Around Indies

A New Bookstore Opens in Naperville

On April 7, BookHunters, an independent bookstore with an inventory of new and gently used titles, opened in Naperville, Illinois, as reported by the Naperville Sun.

Store owner Vicki Allison is not new to bookselling, however; she was raised working in her father’s store, Moody Books, in Johnson, Tennessee, and from 2003 – 2005 was the owner of a bookstore in Batavia, Illinois. She closed the store when the family had to relocate for her huband’s job, but later sold books online.

Allison told the Sun that her favorite part of bookselling was “being surrounded by knowledge, by books of every type and genre.”

Skylight Joins General Strike

In recognition of International Workers’ Day, Skylight Books in Los Angeles, California, is participating in a general strike next Tuesday, May 1. The store is inviting all members of the community to join, and will serve as a meeting place in the morning for neighborhood members to gather and travel downtown together to the Occupy movement’s activities.

“As an independent bookstore, we encounter daily the ways in which an economy based only around large profit can destroy local, neighborhood-focused enterprises,” said Skylight bookseller Meg Wade. “So we’re participating on May first to show our support for strong, community-based economies that benefit the lives of their workers, because we think that we and our fellow Los Angelenos deserve that.”

The store will be closed from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and will reopen to host labor singer Ross Altman at 7:30 p.m., who will talk about the history of May Day as well as perform classic labor songs. Light refreshments will be served.

Curious George Reopens

Last Wednesday, Curious George Books & Toys, a children’s bookstore in Cambridge Massachusetts, reopened under the ownership of Adam S. and Jamie S. Hirsch. The new owners have rebranded the store, which is building an online presence and has established an affiliation with NBC Universal and Houghton Mifflin, the rightsholders of the Curious George brand and imagery, according to the Harvard Crimson.

“We want to continue to get children of all ages excited about reading,” Adam Hirsch said. “We’re going to be creating a lifelong relationship with our patrons.”

In addition to a wide selection of Children and YA titles, the store sells puzzles, toys, and children’s clothing.

Brookline Booksmith Opens Globe Corner Travel Annex

Brookline Booksmith has acquired the trademarks, trade names, and website of the Globe Corner Bookstore and has opened the Globe Corner Travel Annex, a smaller version of the former travel stores, in its Brookline store, according to the Boston Herald.

Booksmith co-owner Dana Brigham told the newspaper that with the acquisition the bookstore added more than 2,000 travel map titles and now features the largest selection of country, continental, and world wall maps in New England. The store also plans to expand its selection of travel and outdoor recreation accessories in the coming year.

Brooksmith continuing to operate the former Globe Corner website, globecorner.com, but eventually plans to integrate it into its own website, brooklinebooksmith.com.