July 12 marked what might be the beginning of a new concept in bookselling: what its organizer calls "bookstore tourism." A group of 45 people traveled by bus to New York City from Harrisburg, Pa., to spend the day browsing on their own through some of 18 recommended bookstores in and around Greenwich Village.
"We had a great time," said Larry Portzline, a part-time writing instructor at the Harrisburg Area Community College, who led the trip.
Participants with whom PW spoke before they returned to Pennsylvania emphasized their enjoyment of the many different kinds of stores (most bookstores in the Harrisburg area are chains) and the friendliness and helpfulness of most of the booksellers in the stores they visited. At Books of Wonder, for example, a bookseller explained to several "tourists" the various ways publishers indicate first editions on the copyright page of books. Participants were "bowled over," as one put it, by the size of the Strand. Others enjoyed highly specialized stores, such as Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, where, coincidentally, several groups from the bus tour wound up at the same time and filled the tiny space.
The tour group included retirees, a teenager and several people who had never been to New York City. On average, participants saw six or seven stores; a few took time out to go elsewhere, such as to see Ground Zero. Some were dragging heavy bags full of purchases that ranged from collectors' editions and "replacement" copies of favorite books to current bestsellers and reference works. Portzline estimated that the group bought about 200 books altogether—for about $2,400. Each of the people paid $99 for the trip, including dinner.
The group left Harrisburg at dawn, and during the three-hour trip, Portzline discussed the state of bookselling and the stores on the itinerary. After being let loose on the city, the group met up again at 5 p.m., then went to the New Jersey side of the Hudson for dinner at a waterside restaurant with a view of the city skyline. On the trip back to Harrisburg, they watched a video of You've Got Mail, starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan as booksellers.
Portzline has scheduled two more Village bookstore tours this year, on September 27 (it's already full) and November 1. In the spring, he's planning a bookstore trip to Washington, D.C. Some participants in Saturday's tour want to go again; a few said that if they were unable to get seats on the bus, they might drive behind it.
Portzline emphasized that he thinks the idea would work in any of a variety of areas in the country and hopes that booksellers might organize similar trips. His Web site, www.bookstoretourism.com, offers implementing tips.
