Are indy bookstores the future?

Bestselling author Ann Patchett just announced that she and her business partner will open a bookstore in Green Hills, Tennessee. The area needs a bookstore, she says. Some will no doubt wonder if Patchett is nuts. I wonder if Patchett is part of a trend that marks the future for books and bookstores.

When Borders Bookstores closed earlier this year, citing the advent of e-readers, a changing publishing industry, and bad economy, we were once again left to ponder the future of traditional print books and bricks-and-mortar bookstores.

About the same time Borders shut its doors, I talked with Steven and Michelle Pritchard. They own Pritchard's Book Cafe, a small bookstore/coffee shop in Southridge Mall in Des Moines.  The Book Cafe is an eclectic blend of sandwiches, coffee named for authors, bookmarks handmade by Michelle, and, oh, books!  It's a friendly space, unique to its owners.

The Pritchards are moving to larger space this summer where they plan to cut down on the food side of their Cafe as they add more books.  In celebration of their new space, they were lining up authors (myself included) to come in for signings.

Owning a bookstore is a long-time dream for Michelle. So she and Steven are going for it. The Prichards are doing what entrepreneurs do - they follow their dreams and put their own unique stamp on the dream in the process.

Des Moines has other independent bookstores - Beaverdale Books owned by Alice Myers and The Book Store owned by John Heitzman.  Independent bookstores dot the Iowa landscape. Each unique, each reflecting the personality and taste of its owner.

I applaud each of these Indy bookstores for their dedication to books, service, and the entrepreneurial way of life. May book lovers find you and buy books from you. May you live long and prosper!

Iowa's Indie bookstores - jewels on main street

My love affair with bookstores stepped up a notch this past year when I was assigned to write a feature on Iowas independent bookstores for The Iowan magazine.

Visiting these unique locations and talking with the owners was as much a delight as opening a new book.  The cover tells you one thing and with each page turn you learn something new.  Each indie bookstore reflects the interests of the owners and the local reading public.

Readers of my article: "Cover to Cover: Indie bookstores read Iowans" will experience some of Iowa's unique bookstore treasures. The Book Vault in Oskaloosa, which occupies a converted bank building, and where the vaults with their heavy doors and impressive locking mechanisms guard special collections of mysteries and Iowa authors. The Bookvine in Cherokee where bookshelves share space with the works of local artists and a wine collection. The Book Store in downtown Des Moines catering to business and travel readers. Spaces as unique as O'Town Books in Ottumwa where children and teachers are a major focus and as iconic as Prairie Lights in Iowa City.

My travels took me to far more bookstores than are included in the article.  But not to all of them.  The more I looked around, the more bookstores I found.

Iowa is fortunate to have these bookstore treasures - jewels on main streets across the state. With owners who understand and cater to local readers, offering spaces that meet the local gathering needs of book clubs for adults and kids, and giving their owners an opportunity to indulge and pursue their personal dreams, whether those dreams involve wine or wood carving or art. Iowa's indie bookstores face the economic challenges of all small businesses. Sadly some went out of business even as I was trying to contact them for my article.

An all-Iowa treasure hunt to find these jewels would be a great adventure. And while you're there talk to the owners - and buy one book or buy many.  Iowa's bookstores are treasures we will be wise to support.

Photo by Paul Gates, courtesy of The Iowan magazine.