About Bookstores

While sitting in Los Angeles' Bodhi Tree Bookstore, it dawned on Susan Weis (it hit her "like a stack of books!") that Baltimore also needed a bookstore for the mind, body, and spirit -- a place "where like-minded people could gather for discussions and meetings in a space rich with literature and gifts, and for those new to their spiritual journey," she said. To learn the book business, Weis attended the Bookseller School presented by Paz & Associates in conjunction with ABA at BookExpoAmerica this past spring.

The 15-day period of record-breaking rainfall that hit Southern California triggering flooding and mudslides caused some minor damage and mixed sales results for booksellers in the region who responded to Southern California Booksellers Association Executive Director Jennifer Bigelow's request for a status report.

Since its founding in 1819 in Hamilton, New York, Colgate Bookstore has undergone a number of incarnations, migrating around the Colgate University campus to various academic halls, a basement, and other temporary homes. Its latest and, likely, last relocation may be its most dramatic, however. The bookstore moved a mile off campus and now occupies a central position in downtown Hamilton. The move, which increased the store's square footage and customer base significantly, has also sparked the town's renaissance.

This August, Cody's Books is opening in San Francisco, across the bay from the store's other locations on Telegraph Avenue and Fourth Street in Berkeley. The 21,000-square-foot space, a former Planet Hollywood, is in the busy Union Square district. Cody's owner Andy Ross told BTW that although he had no intentions of expanding, when he visited the site at the landlord's request, he "immediately knew it was a great space and a great location. After 15 minutes, I decided it would work. I believe it's the greatest location in California."

Based upon reports from independent booksellers across the country who recently spoke to Bookselling This Week, there didn't seem to be one particular trend when it came to this year's holiday shopping season. Sales results varied from region to region, and from bookseller to bookseller. While many experienced significant sales increases over last year, some reported that sales remained flat, while other not-so-fortunate booksellers noted that holiday sales dropped drastically in 2004.

Karibu Books, an African-American specialty store, now includes five locations in the Washington, D.C. area, with a sixth opening in Baltimore later in 2005. The company's philosophy is to empower and educate people by providing complete access to books by and about people of African descent.

The Bookseller in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

After 32 years in the same location with the same owner, Ardmore, Oklahoma's The Bookseller is changing hands. Owner E.

University Book Store, founded in 1900, opened its 10th location in Washington state on December 3. CEO Bryan Pearce told BTW that the store's management had been looking for a location in South Snohomish County for nearly a decade.

The encouraging number of new independent bookstores increased by three this past week with the openings of stores by two veteran booksellers and one newcomer to the industry.

Arundel Books at Seattle's Alexis Hotel.

Arundel Books, which includes a store in Los Angeles and one in Seattle, just moved the Seattle locatio

Barrington Books in Barrington, Rhode Island, was founded in 1986 as a Little Professor franchise, but it ended its contract three-and-a-half years ago and was renamed. Owners Tony and Celeste Allen held a renaming contest for the 4,100-square-foot store and received 800 entries from customers.

Although media reports indicate that holiday shoppers were out in force during what the National Retail Federation termed a "blockbuster" Thanksgiving weekend, sales reports from independent booksellers around the country ran the gamut. If there was consensus about anything among independent booksellers in BTW's informal survey, it was a wait-and-see attitude, with many expressing cautious optimism.

McNally Robinson Booksellers, a 7,000-square-foot bookstore with a cafe, will officially open tomorrow on Prince Street in New York City. The store's owner is Sarah McNally, whose family owns four McNally Robinsons in Canada, two in Winnipeg, one in Saskatoon, and one in Calgary. The Manhattan store is not part of the Canadian McNally Robinson stores, but McNally's family has invested in her venture and owns 20 percent of the business.