Plans Percolate for Bookstore in Downtown Athens

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Janet Geddis plans to open a new bookstore -- Avid Bookshop -- in Athens, Georgia, by late spring 2010. "The project was hatched about two years ago, but personal and economic issues caused me to put it on the back burner for a while," she told BTW. "Now we're up and running again at a remarkable speed!"

Geddis always longed for her own bookstore, but didn't think it was possible until she had a recent revelation. "Though owning a bookstore was something I'd wanted to do since I was a wee little kid, it never presented itself as a 'real' option until a couple of years ago," she explained. "It felt like a big whack on the head: Of course, a bookstore was the answer that had been there all along, just waiting for me to recognize it."

The city of Athens, said Geddis, is prime ground for a new indie bookstore. "It's unbelievable that Athens doesn't already have a downtown indie bookstore similar to the one I'm planning. Athens is chock full of well-educated, thoughtful, creative, interesting readers. The downtown area lies alongside the sprawling, beautiful University of Georgia campus."

Along with "live music pouring out of bar and restaurant windows" nightly, she noted that the city has an active arts community. Athenians continue their commitment to sustainable living, the Athens Locally Grown website has an active following, and a weekly warm-weather farmer's market has grown substantially since its inception last spring.

Geddis has already had an early glimpse of local enthusiasm for Avid Bookshop. She posted an Avid Bookshop survey on Survey Monkey asking locals how they might be willing to help with, for example, pro bono accounting services, interior and exterior design, office supplies, decoration supplies, artwork, etc. To date, 200 people have responded. (Geddis modeled her survey on one created by Rebecca Fitting and Jessica Stockton Bagnulo of Greenlight Bookstore, which will open this fall.)

To bring attention to the survey, Geddis e-mailed every person in her address book, posted the link on Twitter (@AvidBookshop), her Facebook page, and an Athens neighborhood listserv. She also placed the link on a few Facebook group pages for organizations that might have a vested interest in Avid Bookshop's success. In the survey, Geddis requested, but did not require, that people put down contact information, and she had a clear opt-out of her mailing list. "I want to be extremely respectful of people's privacy," she said.

Plans for the store are still in the works. Geddis said. "I'm still not sure of the size of the store I want. I'm hoping for anything from 700 to 1,500 square feet. A broad range, I know, but everything depends on the location, the rent, and the feel of the place.

Avid Bookshop will be a general interest community bookstore with a well-planned children's section. Used titles in good condition will be shelved alongside new books. A dedicated percentage of sideline items will be made by local artisans. ("I already have a handful on board, just waiting for the word go!" she said.)

To prepare for her new vocation, Geddis, born and raised in the Atlanta area, visited "lots of indies in order to pick the brains of the owners and managers!" She'll be attending the Paz Booksellers School this September, has a couple of internships set up with Atlanta indie bookstores, and is a member of ABA and the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance (SIBA).

Geddis' experience with the book industry ranges from working as a regional library storyteller, a research assistant for an extensive bibliotherapy project, a tutor for the local school district's Homeless Education Program, and a literacy advocate/teacher. She also has a Masters of Education in educational psychology. By the time she earned her degree, Geddis said she knew two things: "1. I loved creativity theory, creative practices, and non-traditional teaching. 2. I did not want to be a classroom teacher."

She does, however, want to be a bookseller. "To say I have high hopes for it is not sufficient: I know I'll give it everything I can to succeed.... I am hoping that my bookstore is a true community center -- I am seeking Athenians' points of view, advice, and help at every turn. So far, I'm humbled and amazed at the outpouring of support." --Karen Schechner