Great news! I was at the party and there was great turnout.

 

Rent party rescues landmark bookstore

Friday, February 03, 2006

Michael O'Malley

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

There appears to be a new chapter for the Bookstore on West 25th, a longtime storefront shop that, because of mounting debt and ebbing profit, was preparing just a few weeks ago to go out of business.

 

On Jan. 21, friends and patrons of store owner Mike O'Brien gathered in the cluttered, urban shop for a rent party to save the 30-year-old neighborhood landmark on Cleveland's near West Side...

 

www.cleveland.com

Great news!  Cleveland needs to use this strategy more often.

"He said he needs to use the Internet more aggressively to sell his books and find a way to work with other area independent used-books stores to share inventory and grow together."

 

My question is - has he used the internet to sell his books at all? Also, I don't see his store listed on http://www.nobsweb.org/ - they're one of the best ways for booksellers to network. It's good that the party went well, but I'd suggest he hook up with NOBS so he doesn't have to have another party next year. My folks sell antique/collectible books online and they're the first to tell you that they're like "Ma and Pa Kettle" but if my folks can learn about FTP, *anyone* can.  :-)

This is great news!  I'm sad to say that I'm one of the many people who've lived and visited the neighborhood for years and has yet to buy a book from him yet.  I've just never been into the messy old book store thing, but I need to get over it!  I'll stop in very soon!

 

Maybe OCNW can help him out with a storefront renovation?

I think it's one of the best book stores in town IF you have the time to just wander, you'll certainly come across some great finds.  However, I really wish he would organize to the point of having easily identifiable sections then put some couches and comfy chairs in and it'd be a great winter hang out...

 

In the summer, they host an amazing motown band that plays right in front of the store.  Drums and vocals can be heard echoing all the way to johnny mango's....

I'm going to go against the grain here and quote myself...

 

Maybe OCNW can help him out with a storefront renovation?

 

I take it back!  The storefront is actually quite nice.  What he could use is a merchandiser of some sort or maybe just another staff-person (they cost money, though) who can help keep this place in order.  I, too, live in a world of organized chaos, but I only understand it when it's chaos that I've created.  I think this may be a deterrent to more shopping in this bookstore...the perception that the place is a mess! 

 

Also, are there any places to sit and read?  Is there room for readings or small events?  I need to stop in and find out for myself, don't I? 

 

"I think this may be a deterrent to more shopping in this bookstore...the perception that the place is a mess!"

 

I think that's the problem with quite a few independently-owned places (bookstores or otherwise). We live in a world where time is one of our most valued resources and fewer and fewer people can take a day just to rummage through someone's disorganized inventory and hope to find a book or two. It's a lovely sentiment to think that a store can thrive on quaintness alone, but it's not reality.

 

If you want to see a terrific example of an independent spot that's wonderfully organized, spacious and staffed by people who not only have a passion about what they sell, but know that they need to present merchandise attractively, go to Loganberry Books on Larchmere, just north of Shaker Square. http://www.logan.com/loganberry/default.html

 

 

beautiful!  is that second one the basement?  what do they use all that space for?  the only thing that's missing is a new ceiling...

I believe that's an area that was originally used for storage and bookbinding, but they now mainly use it as retail space and host occasional performances and meetings.