Around Indies

Changes in the Offing for Kepler’s

Clark Kepler, the owner of Kepler’s Books & Magazines in Menlo Park, California, has announced his plans to retire and discussions are underway to turn the 56-year-old bookstore founded by his father into a nonprofit event space/for-profit bookstore hybrid, as reported by the Almanac. “After 32 years, I realize I’m not the force to make the necessary changes,” Kepler told the newspaper, which noted that in December former Menlo Park Mayor Gail Slocum invited an undisclosed list of recipients to meeting to discuss the changes to Kepler’s. The Almanac reported that the effort raised about $150,000 prior to the meeting, with a goal of $300,000.

Kepler said the goal of the current undertaking is to keep alive the identity of Kepler’s as a community hub for the passionate exchange of ideas, as reported by the Almanac. To help in this effort, the store has put together a transition team, which this week sent a quick 14-question survey to gather customer input about the things they value about the store and what they would like to see moving forward.

Weller Book Works Executes Book Drop

To celebrate its new location and look, Weller Book Works in Salt Lake City is executing a “book drop.” The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the indie bookseller is leaving hundreds of free books around the city, wrapped in book covers that advertise the store’s reopening.

Weller Book Works, formerly known as Sam Weller Books, was located on Main Street for more than 60 years. It will open at Trolley Square on Friday, January 13.

The Book Stall at Chestnut Court to Mark 30 Years

Roberta Rubin’s The Book Stall at Chestnut Court will celebrate its 30th anniversary this February.  The Winnetka, Illinois, indie is hosting a celebration on Saturday, February 11, featuring champagne and treats, and is inviting all Chicago authors to join in the party.

Chestnut Court has been in business since 1933, and The Book Stall was founded in 1972.  In 1982, Rubin bought the store and merged the two businesses.

New Bethel Indie Focuses on Book Culture

Byrd’s Books, which opened last month in Bethel, Connecticut, was featured in the CT Post this week. As the daughter of an independent bookstore owner, Byrd’s owner Alice Hutchinson said that she is passionate about bookselling and “interested in the culture of books.”

The store has an inventory of about 2,000 titles, with a special focus on local authors, poets, publishers, and illustrators.

“We’re little, but we’re really real and we’re really here,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a wonderful thing to do, to be around books.”