Around Indies

Olson Awarded Medal of the Arts

Quail Ridge Books owner Nancy Olson is one of six people to be awarded the Medal of the Arts, the highest award given by the Raleigh Arts Commission.

The Arts Commission said that Olson was being honored because she “has been bringing readers and writers together since 1984 when she opened Quail Ridge Books and Music. Ms. Olson has always stood out in the literary community for the part she has played in discovering and fostering budding authors. She is a champion for many local causes, including hunger relief, AIDS and literacy, which include her 'Books for Kids' program. She has been honored with the PublishersWeekly Bookseller of the Year award and is in the Raleigh Hall of Fame.”

Olson and the other winners will receive their medals at a ceremony on October 6.

Joseph-Beth Leads Charlotte Bookstores in Library Fundraising

After three branches of the Charlotte, North Carolina, library system were closed earlier this year, local bookstores organized a three-day fundraiser to help the library make up some of its budget shortfall. The fundraiser was started by Joseph-Beth marketing manager Caroline Crownover, according the Charlotte Observer.

In addition to Joseph-Beth, Park Road Books, Black Forest Books & Toys, and The Bookmark are participating, as are several chain bookstores.

“Profiles in Courage” Includes Holbrook

The Christian Science Monitor continued its “Profiles in Courage” series on independent bookstore owners with Tom Holbrook, owner of RiverRun Bookstore in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

In response to a question about what makes going to work every day worth it, Holbrook said, “I like to play with books. I like to take books out of their boxes, to put them someplace where people will pick them up. I like to watch people as they pick them up. I like to buy books that I think you’re going to like and put them where I think you will see them. It’s very, very tactile and for me, my personality, if I could do that without any ever coming into the store, I would.”