Around Indies

Gibson’s to Move and Expand

Gibson’s Bookstore will move and expand in a new location beginning construction this summer on South Main Street in Concord, New Hampshire. The bookstore will fill the entire first floor of the five-story building being constructed by Foxfire Property Management, according to the Concord Monitor. Gibson’s will lease nearly 14,000 square feet in the building, which is expected to be finished next year. About 2,000 square feet of the store’s 12,000-square-foot selling floor, will be occupied by a café.

Developer Steve Duprey told the newspaper that bookstore owner Michael Herrmann’s expansion is “a huge commitment to replacing what was lost when Borders was closed. It is a remarkable commitment to the downtown, instead of a mall. And for an independent bookseller to do that, it’s just a great move for this community. It will help anchor downtown.”

Herrmann told the Monitor that the demise of Borders led to “an immediate and big jump” in sales at his store, and he began musing about a possible expansion.

Face in a Book Opens

“Face in a Book,” a new book and gift shop in California’s El Dorado Hills Town Center Shopping Center, will celebrate its grand opening on May 5 and 6.

The store owned by local resident Tina Ferguson features a welcoming awning, clean white walls, the welcoming feeling of visiting a friend’s casually labeled library, and a cozy children’s area, according to the Examiner, which noted that Ferguson worked with experts on selecting the right variety of books for the area. Even before its grand opening celebration, Face in Book has launched a series of reading-centered special events.

About the store’s unusual name, Ferguson told the Examiner that it was rooted in a conversation that she had with a friend about another bookstore’s closing in which she said, “I think people ought to get off of Facebook and put their face in a book.” The name stuck.

The Book Stall Up for Sale

The Book Stall at Chestnut Court, the 75-year-old store that was recently named Publishers Weekly’s 2012 Bookseller of the Year, is up for sale. Owner Roberta Rubin told PW that she wants to travel and spend more time with family.

Rubin is working with bookstore consultants Donna Paz Kaufman and Mark Kaufman of Paz & Associates on the announcement of her plans to Book Stall’s customers. A letter is scheduled to run this summer in the bookstore’s print newsletter, which is sent out monthly to 5,000 people. Rubin hopes to sell the bookstore by summer 2013.

Mystery Lovers Names New Owner

Richard Goldman and Mary Alice Gorman of Oakmont, Pennsylvania’s Mystery Lovers Bookshop have sold their store to Laurie Miller Stephens of Dallas, Texas.

After talking to 13 prospective owners, the pair chose Stephens, whose 35-year career includes experience as a bookseller, librarian, and director of a lecture series. Goldman and Gorman will work with Stephens through the summer to ensure a smooth transition.

Toad Hall Marks 40 Years

This spring, Toad Hall Bookstore in Rockport, Massachusetts, is marking its 40^th anniversary. The nonprofit, which donates 100 percent of its profits to environmental projects, was founded in 1972 by Buck Robinson. The store’s staff, board of directors, and volunteer committee have planned a yearlong series of birthday events.

“Toad Hall Bookstore is, perhaps, the bookstore every small town once dreamed of,” said Rae Francoeur of MetroWest Daily News. “It’s known for its expert staff, its involvement with the larger community, its many concierge-like customer services and its quirky but carefully purchased collection.”

Broadway Books Celebrates 20^th Anniversary

Sunday, May 6, will be “party day” for Portland, Oregon’s Broadway Books. The celebration includes a series of events to mark the store’s 20^th anniversary. At a photo booth, customers will be able to pose with their favorite books, and staff will be giving away 20^th anniversary tote bags to the first 10 customers to spend $50. Additionally, on that day only, Broadway will be offering double value for a full frequent shopper card. The store suggests ways their customers can celebrate all year long on its website.

Garrison Keillor Hosts Grand Opening Events

This week, author and radio host Garrison Keillor hosted events in celebration of his bookstore, Common Good Books’ official grand opening in its new location, on the Macalester College campus in St. Paul, Minnesota, reported the Pioneer Press. The events began on Tuesday, with a Spring Poetry free-for-all, followed by a dramatized reading of Keillor’s new novel, Guy Noir and the Straight Skinny, on Wednesday. The celebration continues tonight, the theme being, “Tell Garrison a Story,” where members of the audience will be invited to tell stories, with Keillor asking questions.

Common Good Books reopened on April 9 after five years at its previous location. That location will become home to a new bookstore, Subtext, in June.

Flyleaf Books Hosts Ashley Bryan

Children's author Ashley Bryan with Flyleaf customer Langston Luck.

Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, drew a crowd of more than 140 people when the store hosted children’s author/illustrator Ashley Bryan. The event was a celebration of the publication of new editions of Bryan’s award-winning books: Walk Together Children, Black American Spirituals, Volume One and I’m Going To Sing, Black American Spirituals, Volume Two. Both volumes are published by Alazar Press, a local press in Carrboro, North Carolina.