Independent Bookstores of New England Are Facing the Pandemic Head-On

By Tori Merkle

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected our world in innumerable ways, and independent bookstores have not been spared. On one hand, more people are staying in and reading. But closing doors for a few months has not been easy for all independent bookstores, many of which were already struggling to compete with major retailers.

Unfortunately, some treasured bookstores in New England have joined the large sum of small businesses that haven’t made it through. Sherman’s of Camden is among them, though they are relieved to leave behind another thriving bookstore, Owl & Turtle, which we have featured on Brilliant Light Publishing.

“Some of the towns, if we close, we would feel really bad because we believe in how important those bookstores are to the downtowns, and to the towns generally.” - Jeff Curtis, owner of Sherman’s Books & Stationary, on Penobscot Bay Pilot

We have also lost I AM Books, an Italian bookstore in Boston; Nubble Books in Biddeford, Maine; Book Outlet in North Hampton, New Hampshire; Annie’s Book Stop in Plainville, Massachusetts; and That Book Store in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

Though these closures are saddening, there have been some success stories. Frugal Bookstore, a black-owned bookstore in Boston, recovered from halted business thanks to a GoFundMe. Indie bookstores are also steadily fighting to stay in business, many of them now open with necessary adjustments and finding creative ways to operate in the era of Covid-19.

Many bookstores, for example, have created or amped up systems for remote orders. One such system is Bookshop, an online bookstore that supports indie bookstores by donating profits and enabling them to have their own online space. Along with increased online shopping comes increased online presence, and stores have taken that to heart, as well. They are becoming more active on social media and using newsletters like this one at Bartleby’s Wilmington and this one on at Bear Pond Books to provide regular updates and stay engaged with customers.

Author readings and book launches, too, have been altered to fit into our new reality. Independent bookstores are hosting these events online, and enabling online registration via Eventbrite, Crowdcast, Zoom, and other services. While these events won’t feel the same as seeing an author at your local bookstore, they do enable readers and fans to tune in from anywhere. Many virtual readings and talks are free to attend, and feature bestselling authors and exciting new indie books alike. These changes may actually boost event attendance, a win-win-win for authors, bookstores, and the readers that love them.  

Check out our Events page for some great options, or go to your favorite bookstore’s website and see what they have scheduled.

In addition to expanding their online presences, stores have instituted curbside pickup, shopping by appointment, and delivery to stay in business and help customers acquire much-needed quarantine reads. The upside to that? When you schedule a shopping appointment, you may have your favorite bookstore all to yourself for your allotted time. Even without appointments, limited store capacities offer a quiet, intimate atmosphere for you to browse and find your next read.

Stores have also recognized that the situation is a moving target: depending on how the pandemic evolves in their locale, stores have had to adjust their strategies. For example, Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont instituted backdoor pickup, local delivery, and free shipping as needed. For a time, pickup orders were the best tactic, but as case numbers increased, delivery became the safer alternative. Throughout the entire process, stores like Bear Pond have been excellent at remaining adaptive and figuring out how to serve their communities of booklovers.

See this post here.

See this post here.

Now, as many stores are opening again, bookstores have come up with innovative ways to engage with their visitors safely in person. For example, Brookline Booksmith in Boston, MA has put a lot of effort into making in-person shopping a safe and enjoyable experience. They have created a window for book pickups and reworked the layout of their store to provide more space for their flow of customers. Red arrows on the floor indicate which way shoppers should walk down each aisle, reducing cramped spaces and close passes. Like many stores, the bookshop has also added stickers to designate where customers should stand in the checkout line.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Photo by Tori Merkle

Photo by Tori Merkle

Photo by Tori Merkle

As a successful and beloved independent bookstore in the heart of Coolidge Corner, Brookline Booksmith was fortunate to be able to take these safety precautions further by expanding their space. They acquired the vacated storefront nearby, which used to hold a Verizon store, and set up another wing. The door, on the other side of the Dependable Cleaners, is exit-only, creating a one-way flow of foot traffic through the store. They have moved their registers to the new space to reduce crowding around the store entrance, where the registers used to be. The old registers are now an information desk, where staff members greet customers and tell them about the changes to the store.

Photo by Tori MerklePreviously the checkout counter, this is now an information counter.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Previously the checkout counter, this is now an information counter.

Photo by Tori MerkleThe new wing, including new shelves and registers protected by plexiglass.

Photo by Tori Merkle

The new wing, including new shelves and registers protected by plexiglass.

Photo by Tori MerkleBrookline Booksmith expansion, outside view. Original store to the right of the cleaners, new wing to the left.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Brookline Booksmith expansion, outside view. Original store to the right of the cleaners, new wing to the left.

Though not all independent bookstores have the resources to do as much as this Boston favorite has, it is heartening to see how so many stores have adapted to fit the needs of this new “normal.” Bookstores have really connected with their communities and worked out new ways to stay operational—means of functioning that are now tested, improved upon, and in their toolkit, should there be a second or third wave that demands readjusting.

Literary World at a Glance: 9/23/20

By Hannah Paige

News

The Independent Publishers of New England, together with Brilliant Light Publishing, L3C has concluded the jurying process for its Pandemic Grant. This grant is for writers who have at least one book published, and have financial needs / book services needs during these difficult times. We are happy to announce that the grant met with a very positive reception. Thank you to all across New England who contributed and got the word out to make this program a success.

The New Hampshire Writer’s Project has announced a new grant for struggling writers/independent bookstores affected by Covid. Apply through the link below. https://www.nhwritersproject.org/2020/07/28/a-potential-resource-for-writers-affected-by-covid-19/

The New England Independent Booksellers Association has announced their 2020 Book Award Finalists! Check out their website for the finalists in each category. Those interested can attend the Book Award Final event at the Fall Conference held this week. The annual Fall Conference will be held over Zoom September 21-25, where they will announced the winners.

https://newenglandbooks.org/page/book-awards

In sadder literary news…

I AM BOOKS, a bookstore in Boston’s North End is going out of business due to the pandemic. The toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has been too great for the North End’s Italian bookstore I AM BOOKS. While the bookstore’s website will remain open for ordering, the North End location will be closing its doors. On September 12, the store hosted a “goodbye event” for bibliophiles to pay their respects.

In these difficult times, independent bookstores need your help more than ever! This weekend, take a trip to a local New England bookstore and stock up on some books to enjoy in the fall weather! Support those booksellers so that we can keep reading and writing!

It’s Not Just Stephen King (Latest Releases You Might Not Know About)

Lands End, Gail Mazer

(August 5)

“In this comprehensive volume, Mazur (Forbidden City) demonstrates a remarkable mastery of poetic technique as she depicts human relationships in all of their ambiguities. These poems highlight both the arc of a career and the seamless unity within Mazur’s distinguished body of work.”

—Publishers Weekly

The Caretaker, Doon Arbus

(September 15, New Directions)

“Arbus’s sly debut novel (after Diane Arbus: A Chronology, a coauthored collection of her mother’s diary entries) explores the insular world of the late Dr. Charles Alexander Morgan—collector, chemist, philosopher, philanthropist, and all-around eccentric—whose legacy, consisting of hundreds of items ranging from seashells and coat hangers to a portrait by Albrecht Dürer and Morgan’s seminal masterpiece entitled simply Stuff, is overseen by a devoted and unnamed caretaker. . . Taking cues from tales by Kafka and Robert Walser, Arbus pulls off an unnerving feat of contemporary postmodernism.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Doon Arbus’s debut novel is a kind of mystery—about who we become, what the absent leave us with, and why. Dense, visual, and true, this short book speaks volumes about the theater of the mind, and how the ensuing comedic drama we call life unfolds inside and outside our control. A marvelous new voice.

—Hilton Als

Catch the author event this week! https://www.ndbooks.com/event/doon-arbus-in-conversation-with-hilton-als/#/

Also recently released from New Directions, a new essay collection Angels and Saints from Eliot Weinberger, who The New York Times calls “one of the world’s greatest essayists.”

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

In Haverhill, MA those interested in learning about the history of the books they have come to so cherish should seek out the Museum of Printing.

“The Museum of Printing is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.

In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the Museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting, and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents.”

(From the MoP website)

When reading, it’s easy to get lost in a good book’s story rather than think about what it took to get that book into your hands. The history of printing and book-making is one with a long lineage, stretching back to long before New England could boast of a rich reading community. Many might attribute the history of book-making to begin with Johansen Gutenberg and his invention of adjustable type mold that fit into the precursor to the modern printing press in the 15th century. But actually, people have been eager to find ways of documenting the world around them long before Gutenberg’s revolutionary change. People had been experimenting with paper making and printing techniques in China, Spain, and Ireland for centuries already. Slowly, word spread of this new technology and other countries began to utilize it. Most of what was printed in these early years of the printing press pertained to religious material, but eventually as the printing revolution progressed, more literature was widely produced.

When the Puritans landed in the New World, they brought with them the first printing press in the United States, introducing the Western idea of what we might consider a book to what would eventually become New England. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the mass paperback was born in England. Called “penny dreadfuls,” these short stories of the Gothic and Crime nature cost a penny and were immensely popular, coming over to the United States with time as what we would call “dime novels.” In comparison, these bear hardly any resemblance to the novels New England readers take pleasure in today, but that doesn’t discount their importance in the history of books and printing.

This is but an abbreviated history and has been condensed almost to sweet-milk status (baking season must be upon us soon.) If you’re interested in learning more about the lineage of printing, go check out the newly re-opened Museum of Printing in MA. More information about touring can be found on their website.

https://www.museumofprinting.org

How Does Your Local Bookstore Stay In Business During The Pandemic?

 
The Norwich Bookstore in Vermont Offering Book Order Pick Ups© The Norwich Bookstore

The Norwich Bookstore in Vermont Offering Book Order Pick Ups

© The Norwich Bookstore

 

COVID-19 has disrupted just about everything and adjusting to a new normal has been challenging for everyone. Some independent bookstores have come up with creative ways to stay in business during these “difficult times,” although their hours of operation may be limited.

Across New England, some stores are able to continue business via mail order and leaving their local customer purchases outside their door for pick-up. And some can deliver to their local customers. An online presence and the ability of staff to locate books for their customers has kept things moving.

Owl & Turtle in Camden, ME offer book home delivery service, media mail shipping, and curbside pick-up, waiving fees wherever possible.© Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe

Owl & Turtle in Camden, ME offer book home delivery service, media mail shipping, and curbside pick-up, waiving fees wherever possible.

© Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe

Until social distancing has been lifted in our communities, make use of your local bookstore’s website (and Indiebound.org) to place book orders. Be sure to check your bookstore’s website or Facebook page for their updates before calling.

Annual Newburyport Literary Festivalstreaming live on April 25th and May 3rd

Annual Newburyport Literary Festival

streaming live on April 25th and May 3rd

With the situation changing daily, author events and other social gatherings have been cancelled, but some authors and writing teachers are holding their events virtually. The Annual Newburyport Literary Festival will be held via the Internet, streaming live on April 25th and May 3rd.

 

To be sure your local bookstore will still be in business once usual operating hours return, please consider purchasing a store gift certificate or making a donation to a shop that is struggling.

 
award-winning, woman-owned independent bookstore, located in Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA

award-winning, woman-owned independent bookstore, located in Jamaica Plain, Boston, MA

 

One local store in need of funding right now is the award-winning, woman-owned independent bookstore located in the Boston, MA neighborhood of Jamaica Plain – Papercuts JP.

Kate Layte opened Papercuts in 2014 after a decade working in the book industry. Her shop also publishes under their house imprint, Cutlass Press. The recent expansion of the store combined with the pandemic threatens their ability to remain open. Check them out online.

 

Continue to practice safe social distancing, wear a mask, and wash hands frequently!