Partner Spotlight is a series designed to highlight the vendors that partner with ABA to offer discounted products, services, and business opportunities to ABA members. Each installment, we interview a different partner to learn more about their organization and why indie bookstores matter to them.
The Librarian’s Candle Co. offers literary-inspired candles, hand-poured by a real librarian. Made in small batches with vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable ingredients, each candle is specially curated and paired with a book title.
Bookselling This Week met with The Librarian’s Candle Co. founder, Andrea, to learn about the company.
Bookselling This Week: Why don’t you tell us a little about the origin of the company?
The Librarian’s Candle Co.: I’ve been an elementary school librarian for over 20 years, so I’m always surrounded by books, readers, and the quiet magic that happens in spaces built for curiosity. Libraries and bookstores share that same feeling — they’re places where people slow down, discover stories, and find little pieces of themselves in what they read.
I’m also the type of librarian who loves nonfiction and research. I’m always trying to figure out the “why” behind things. That curiosity spills into everything I do.
The idea for The Librarian’s Candle Co. really grew out of that environment. I’ve always loved the ritual of reading: a cozy chair, a good book, and a candle burning nearby. So I started learning and experimenting.
What began as a small creative project quickly turned into something much bigger. I love branding and playing around with ideas — testing scent names, label designs, and packaging concepts. My librarian brain also loves the research side of it, so I’m constantly asking readers, booksellers, and friends for feedback. I joke that I run informal focus groups everywhere I go.
It turns out there are a lot of people who love books as much as I do and want products that celebrate that experience.
BTW: How would you describe your products to someone who’s never seen them? What do you think sets your products apart?
TLCC: Our candles are designed specifically for people who love books and the culture around them. Everything we make is rooted in literary themes from scent names to packaging, but with a modern, minimal design that fits naturally into bookstores and readers’ homes.
The scents are warm, cozy, and nostalgic. The kinds of fragrances that feel like curling up with a novel on a rainy afternoon. But visually, the products are intentionally simple and elevated. We want them to look beautiful sitting on a bedside table, a reading desk, or displayed in a bookstore.
What sets us apart is that the brand is genuinely rooted in the book world. I’m not just inspired by reading culture, I come from it. Being a librarian means I understand the kinds of things readers, booksellers, and literary communities actually connect with.
BTW: What prompted you to partner with ABA and our members?
TLCC: Independent bookstores have always been incredibly important to me. They’re more than retail spaces. They’re community hubs where people gather around ideas, stories, and creativity. My favorite part has always been meeting authors when they come to town. I was beyond thrilled to partner with an author to create a custom scent to bring the setting to the reader, and that book landed on the NY Times best sellers list.
Partnering with ABA members felt like a natural extension of what we’re building. Our products were really designed with bookstores in mind. They work well as gift items, they connect with readers immediately, and they add a cozy literary atmosphere to a shop.
I love seeing candles sitting near the register or tucked into a staff pick display because they become part of the browsing experience. It’s exciting to collaborate with stores that care so deeply about books and the communities around them.
BTW: Is there anything else you want to share with our members? Hints at future designs?
TLCC: One of the most fun parts of running The Librarian’s Candle Co. is dreaming up new literary ideas. We’re always experimenting with designs inspired by classic literature, reading culture, and the little inside jokes that book lovers recognize.
There are definitely more literary themes coming. I am currently working on some new bookmarks and I am even starting to get into lithograph printing. But to be honest, some of our best ideas come from booksellers themselves. So I always love hearing what stores and readers would like to see next.
The Librarian’s Candle Co. is offering ABA Members 10% off orders $150 or more. Visit the ABA Partners page for more details.