood Bookstore and Cafe because of issues with the city over installing a costly grease trap. Although the café has yet to get an exemption and Fugler will be back in court later this month, he has reopened the store. Customers are invited to bring their own coffee and food.
Boomers Take to Bookselling as Late-Life Calling: From Bill Reilly at River’s End Bookstore in Oswego, N.Y., to Jeffrey Mayersohn at Harvard Book Store in Cambridge, Mass., and Lissa Muscatine and Bradley Graham at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., a number of people are entering the book business following successful careers—and are bringing new energy with them.
Gloucester’s Toad Hall Struggles: The nonprofit Massachusetts bookstore, which has raised money for local ecology projects for the past 40 years, is facing financial difficulties due to online shopping and reduced tourism. Manager Ardis Francoeur is asking customers to buy a book a month to make up the shortfall.
Grand Blanc, Mich., Bookstore Asks for Help: After expanding R&B Used Bookstore when the space next door became open, Beth Baldwin found her expenses doubled. To get back on solid financial footing, she’s challenging customers to buy 20,000 books this month. As of last Friday, she was at 2,768.
