Around Indies

Otto Bookstore Celebrates 170^th Anniversary

This Friday, Otto Bookstore will mark 170 years of serving the Williamsport, Pennsylvania, community with a celebration featuring book signings and live music.

Speaking to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, owner Betsy Rider compared Otto to the popular folktale “The Tortoise and the Hare.” “You have other bookstores give out and you stay the course,” she said.

Rider grew up in the family-run bookshop that her father bought in 1905. Without repeat customers, the store would not still be around, she told the paper, and one of the biggest challenges it has faced comes from technology. Rider told the Sun-Gazette that she constantly checks the store website for online orders because people would rather order through the website than call to reserve a book.

On the store’s website, Rider thanks her loyal customers for their support.

Namaste Bookshop Is One

New York City’s Namaste Bookshop turned one this week.

Last November, the store opened its doors as one of the city’s only spirituality book and gift stores. On Monday, Namaste celebrated its anniversary and expressed appreciation for customer support with a Ganesh Puja spiritual ritual, several sample healing sessions, and in-store discounts.

Bartleby’s Books Reopens

On Black Friday, Bartleby’s Books in Wilmington, Vermont, will reopen after more than two months of rebuilding. Bartleby’s suffered severe damage when Hurricane Irene struck the East Coast in late August.

The store’s owner, Lisa Sullivan, had already lost Bartleby’s sister store, The Book Cellar, in April, due to water damage from a six alarm fire. Not willing to repeat this experience, she, along with her husband and several community-minded volunteers, worked tirelessly on refurbishing Bartleby’s.

Focusing on the positive, Sullivan said she saw the rebuilding as an opportunity to improve the Bartleby’s shopping experience. The store now incorporates more retail space, including an expanded second floor, and takes pride in its existing services: a wide selection of books, unique cards and gifts, and Mocha Joe’s coffee and refreshments.

Bartleby’s is launching a new domain name for its website (myvermontbookstore.com) and a new marketing campaign based on the mantra, “Come hell or high water, Bartleby’s is my Vermont Bookstore.”

Parnassus’ Patchett Thanks Community

On Saturday night, at the opening of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, co-owner Ann Patchett gave a spontaneous speech thanking the community for its support.

She told the crowd, “The difference between ordering a book on Amazon and buying a book at Parnassus are these smart, kind, overqualified readers that we have in the store who can tell you what to read…. Really and truly, I’m not a very emotionally forthcoming person, but I love you all.”