And then there’s our favorite, Beaverdale Books, a stalwart supporter of the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat and a community asset in the Greater Des Moines area.
I’m old and really miss the days when I lived near multiple bookstores that catered to different perspectives and audiences. Bookstores are businesses and the people that run them must make a living. In order to do that they cater to people of privilege. Who else can wander in and spend $50 or $100 on full-priced, hard-covered books? I wish them well, but the places that build community are the public libraries. That’s where the poor kids get books and go to story time. That’s where the homeless people read a magazine and warm up in the winter and cool down in the summer. That’s where the senior citizens get their taxes done and go online to sign up for Medicare.
I strongly encourage you to read Danny's book. He explores the interconnected relationship between libraries and local bookstores, and how the most important goal is to build literary community wherever you go.
He also does a great job of explaining how the margins of bookstores are a lot different than typical retail stores and how the big publishers/Amazon play a huge role in the price of books at a bookstore.
And then there’s our favorite, Beaverdale Books, a stalwart supporter of the Okoboji Writers’ Retreat and a community asset in the Greater Des Moines area.
I’m old and really miss the days when I lived near multiple bookstores that catered to different perspectives and audiences. Bookstores are businesses and the people that run them must make a living. In order to do that they cater to people of privilege. Who else can wander in and spend $50 or $100 on full-priced, hard-covered books? I wish them well, but the places that build community are the public libraries. That’s where the poor kids get books and go to story time. That’s where the homeless people read a magazine and warm up in the winter and cool down in the summer. That’s where the senior citizens get their taxes done and go online to sign up for Medicare.
I strongly encourage you to read Danny's book. He explores the interconnected relationship between libraries and local bookstores, and how the most important goal is to build literary community wherever you go.
He also does a great job of explaining how the margins of bookstores are a lot different than typical retail stores and how the big publishers/Amazon play a huge role in the price of books at a bookstore.