Campaign to Open East Harlem Bookstore Gains Momentum

On September 14, East Harlem, New York, resident Aurora Anaya-Cerda launched “40k in 40 Days,” a campaign with the goal of raising $40,000 to transform La Casa Azul from an online bookstore to a bricks-and-mortar location.

Anaya-Cerda has been using IndieGoGo as a platform to receive donations, as well as to keep the public aware of the campaign’s progress. She initially posted a video to the site to announce her plans and the work that led to the launch of her funding campaign. In a strong show of support, an anonymous donor was matching each contribution dollar for dollar, and now that the campaign is in its final week, the donor will be doubling each contribution.

Donors automatically become a part of the “Founder’s Circle,” and they receive an array of gifts that includes autographed books, T-shirts, and the honor of naming a bookshelf in the store.

So far, Anaya-Cerda has raised $21,331, and a “FUNraiser” to cap the campaign and celebrate the bookstore is scheduled for October 21 at the East Harlem Cafe. Several Latino authors will attend, and the event — which has a suggested $10 donation — will feature raffles and opportunities to contribute to the bookstore.

Anaya-Cerda, the manager of Family Programs and Cultural Celebrations at Al Museo del Barrio, is dedicated to Latino art and literature, and through La Casa Azul, she hopes to provide a cultural foundation, as well as a community space for adults and children in East Harlem.

“When I discovered Chicana/o writers like Sandra Cisneros and Rudolfo Anaya, I connected to their stories and then began seeking out more books that reflected my identity and experience,” said Anaya-Cerda. “By then I was already in high school and I wished I had read about them earlier!”

Anaya-Cerda’s store has existed online for three years, and it has held many events in local cultural institutions, schools, and cafes. Additionally, La Casa Azul is responsible for beginning the annual East Harlem Children’s Book Festival, and it works with local schools and nonprofit organizations to promote literacy.

“Once open as a brick-and-mortar, we will continue to work with area schools and nonprofits to promote literacy in our community, and we will cross-promote with local businesses to highlight the importance of sustainability and buying locally,” said Anaya-Cerda.

La Casa Azul will also host book clubs, author signings, and story time for children and will serve as a community meeting space. The store will sell new and used books, coffee, pastries, art, clothing, and locally made cards and gifts. “A fresh stock of books by local and Latino writers will help solidify our niche as a purveyor of authors of local and regional interest,” said Anaya-Cerda.

For now, she is continuing to focus on the campaign, and once it ends will be choosing a location in East Harlem. An opening date has not been set.

Anaya-Cerda knows that it takes more than seed money to open a bookstore, and she is committed to learning as much about current trends in bookselling as possible before opening her store. To prepare for this venture, she has been attending workshops and reading about the book industry on a regular basis. She has worked and volunteered in five bookstores, taken “countless” business classes, and attended bookselling school twice. She has traveled the country meeting booksellers and studying business models, establishing relationships with publishers and authors nationwide.

“By looking at trends and being open to change, bookstores like La Casa Azul can succeed,” she said.

The campaign, which has received extensive media attention, continues to yield donations from people across the country, as well as people from England and Australia.

“The response from the community has been incredibly positive and supportive,” said Anaya-Cerda. “Many contributors can’t wait to have an independent bookstore in their neighborhood and have already offered to volunteer at the store. Book lovers, teachers, and authors are waiting for the store to open.”