Around Indies

Books & Books Outpost to Open in Key West

A new affiliate of South Florida’s Books & Books will open this winter at The Studios of Key West, a professional non-profit cultural organization on the island of Key West, reported the Key West Citizen.

The Studios of Key West is holding an open house on January 7 to show off the first-floor space that will become Books & Books at The Studios, shortly after which the store should be up and running, said Elena Devers, deputy director of The Studios. The bookstore will be owned by The Studios, which has already hired a full-time store manager, but Books & Books will be quite involved in the operation, said Books & Books owner Mitchell Kaplan.

The new location will feature more than 75 feet of wood shelving that will showcase a selection of new fiction, nonfiction, poetry, art, and architecture titles, as well as books from local authors and magazines.

Liberty Bay Pop-Up Becomes Permanent

Following the success of Liberty Bay Books’ pop-up shop in Bremerton, Washington, throughout the holidays, owner Suzanne Droppert is making the bookstore a permanent fixture in the town, reported the Bremerton Patriot.

“The goal was to see if it could do good business in November and December,” said Droppert. “We kept hearing the feedback of all the customers. Everyone asked us to stay, everyone that came in said, ‘Please stay.’” Liberty Bay’s main store is in Poulsbo, which is about 20 miles north of Bremerton.

The Bremerton location is about half the size of the main store and is next door to a coffee shop. Droppert plans to soon begin regular events and book clubs there, and also hopes to set up a shared inventory system with the Poulsbo location.

Northshire Launches T-Shirt Design Contest

To kick off its yearlong 40th anniversary celebration, Northshire Bookstore, which has locations in Saratoga Springs, New York, and Manchester Center, Vermont, is hosting its first-ever T-shirt design contest.

Adults over 18 are invited to create one-of-a-kind T-shirt designs that celebrate Northshire Bookstore as well as their own love of books. The winning design will be featured on T-shirts for sale at both stores and on the bookstore’s website.

Designs will be judged by the bookstore staff, based on style, originality, creativity, and artistic quality. The winning designer will receive $250 plus a $200 gift card to Northshire Bookstore. The first and second runners-up will each receive a $100 gift card to the bookstore.

Entries are due by January 31, and the winner will be announced February 5.

Isis Books Rebrands Following Vandalism

Englewood, Colorado’s Isis Books & Gifts has redesigned its storefront sign following recent vandalism, reported the Los Angeles Times.

The new-age bookstore was targeted in November, assumedly because the bookstore’s name, which comes from the Egyptian goddess of healing, matches the acronym used by the Islamic State militant group.

The bookstore is not changing its name, but new signage will read “Goddess Books & Gifts” and feature the Egyptian goddess Isis. In November, a brick was thrown through the bookstore’s original sign.

“I don’t know if somebody walking down the street just saw our name on the sign and kind of lost it for a moment and threw a rock through it,” owner Karen Charboneau-Harrison said at the time. “Or if it was an ignorant person who actually thought this was a bookstore for terrorists, I don’t know.”

Loyal Customers Keep Maple Street Book Shop Afloat

New Orleans’ Maple Street Book Shop will remain open at least until March due to the overwhelming support of loyal customers and a flexible landlord, according to owner Gladin Scott, who planned to close the store at the end of 2015, reported the New Orleans Advocate.

“We announced we were closing the first of October, and the response was wonderful,” Scott said. “Our business literally doubled in October, and it’s remained strong in November and December.”

Scott plans to keep the bookstore open through the first quarter of 2016, but is not committing to staying open longer as the business has been operating at a loss since 2007. “I’m not in a financial position to make any promises,” said Scott. “Sales have to be good enough to at least break even.”

Maple Street opened in 1964 and was taken over in 2013 by Scott, who managed the store for five years prior.