Around Indies

Scattered Books Settles In

Laura Schaefer, author of the children’s book series The Crumbles Chronicles and a Westchester native, opened Scattered Books in Chappaqua, New York, in November and recently talked to the Armonk Daily Voice about her plans to make the bookstore a gathering place for community and creativity.

“There are a lot of people who want their kids to read regular books,” Schaefer said. “When you read off a screen, there is less comprehension. There’s that experience of reading and relaxing, of holding a book. We also gift wrap a lot better than Amazon.”

The store is already deep into its mission, hosting events such as birthday parties, read-alouds, and signings with local authors.

“We want to be a place where local authors can share their work,” Schaefer said.

Burlingham Books Marks 10 Years

Perry, New York’s Burlingham Books marked its first decade in business with a celebration from January 30 through February 1, reported the Daily News.

Customers visiting the store during the three-day event were treated to music, coffee, and cake, and those bringing in a nonperishable item for the food bank received $1 off coupons.

Referencing sociologist and author Ray Oldenburg’s philosophy about the importance of a “third place,” owner Ann Burlingham told the Daily News that the bookstore aims to be “a comfy place for people to gather and it should be a safe place for people to express their opinions and a safe place to argue with people or just have a quiet cup of coffee.”

Lido Village Books to Expand, Rebrand

Lido Village Books in Newport Beach, California, is undergoing both an expansion to double its space and a rebranding, owner Dan Schmenk recently told the Los Angeles Times.

The waterfront Lido Marina Village retail center, where Lido Village Books is housed, is undergoing a remodel to bring back upscale shopping and dining, plus marina activities. Lido Books will be relocating within the center and is working with a brand designer and architect to rebrand the bookstore so it is in sync with the new vibe of the retail center.

Plans call for blending the modern with an old-school feel to keep the bookstore inviting and charming. Fixtures will be on wheels to accommodate events, and a new children’s section will be added, as well as stationery and novelty gifts.

“I want it to be approachable and not too chic, and I want it to be a place that favors books above everything else,” Schmenk said. “But more importantly, I don’t want anyone to judge the store by its new cover.”

The new store is expected to open in the spring.

Novel Neighbor Owner Profiled

In a nearly two-page spread in the St. Louis Business Journal this week, Holland Saltsman, owner of The Novel Neighbor, talked about growing up as a reader on a farm in Kentucky and how her life spent dabbling in literature eventually led her to open the St. Louis bookstore.

After Saltsman started a blog, Life Simplified, “I quickly noticed many of my posts were about books,” she said. Saltsman went on to work at Puddn’head Books and as an assistant librarian at a local elementary school. After Puddn’head closed, Saltsman decided it was time to open her own bookstore.

Over lunches with local authors, “I shared this vision of — not a bookstore, but a store that was one-third new books, one-third local art, and one-third classes — for book clubs, meetings, art classes and book-themed birthday parties,” she said, and that’s the vision that she followed.

Saltsman opened The Novel Neighbor in September 2014. In addition to indie bestsellers, children’s books, and toys, the shop features artwork from about 30 artists at a time and locally made gifts.

The King’s English’s Betsy Burton Honored

At the third annual Utah Women’s Leadership Celebration at the Sundance Film Festival in Salt Lake City last week, 10 female leaders with Utah ties were recognized, including Betsy Burton of The King’s English Bookshop, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

The event also recognized Salt Lake City Mayor Jackie Biskupski, University of Utah Health Care CEO Vivian Lee, Spyhop Executive Director Kasandra VerBrugghen, and visual artist Sibylle Szaggars Redford.

Prior to a screening of the film Equity, a female-driven Wall Street thriller, award-winning actor Geena Davis delivered a keynote speech about gender inequality in Hollywood, calling for more female representation on screen.

Porter Square’s Josh Cook Launches “Better Book Tour”

Josh Cook, a bookseller at Cambridge, Massachusetts’ Porter Square Books since 2004 and an author himself, has launched the Better Book Tour author coaching service.

“I have seen hundreds of author events. Some were great, others painful, and most, somewhere in the middle,” Cook explains on the Better Book Tour website. “I don’t remember which event in particular it was, but after such an event, it struck me how little the author needed to do to dramatically improve their performance.”

Through his coaching services, which include one-on-one workshops, feedback on performance samples, and a complete guide to performing at bookstore events, Cook aims to help authors develop the skills needed to give dynamic and engaging presentations.

BookPeople’s Julie Wernersbach to Join Texas Book Festival

Julie Wernersbach is leaving her position as marketing director for BookPeople in Austin, Texas, and will be joining the Texas Book Festival as its new literary director later this month.

Wernersbach oversaw planning for BookPeople’s more than 300 author events per year, as well as the bookstore’s public relations, marketing, website, and social media strategies. She was previously the publicist and events coordinator for Book Revue in Huntington, New York.

BookPeople has begun its search for Wernersbach’s replacement. More information is available in BTW’s Classifieds.