Library Express: Roots in the Community

Library Express: Roots in the Community

Since its beginning, Library Express Bookstore has embodied a “community first” business model for the downtown and greater Scranton areas. As part of the Lackawanna County Library System, its mission statement is “to enhance the lives of all individuals by offering free access to materials and programs designed to satisfy the informational and recreational needs of [the] community.” Thus, its function is twofold. It serves as a branch of the Scranton Public Library and as an indie bookstore, dedicated to meeting the literary, recreational, and scholarly needs of its customers.

According to Alyssa Loney, creator of Scranton Public Library’s podcast, Tales from the Albright, and one of the original employees at Library Express, the bookstore was originally called Library Light, which opened in September of 2011 in The Mall at Steamtown near the area Crunch Fitness occupies today. Just three months later, Library Light moved across the atrium to its current, permanent space, and was rechristened Library Express on January 11, 2012 for its official introduction as a branch of the Lackawanna County Library System. 

Though the store was always intended to be a hybrid space suited for both borrowing and purchasing books, the ties to the library were much more universal at the bookstore’s beginning. Library Express was originally devised as a space to provide library resources and materials for the people of downtown Scranton, and the bookstore half of the concept centered solely on providing a venue for the Friends of the Scranton Public Library to host their annual used book sale, which is widely popular and well attended by citizens in Scranton and the surrounding area. Library Express quickly expanded to stocking its own used titles, however, acquired by donations of gently used books made directly to the bookstore, and began incorporating a steadily growing collection of new books for sale.

Though it’s relatively common to find chain bookstores like BAM and Barnes and Noble in traditional shopping malls, an independent bookstore-library hybrid that emphasizes community and use of free lending materials is an incongruity that doesn’t seem to match the Mall at Steamtown’s capitalist, buyer-centric shopping culture. But that was exactly the point—according to Loney, at its conception, Library Express was intended to educate the public about the library system in a “new, unexpected environment.” Another of its primary goals was to encourage non-traditional library users to start using the library by promoting library card signups and community engagement. The Mall at Steamtown seemed the perfect place for such a bookstore due to its easy access to the community, including spheres of the community that had less interaction with the library system prior to the opening of Library Express.

Ironically, the Mall at Steamtown soon rose to meet Library Express in its emphasis on community. After an intense but losing battle fought by the mall’s original owner and developer, Albert Boscov, the mall was foreclosed on March 7, 2014. The decline in popularity of traditional mall culture and the closing of several key department stores was the final breaking point for the mall, and while Library Express continued its successful mission of community engagement as both a library and a bookstore in the mall after its foreclosure, the mall continued to decline, like many similar shopping centers across the county. About a year later, on July 28, 2015, the mall was sold to John Basalyga, who announced that although he had no intentions of redeveloping the mall, he hoped to move the property towards a more profitable future. This plan was realized on June 1, 2016, when the mall was renamed the Marketplace at Steamtown and rebranded as a community center in downtown Scranton. Soon after, the Luzerne County Community College opened a location on the first floor of the Marketplace, and the entire food court was converted into the Scranton Public Market, where local vendors sell their goods up to seven days a week. While the Mall at Steamtown was initially considered an ideal location for Lackawanna County’s hybrid bookstore due to its ease of access to the bookstore’s target audience, the Marketplace’s new emphasis on creating and fostering a community space aligned perfectly with Library Express’s goals, further contributing to the bookstore’s success. “We have a lot of people that stop by weekly,” says Diane Demko, the manager of Library Express, in her interview with Alyssa Loney. 

Over the years, Library Express has expanded its inventory to match the needs of its customers, first by moving away from only selling the books of the Friends of the Scranton Public Library towards selling their own collection of new and used books. Due to the bookstore’s position in the Marketplace at Steamtown, Library Express serves three kinds of customers: local community members, library patrons, and tourists who are looking for some fun while visiting the area or taking pictures with the “Welcome to Scranton” sign on the first floor of the mall, known for the sign’s iconic appearance in the hit TV series The Office. In 2019, Library Express expanded its inventory yet again, this time including a new merchandise section complete with bookish items, Dunder Mifflin/The Office souvenirs, greeting cards, and postcards of the Scranton area featuring the work of local artist Austin Burke.

Julia Grocki Book Signing

As part of its commitment to community outreach and role as a branch of the Lackawanna County Library System, Library Express hosts a plethora of events designed for all of the age brackets it caters to. From its opening in 2012 until the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, Library Express participated in First Fridays, highlighting a different local artist, writer or speaker every month to boost community engagement and support local creatives. In July 2014, the bookstore began hosting Open Mic Nights for adults and teens (depending on the month), which they still do at present. In 2018, they introduced their Seasoned Citizen Movie Matinees, a monthly event that features throwback movies designed for the enjoyment and enrichment of community members ages 60 and up. They host numerous events for children, including Lego club, the Children’s Cozy Corner, and themed craft days for families. In 2021, they introduced the Young Writers Group, a workshop-based club dedicated to teaching teens the fundamentals of creative writing, and in March 2023, they launched their Sundays for Self-Care initiative, aimed at improving the well-being of library patrons and community members. 

When the Covid-19 pandemic shut down the library system on March 31, 2020, Library Express took it in stride, converting to online programming with ease. After reopening to in-person visits on June 24, 2020, the hybrid bookstore remained the only branch of the Scranton Public Library that stayed open throughout the continued Covid-19 closures, ensuring their customers’ safety by following social distancing guidelines, mask mandates, and quarantine procedures for returned materials. They also joined Bookshop.org in December 2020, so customers could deliver books straight to their home if they preferred while still supporting the Lackawanna County Library System. This option remains today, though the pandemic is over and Library Express’s in-person programming is back at full tilt.

Uniquely positioned in the Marketplace at Steamtown—a shopping mall turned community center—Library Express has served as a center of community in downtown Scranton, providing the resources community members need to excel in their intellectual/professional lives as well as their social/personal lives. In Reluctant Capitalists, Laura J. Miller asserts that chain bookstores “communicated their rejection of cultural elitism through their outlets’… placement in shopping centers and malls” and “indicated that they were not interested in ‘elevating’ or otherwise changing customer tastes through their selections,” while independent bookstores did just the opposite (60). Library Express occupies both ends of this contradictory position as it, though independent, also resides in a mall like the chains, an environment not typically conducive to the idea of a bookseller as a cultural guide who refines the tastes of their patrons, while on the other hand, Library Express also exists as a library which functions to stretch the intellectual capacities of its patrons, connecting them to the curated materials that will expand their understanding of the topic they are looking into. Miller also emphasizes how important it is for independent bookstores to get to know their community so they can better serve them (83), which is something Library Express has been doing since its conception, catering its programs, resources, collection, and inventory to the needs of its customers. Library Express was founded on the idea of reaching out to the community, and it continues this tradition to this day.

Citations

Texts

Amadeo, Salvatore. “Steamtown Mall in Scranton, PA: ExLog 63.” Salvatore Amadeo, 23 Feb. 2023, www.salvatoreamadeo.com/post/steamtown-mall-in-scranton-pa-exlog-63.

“Library Express Bookstore and Library: Support a Cause.” DiscoverNEPA, www.discovernepa.com/cause/library-express-bookstore-and-library/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

“Library Express Bookstore Is Now on Bookshop.” Lackawanna County Library System, 14 Dec. 2020, lclshome.org/2020/12/library-express-bookstore-is-now-on-bookshop/.

“Library Express Bookstore to Reopen Monday, June 29.” Lackawanna County Library System, 24 June 2020, lclshome.org/2020/06/library-express-bookstore-to-reopen-monday-june-29/.

“Library Express Bookstore Will Remain Open with Limited Occupancy.” Lackawanna County Library System, 11 Dec. 2020, lclshome.org/2020/12/library-express-bookstore-will-remain-open-with-limited-occupancy/.

“Library Express Bookstore.” Lackawanna County Library System, lclshome.org/b/library-express/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. “Providing for the Sovereign Consumer: Selecting and Recommending Books.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, pp. 60–83.

“Scranton Public Library Locations Closed until Further Notice.” Lackawanna County Library System, 31 Mar. 2020, lclshome.org/2020/03/covid-19-statement-from-the-scranton-public-library/.

“Young Writers Group.” Lackawanna County Library System, 29 Dec. 2020, lclshome.org/2020/12/young-writers-group/.

Audio

“Tales from the Albright.” Created by Alyssa Loney, episode 4: Lackawanna County Children’s Library and Library Express Bookstore, 29 July 2021.

“Tales from the Albright.” Created by Alyssa Loney, episode 56: Library Express Bookstore, 23 Feb. 2023.

Images

juliabaker_rd. Julia Grocki Book Signing. 1 Dec. 2017. Scranton, PA.

Scranton Public Library. Check Out Our New Merchandise Section. 18 Mar. 2019. Scranton, PA.

Scranton Public Library. Library Card Sign-Up Month. 1 Sept. 2019. Scranton, PA.

Scranton Public Library. Library Express Bookstore Now Sells Greeting Cards! 28 Mar. 2019. Scranton, PA.

Scranton Public Library. New Pins!!! 7 Feb. 2019. Scranton, PA.

susan.t.smi. Visiting Independent Bookstores. 18 Oct. 2022. Scranton, PA.

theyellowbrickreader. Library Express Storefront. 11 Aug. 2021. Scranton, PA.

Timeline

Timeline created by Amelia Alexander using TimeGraphics: https://time.graphics/

Rich Intentions & a Love of Books: The History of Midtown Scholar Bookstore

When Midtown Scholar’s owners, Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawrence, met, they bonded over their shared love of books. Who would have known that over 20 years later, they would own one of the best indie bookstores in the country?

Papenfuse and Lawrence had already married each other when they decided to begin selling used books online in 1999. The official establishment of Midtown Scholar came two years later in 2001, when their niche was solidified in scholarly and academic books. However, the bookstore would not have a public, in-person location until 2003, when the doors of the old midtown post office were opened once again, this time with books lining the shelves. The Scholar was moved into the 1920s theater turned furniture store on the corner of 3rd Street and Verbeke Street in 2007 after extensive renovations on the building.

In April of 2023, Midtown Scholar held an interview with the owners about the origins of the store, and what it means to them. Something fascinating about the time Midtown Scholar came about as online bookselling is that it is the same period that Amazon began to show up as an online bookselling service. When asked about whether they found this worrying in the beginning, the co-owners pointed out that Amazon’s existence was an assist to them in ways. They were able to watch Amazon to keep their fingers on the pulse of what was popular, what was hard to get, and what was not selling as well. They make a point to find what is hard to find or what may not have large quantities published within the academic and scholarly world, so they have whatever people need. Their academic catalog is considered the largest between New York City and Chicago (Cheney).

One of the ways the store is stocked is through the closing of other indie bookstores. Papenfuse and Lawrence have traveled the country buying the stocks of shops that are closing to stock their shelves. They find rare titles, collector’s editions, and whatever else they can within these sales, and it keeps the memories of the original stores tied to them and the Scholar. Now, Midtown Scholar houses over 200,000 titles in store and over 2 million titles online, new and used from a variety of genres, so their consumers can find whatever they need. They began the Harrisburg Book Festival in 2012 to circulate stock, and it has become so much larger in the years since.

One of the things Catherine Lawrence made a point of in the interview was the intentionality they put into every piece of the Scholar. The name, Midtown Scholar Bookstore, was an intentional choice by the two when they established their first location. Even though their new store was on the outskirts of midtown Harrisburg, the Midtown Cinema was already in place, and they took inspiration. Papenfuse and Lawrence wanted people who heard the name to believe the store could be a part of the midtown for any city in the country. The Harrisburg community is extremely integral to the Scholar, Eric Papenfuse even having served as mayor of the city from 2014-2022, but those who know nothing about the store and its culture could make assumptions off the name and look it up later. This would open them up more to a nationwide audience, especially alongside their niche in the scholarly and academic book realm as well.

It is key to note the store’s location within midtown Harrisburg because Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. This means that prominent people, especially politicians, are visiting the city. Back in 2016, while Hilary Clinton was on her campaign tour, Bill Clinton made a point to visit the Scholar, staying for about an hour, browsing books, talking about books, and buying books. Its placement between more major cities like NYC, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh also gives them a prime place for well-known authors to come and speak.

Because the Scholar will occasionally host more controversial figures in the hopes of allowing people exposure to ideas that may not be their own, there have been worries over the years of protests breaking out at their events. This has not been a concern brought to fruition, but it shows the points of both Archibald MacLeish in “A Free Man’s Books” and Jack Perry in his article, “Bookstores, Communist and Capitalist.” MacLeish points out the power of the written word displaying how it was one of the first things regulated and destroyed when power was being sought by the Nazi party. Perry shows this same notion with his exploration of how other nations have such difficulty getting their hands on books and when they do, those publications tend to be filled with propaganda. He wants people to realize the true worth of a good bookstore where ideas from any side can be shared and discussed because it is not that way worldwide. “I decided along the way that the importance, for me at least, of having a comfortable bookstore at hand with a wide and free choice of books could not be exaggerated… If we lose the individual, the eccentric, the out-of-the-way, from our world of books, we lose too much. All the first-rate writing and conscientious publishing in the world will not help us unless we have good bookstores to entice us to where the good books are,” (Perry p. 111).

One of the most well-known of the intentional pieces in the bookstore is the mural that wraps the inside walls of the main room of the building. Papenfuse and Lawrence commissioned the work from Steve Feaser, their neighbor and friend, for the outside of the original building. The old post office was an odd-looking place, and they wanted to make it beautiful and attract people. The mural is named “Life Along the River” and is a collection of the sketches Feaser did throughout his years in Harrisburg during his people watching expeditions along Front Street at the Susquehanna River. Papenfuse describes it as a “historical montage.” They explain that they were able to fit the mural inside the new building perfectly, to their surprise and joy, and they felt it would really emulate their goal of bringing the community together not just to buy books but to discuss them or to discuss anything they found worthy.

Midtown Scholar’s owners embedded into their store and its culture other ideals of MacLeish that he expressed in “A Free Man’s Books.” MacLeish said, “Books, in the last century and the century before, were sold by men who knew them not as packages but as books—men who had, and were entitled to have, opinions about the content and the value of the books they sold—men whose customers came to them, not to learn how many copies of a given novel had been sold before, but to talk about the novel itself—the innards of the novel—the quality of the book… True books are sold by the enthusiasm of those who know them and respect them. And that enthusiasm must express itself by word of mouth to count,” (MacLeish p. 13).

In the same April 2023 interview, the owners are asked about their feelings on chain bookstores, particularly those in the area at the time of their opening and at present. Something they made a point of in their answers was that they had no qualms with the chain stores because their goal at Midtown Scholar is different than that of the bigger bookstores. Eric Papenfuse says, “One of the things that we’ve tried to do is, actually, we do want to try to challenge you a little bit. We’re not just interested in giving you what you want so to speak, but we also want to suggest some books that maybe you don’t even know you want. And that’s part of the journey of discovery that takes place in the Scholar. Some people call us a labyrinth because we have so many floors and different spaces to go, and when I go to a bookstore I like the feeling of coming across a new book and saying, ‘I didn’t even know I wanted to read that,’ or ‘I didn’t know I needed that,’ and that is a different type of shopping than going to a chain.” His expression here is one that embodies the ideal MacLeish puts forth, saying that they at Midtown Scholar are enthusiastic booksellers, who want to help their customers discover new things and sit and stay awhile instead of walking in for one book and walking back out again when they find it.

Following its foundation, the Midtown Scholar Bookstore has become a beloved staple in the Harrisburg community. In May of 2023, it won the award for “Bookstore of the Year” from Publisher’s Weekly out of several bookstores nationwide. Its message and purpose, instilled in the culture of the store and the area from the beginning, has remained throughout the years.

Citations

Text

“About Us.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, www.midtownscholar.com/community. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Cheney, Jim. “Visiting Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Harrisburg’s Best Destination for Literary Lovers.” Uncovering PA, 6 Sept. 2023, uncoveringpa.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore.

“Eric Papenfuse.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Papenfuse.

MacLeish, Archibald. A Free Man’s Books. The Peter Pauper Press, 1942.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Harrisburg Book Festival, www.hbgbookfest.com/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore. “Live | the Story of an Independent Bookstore with Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Apr. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpdFCTpNQj4&ab_channel=MidtownScholarBookstore.

Perry, Jack. “Bookstores, Communist and Capitalist.” The American Scholar, 2001, pp. 107–111.

Schweigert, Keith. “Harrisburg’s Midtown Scholar Bookstore Named Publishers Weekly Bookstore of the Year.” Fox43.Com, 23 May 2023, www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/midtown-scholar-harrisburg-publishers-weekly-bookstore-of-the-year/521-d50a4ae9-b492-4523-9d70-2148bea5429d.

Images

Franz, Elizabeth. Harrisburg’s about to get even more colorful: Murals in the capital city. 1 Sept. 2017. Pennlive, https://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/09/harrisburg_murals_festival_spr.html. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023.

Hoffman, Michael. Midtown Scholar Bookstore. 16 June 2016. Flikr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoffman1/9060576278. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023.

“Midtown Scholar Acquires Book Collection, New Store.” 9 April 2019. Shelf Awareness, https://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3469#m44012. Accessed 10 Oct. 2023.

Timeline

Created by Olivia Neumyer using Time Graphics

Sign of the Times: Midtown Scholar & Metamorphosis

Sign of the Times: Midtown Scholar & Metamorphosis

The Midtown neighborhood in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has always served as a cornerstone of culture and prosperity, long before the city that surrounds it even existed. What began as farmland for the wealthy during early colonial America gradually evolved into the heart of the state’s capitol, bursting at the seams with art, opportunity, and education. Adam Porter, owner of the Midtown Cinema, spoke to the nature of the neighborhood, referencing former mayor Eric Papenfuse by saying “When the Mayor cut our ribbon at the grand reopening in 2013, he said they named the bookstore that because the Midtown Cinema was already there. They understood placemaking.”

I personally feel this quote highlights the spirit of not only Midtown Scholar, but of the neighborhood at large; digging deeper into Porter’s meaning, the neighborhood was originally referred to as “Uptown,” the term Midtown coming directly from the community. Around the middle of the 20th century, the neighborhood advocacy group Midtown Square Action Council (MSAC) popularized the current name. In an interview held this year on the Midtown Scholars’ YouTube channel, the aforementioned Papenfuse describes community-driven bookstores as a living, breathing part of the area, and that they must remain local in order to properly impact their demographics.

Photo of Broad Street Market, the oldest operating farmers’ market in the nation. Located adjacent to the Midtown Scholar.

In the same interview, he also discusses how he views chains in relation to independent bookstores, describing that they both serve different interests and demographics, but the independent bookstore seeks to “do what chains can’t do,” and provide their customers with a personalized, individual experience that can help them broaden their sights on education as a whole. This notion harkens back to what Laura Miller covers in chapter two of Reluctant Capitalists, mentioning the difference between independent bookstores and chains, and how it’s almost a David and Goliath situation; while chains are able to sell titles en masse, independent bookstores have the challenge of making a name for themselves, and this crucial dilemma is where the Midtown Scholar’s story begins.

When the Midtown Scholar Bookstore first opened their doors in what co-owner Papenfuse described to be a “half 19th-century townhouse, half 1950s post office” on the corner of 3rd and Reilly in Harrisburg, the two owners never anticipated the allure and reputation their once humble storefront would attain– now serving as one of the premier literature destinations on the east coast. Although the bookstore has only existed for a relatively small amount of time, a little over two decades, the impact they’ve had on the surrounding community is immeasurable. 

Through reinvigorating local academia, bringing life to the once abandoned Midtown Historic District, and pioneering the largest annual literature festival in Harrisburg (among many other accomplishments), Midtown Scholar has been vital to the continued growth of this neighborhood. Although the modern store has 15,000 square feet of retail space with over 300,000 titles, Midtown Scholar began as a much smaller endeavor, initially launched as an online bookstore out of the owners’ home.

Before their first brick-and-mortar storefront opened in 2003, owners Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse had been selling books online since 2001. Operating exclusively out of the couples’ home, a shared love of literature and its impact on society prompted the two to market a broad selection of titles to the general public. At around the same time, Amazon started to gain traction as an online book retailer, which had the potential to threaten business for the Midtown Scholar; instead, this paved the way for the Scholar to differentiate its appeal while remaining successful through their online store, adapting to one of the first major threats to its longevity.

An illustration of Harrisburg after the Civil War, in the midst of its industrial revolution.

When asked how they were able to compete with digital-retail goliaths and chain bookstores, Lawrence responded by saying that for every chain that sells fifty copies of a book, Midtown Scholar has fifty unique titles instead. This sentiment harkens back to readings we’ve covered, most specifically the excerpt from W. G. Rogers’ Wise Men Fish Here, which stresses the unique and timeless nature of bookselling. Much like the storefront in the essay, Midtown Scholar began small and slowly expanded its space and collections, before gradually snowballing into the beacon of bookselling it stands as today.

W.G. Rogers’ essay places great emphasis on the value of a title– not in price, but in the content it holds– and it would be remiss to ignore that the owners share this sentiment, challenging their average patron to expand their scope of literature, described by Papenfuse as “a different type of shopping,” one that could push the consumer outside of their comfort zone. While they were continually successful with their online bookselling, the owners realized that the wealth and broad nature of texts they possessed– over 15,000 books ranging from academia to fiction to art– appealed to the consumer better when they were able to observe them; to see, feel, and interact with a bookstore that seemed to exist out of time. 

After two years of selling books through their website, the owners decided to purchase the aforementioned “1950s post office” in Midtown, converting the loading dock and ground floor to support the online end of the business, and having the top floor become a bookstore reminiscent of the owners’ favorites along the east coast. Lawrence described the state of Midtown as a “book desert” prior to their arrival, being the first independent bookstore opened in the area. The owners remained at this location until early 2007, when in the midst of the real-estate crisis they purchased a run-down furniture warehouse, adjacent to what was once a theater. Renovations began that same year, concluding in 2008, when the modern Midtown Scholar storefront was opened to the public.

Lawrence and Papenfuse went above and beyond in transforming the store to match their vision, renovating both buildings at the new location from top to bottom. They knocked down walls, excavated basements, and transformed the interior fundamentally from what it began as, connecting the two buildings by tunneling through the foundation. The owners described the store as “everything being intentional from the ground up,” showing the heartfelt care they put into fostering a space for book-lovers and scholars alike. As their new location grew and their contents expanded, the owners began to understand the importance of the location they inhabited: Harrisburg, as described by Papenfuse, serves as “a wonderful crossroads on the east coast,” and more specifically to his bookstore, it served as a “catalyst for civic engagement and urban development.” 

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, however, the Midtown Scholar had to close its doors to the public. Despite this, they still managed to remain in business through their online bookstore, shipping them to people while they quarantined. Quickly making the shift to exclusively online commerce, Midtown Scholar was able to conduct over 300 Zoom interviews with publishers, authors, and other prominent literary figures, along with online events that kept their customers engaged.

Overall, the Midtown Scholar has had an indelible impact on its community throughout its somewhat short lifespan. Papenfuse and Lawrence were the driving force behind creating the Annual Harrisburg Book Festival, which began in 2009; over the years, this event they began has evolved into something so much more, hosting an array of panels, signings, and events for the public. The store itself is dedicated to preserving history, hosting collections of unique, eclectic titles that paint a broad picture of their love of literature. This love of literature which seeps from the very foundation of the Midtown Scholar was the basis of its creation in the first place; literature and their shared love of it brought owners Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawrence together, and they hope to share this vision with the greater Harrisburg area through their continued drive to create a space where individuals from all backgrounds can equally pursue education.

Works Cited

“About Us.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore, www.midtownscholar.com/history-and-mission. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

Op de Beeck, Nathalie. “U.S. Book Show 2023: Midtown Scholar.” PublishersWeekly.Com, 12 May 2023, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/92294-u-s-book-show-2023-midtown-scholar.html. Accessed 6 Oct. 2023

“LIVE | The Story of an Independent Bookstore with Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse.” YouTube, YouTube, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpdFCTpNQj4. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

“Midtown, Harrisburg.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 June 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midtown,_Harrisburg. Accessed 7 Oct. 2023.

“Eric Papenfuse.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 Sept. 2023, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Papenfuse#Midtown_Scholar_Bookstore. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2014. 

Stabert, Lee. “Rebirth in Midtown Harrisburg.” Keystone Edge – What’s Next & Best in Pennsylvania – Growth, Innovation, and Community News, 17 May 2016, www.keystoneedge.com/2016/05/17/rebirth-in-midtown-harrisburg/.

“Midtown Harrisburg Historic District.” Visit Hershey & Harrisburg – Things To Do In Pennsylvania – Visit Pennsylvania, www.visithersheyharrisburg.org/listings/midtown-harrisburg-historic-district/2076/#:~:text=Originally%20comprised%20of%20farmland%20held,majority%20dating%20to%20around%201875. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

Molly’s Books & Records: A Historical Account of the Bookstore in Bella Vista

Molly’s Books & Records: A Historical Account of the Bookstore in Bella Vista

Molly’s Books & Records is an independent bookstore in the Italian Market of South Philly, an area teeming with restaurants, butcheries, and cheese shops. The bookstore’s collection of cookbooks fits well into its diverse culinary surroundings. However, the store and its owner, Molly Russakoff, greatly predate the establishment of that section. To get the full picture, we need to start…

In the 1880s, when Italian immigrant Antonio Palumbo opened a boarding house in what we now know as the Bella Vista area (“History”). This Philadelphia neighborhood was a hot spot for Italian immigration, with tens of thousands of Italians moving there in the late 1800s and early 1900s (“The Italian”). With such a large number of Italian immigrants in one area, Palumbo’s business was only the first in a line of succeeding establishments that would contribute to the creation of the official Ninth Street Curbside Market. A historical account of the area suggests that “[f]oodways strengthened Italian identity”, an idea enforced by the immigrants’ creation of a market focusing on Italian cuisine. Curb markets were popular at this time because “[t]hey offered an immediate and economical outlet for food products and related merchandise” (Tangires). This helped residents combat food insecurity during WWI (“History”).

“Philadelphia’s working poor gathered to purchase their essentials, leaving the high-tone shopping districts of Center City to those with greater economic means”(Explorepahistory.com).

By the mid-1900s, people began to refer to the Ninth Street Market as the “Italian Market” due to the prominence of Italian businesses it hosted (Tangires). This name remains a common title for the area today. However, this large population of Italian residents would soon be joined by a variety of other immigrants following WWII. It was common with curbside markets for owners to live above their business (Explorepahistory.com). When this trend became obsolete and space freed up, a new wave of immigrants from various places moved in, creating a more diverse market space (Tangires). The first Korean-owned establishment opened in the neighborhood in 1983. This opening was followed by various other Asian and Mexican businesses. This influx of immigrants from different nationalities diversified the Bella Vista area. The market spread out from its initial base on 9th Street, and the neighborhood became even more rooted in the “immigrant experience” (Explorepahistory.com). 

Old pictures of the Italian Market that reflect a popular, bustling food community. In one photo, there appear to be both Italian and American flags hanging off of buildings, representing the fusion of both cultures in the Italian Market.

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museums Commission dedicated a marker to the market in 2007 (“History”), which “certified a rich heritage but also reflected the curb market on Ninth Street as a tourist destination…” (Tangires). The market has fed into this idea, establishing a visitor center in 2012(“Change”). There has also been an increase in high-end businesses in the neighborhood, a reflection of this new audience that visits the market for recreation over necessity (“The Ninth”).

Today, Bella Vista boasts a vast array of food businesses from various backgrounds. Its Italian population has greatly diminished, but there are still many Italian businesses that remain a part of the area (“Change”). The contemporary Italian Market serves as a cultural hub of independent businesses centered around global cuisine (Tangires).

“Diversity became a key feature said to distinguish the independents from chain booksellers” (Miller 84).

This development of the Italian Market has created a wide audience of both regular customers and passing tourists that benefit all businesses in the neighborhood, including Molly’s Books & Records (“Molly’s”). 

The store’s founder, Molly Russakoff, has lived in the Italian Market area for around 43 years (DeMuro). She is a third-generation bookseller and a poet, so she has deep ties to the literary world. Molly did not purchase the land for the store until 2000. She has opened and subsequently closed various businesses on this land: Molly’s Cafe, Bella Vista Natural Foods, and Molly’s Cafe and Bookstore. When this last venture ended and Russakoff was in the process of opening a new bookstore, this time with the addition of records, she met/began working with her now-husband, Joe Ankenbrand. Molly’s Books & Records eventually opened in 2009. Russakoff and Ankenbrand were married in the bookstore, which they live above. There was a companion outlet store on Passyunk Avenue, a street away from the central location, but it was only open for a year and a half before the couple decided to close it.

Molly’s Bookstore, photographed by Google Maps in July 2007. This is the oldest available photo of the street on Google Maps. The front of the store is covered by some kind of barricade with illegible signs on top. We cannot see to the left of the store. To the right is Fante’s kitchen supply shop.

Bella Vista Natural Foods, photographed by Google Maps in August 2009. We can now clearly see the front of the store, which has a new sign. The storefront is made up of a collage of shiny material. There doesn’t seem to be a business on the left side of the store. Fante’s is still to the right.

Mollys Books & Records, photographed by Google Maps in April 2023. This is the most recent available photo of the street. The storefront is still shiny, and there is another new sign. There is now an outside display of records and a new business to the left of the storefront. Fante’s sign has moved out of the frame.

Russakoff and Ankenbrand embody the consumer ideas independent booksellers are best known for. One of the ways they do so is by limiting their online presence. Their last Facebook post was in 2018, their Instagram only features record finds, and their website domain is currently up for sale. This lack of exposure contrasts greatly with popular contemporary bookselling which has been rationalized through the attempt to provide the sovereign consumer with infinite options online (Miller 57). Russakoff and Ankenbrand are also committed to staying interconnected with the other neighborhood businesses. In an interview, Ankenbrand acknowledges that “[t]here’s something kind of indescribable about the personal connection that we feel with the other people on the street…[w]e try to support all of the other merchants as much as possible” (DeMuro). This idea of a mutual relationship between local independent businesses calls back to the original Italian Market. One of the contributing factors to the Market’s survivability was its vendors’ “…strong and persistent network of social and economic relationships” (Tangires). Russakoff and Ankenbrand continue to strengthen this network today. Ankenbrand acknowledged that they usually buy any supplies they need for the store at Italian Market businesses (DeMuro). After getting married, they went down the street to eat at Villa di Roma, a local Italian restaurant.

“True books are sold by the enthusiasm of those who know them and respect them. And that enthusiasm must express itself by word of mouth to count” (MacLeish and Roosevelt 13).

One way that the bookstore differs from the stereotypical independent bookstore image is through its refusal to impose an aura of eliteness onto its customers. Ankenbrand states their intent to “…treat every customer like their wants are respected”. This is partly in the face of the large tourist population within the area, which brings in a variety of customers that may be casual readers and music listeners (DeMuro). They place an emphasis on comfortability, something that many chain stores have utilized to win out over independents.

The bookstore again recalls an earlier Italian Market through its status as a family business. Molly, her son Johnny, and Joe make up the shop’s staff. Although Molly’s is an inside store, it holds sidewalk sales where large amounts of books and records are placed outside of the store at discounted prices, similar to the stalls of market vendors. 

The Molly’s Books & Records family photo: Joe Ankenbrand, Molly Russakoff, Molly’s son Johnny, and the bookstore cat, Mrs. Stevenson. Molly’s is a family-run business, much like the original business owners of the Italian Market neighborhood.

Many independent bookstores do not have the luxury of relying purely on their own interests anymore. They are competing with bigger stores that have wider selections and cheaper prices, and Molly even had to close her previous bookstore as a result of this harsh competition (Amorosi). Despite this, Ankenbrand describes the 9th Street area as “friendly…profitable..[and] multi-cultural” (DeMuro). The couple are on close terms with their top customers and even take their requests into consideration when searching for new additions to their stock.

“Businesses continue to operate in an old world fashion while recognizing current consumer trends” ("History").

Molly’s Books & Records is in a destination area, which serves as more of a sightseeing trip for tourists than a residential space. There is a diverse consumer base for local businesses made up of “local shoppers, gourmet cooks, restaurant suppliers, and tourists” (Tangires). Similar to Gotham Book Mart’s nearby theater population that kept the bookstore alive in Wise Men Fish Here, Molly’s is supported by the Italian Market’s environment (Rogers 76). However, Russakoff and Ankenbrand don’t seem to feed into the idea of the sovereign consumer as “superior” that Miller discusses in Reluctant Capitalists, or to hold the somewhat elitist view associated with handselling (Miller 67, 79). They seem to fall somewhere in the middle. Their interests are expressed through their stock, but they also work to serve their customers’ tastes. This dynamic reflects a positive depiction of booksellers as “…concerned facilitators of meaningful consumption rather than…merchants performing the hard sell” (80). 

A picture of the cookbook section shelves in Molly’s Books & Records shows the wide variety of cuisine represented through unique secondhand finds.

Although Molly’s Books & Records has only known the Bella Vista neighborhood as a center for global cuisine and culture, it has adapted to this environment in a profitable manner. Both Molly and her husband Joe conduct their business in a way reminiscent of the original Italian Market stall owners. This combination of personality, diversity, and a touch of economic mindfulness has enabled the Market, and subsequently Molly’s, to traverse a constantly changing contemporary retail landscape. Molly’s carries a large range of products that will appeal to a wide audience reflective of its neighborhood’s diverse population. There are rare finds that may appeal to the rising upper-class consumer base, and popular picks that will guarantee interest in the average passerby. My timeline reflects the development of the Italian Market neighborhood and Molly’s various business ventures in the neighborhood. The transition from a space to a “place” is most decidedly marked by personal experience. I attempted to capture the most important turning points in the evolution of both that have prompted them to become the “places” of important events and memories today. 

A brief timeline of important events concerning Molly’s Books & Records and the neighborhood it resides in (Italian Market). This timeline shows the progression of the neighborhood as an Italian immigrant hub. The timeline also traces the establishment of long-term resident Molly Russakoff’s bookstore, Molly’s Books & Records, located in the center of the Italian Market area.

Text

Amorosi, A.D. “Reading and More at Molly’s Bookstore.” Https://Www.Inquirer.Com, 14 Oct. 2007, www.inquirer.com/philly/entertainment/20071014_Molly_Russakoffs_new_Italian_Market_shop_will_strive_to_be_a_center_for_homeschooling_.html. 

“Change Coming to Philly’s Italian Market.” Thereporteronline, thereporteronline, 24 Sept. 2021, www.thereporteronline.com/2013/12/27/change-coming-to-phillys-italian-market/.

DeMuro, Catherine. “Italian Market Q & A: Joe Ankenbrand, Co-Owner of Molly’s Books and Records on 9th Street.” The 9th Street Beat, 8 Mar. 2015, 9thstreetbeat.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/italian-market-q-a-joe-ankenbrand-co-owner-of-mollys-books-and-records-on-9th-street/.

Explorepahistory.Com, explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-3E1. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

“History.” S. 9TH ST. ITALIAN MARKET PHILADELPHIA, PA, www.italianmarketphilly.org/history.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

MacLeish, Archibald, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. A Free Man’s Book an Adress Delivered at the Annual Banquet of the American Booksellers Association. Pauper Press, 1942. 

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2014. 

“Molly’s Books & Records.” The Merchants Fund, merchantsfund.org/story/mollys-books-records/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

Rogers, W. G. Wise Men Fish Here: The Story of Frances Steloff and the Gotham Book Mart. Booksellers House, 1994. 

Tangires, Helen. “Italian Market.” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, 1 Sept. 2022, philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/italian-market/.

“The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, And…” Broad Street Review, www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/the-italian-legacy-in-philadelphia-history-culture-people-and-ideas-edited-by-andrea-canepari-and-judith-goode. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.“The Ninth Street Market and South Philadelphia: Personal Connections, Particular Views, Past Times, and Embodied Places.” PhilaPlace, www.philaplace.org/essay/380/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

Media

Cookbooks in Molly’s store: Weil, Abigail. “There’s No Place in Philly Quite like Molly’s Books & Records.” Eater Philly, Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks.

Current photo of Esposito’s: “Esposito’s Meats Photos.” Yelp, www.yelp.com/biz_photos/espositos-meats-philadelphia?select=2cbkyGsykYWbl6Gbxc2z6g. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023. 

Current photo of Ralph’s: Palomba, Asia London. “Ralph’s Italian Restaurant: A Philadelphia Icon.” America Domani, 13 June 2023, americadomani.com/ralphs-italian-restaurant-a-philadelphia-icon/.

Google Maps: Mollys Books & Records.

Molly’s Books & Records Family: “Married Couple Shares Their Love of Books, Music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc Philadelphia, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/.

Old photos of Italian Market: “History.” S. 9TH ST. ITALIAN MARKET PHILADELPHIA, PA, www.italianmarketphilly.org/history.html. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023.

Timeline courtesy of me, Natalie Chamberlain.

Harriett’s Bookshop: A Monument of Resilience and Inclusivity in Historic Fishtown

Inside the heart of Philadelphia’s historic Fishtown neighborhood lies Harriet’s Bookshop. As soon as you step foot underneath the black and white banner (The word “Harriett’s” sliced cleanly through the middle by a machete, a symbol of women’s power), you immediately can tell that this is more than just a bookstore; this is a monument of a story of resilience, a testament to the power of literature, and a celebration of inclusivity in a place historically known for its different demographic.

As soon as you step inside you are greeted with an array of colorful book covers—vessels for the words procured by owner, Jeannine Cook, that tell stories of unheard voices. Maybe you take a seat in one of the cream or coffee colored arm chairs, or perhaps to move to watch the people moving down Gerard Avenue as you sip your coffee from the local cafe down the street. Perhaps the slightest hint of fragrance illuminating from a scented candle or incense dances by your nose as it invites you to explore what this shining jewel of a store has to offer you, to tell you. This blog embarks on a journey through the remarkable past of Harriett’s Bookshop, highlighting its indomitable founder, Jeannine Cook, and the plethora of obstacles and challenges she confronted in redefining the very concept of what a bookshop can be within the Caucasian boundaries of Fishtown, Philadelphia. 

Historic Fishtown, circa 1887

Going back to the town’s early history, Fishtown, with its predominantly white demographic, is a neighborhood formed by the working class immigrants that called the area home, its identity interwoven with the fabric of its red-brick, historic buildings. For years, Fishtown stood as a symbol of tradition—one could even argue that it had become a “white place” in terms of its community makeup. However, the narrative of this neighborhood underwent a profound transformation with the arrival of Harriett’s Bookshop, one that paralleled the change the entire Nation would go through at the turning of the decade. 

The above graphic (taken from claritas360.com) depicts the racial makeup of Fishtown. 73% of the town of only 25,000 is made up of white folk, with the remaining percentage being made up of 12% Hispanic folks, 7% Asian, and only 4.3% black (statisticalatlas.com).

It is clear to see that the neighborhood of Fishtown was not one known for its diversity, and that would prove to be a huge challenge for Cook as she embarked on her journey of spreading knowledge and empowering black women—and other writers throughout the community.

Cook and her family

The story of Harriett’s Bookshop traces back to Jeannine Cook’s early years. In the third grade, she discovered a deep fascination with the remarkable Harriett Tubman, an iconic figure synonymous with resilience and courage. Cook was fascinated by Harriett’s perseverance and bravery while leading countless slaves to freedom, and this admiration for Tubman stayed with Cook throughout her life. Simultaneously, however, Cook’s mother, Celia, was facing an extraordinary challenge of her own during this time period—she was losing her sight, and before long was considered legally blind. In a remarkable display of determination not too unlike Harriett herself, and amongst unlimited familial support, Jeannine and her two sisters stepped up to read their mother’s textbooks aloud to her and transcribe her dissertation. Cook’s mother’s remarkable achievement was earning her master’s degree in theology from Richmond Virginia Seminary despite her roadblocks, with the help of her girls, an endeavor that symbolized triumph over adversity and that was only the beginning of Cook’s desire for empowering people through literature. 

After successfully completing her college education, Jeannine Cook harbored the dream of opening a bookstore. She even managed to purchase a property in 2017. 

However, fate had different plans. 

A devastating fire shattered her dreams and compelled her to temporarily put her vision on hold. Instead, she turned her attention back towards a career in teaching, yet her passion for writing and commitment to education persisted—an unwavering flame.

Then, the world was turned on its head.

In 2020, inspired by an email from her sister and fueled by her lifelong love for writing, Jeannine Cook embarked on her most ambitious project yet. She compiled and published an anthology of short stories titled “Conversations with Harriett.” Significantly, she chose to spell Tubman’s first name with two T’s, a tribute to the legendary figure, who chose to spell her name with that specific spelling. This project marked a crucial step toward realizing her vision of creating a space where voices previously unheard would find their place.

Undeterred by the setbacks and challenges that life had thrown her way, Jeannine Cook continued her pursuit of opening a bookstore. She stumbled upon another vacant storefront in Fishtown, signed a lease, and, in January 2020, Harriett’s Bookshop quietly opened its doors to the public. What set it apart was an unmistakable storefront adorned with a banner featuring the store’s logo, a machete blade boldly cutting through the word “Harriet’s.” In a neighborhood steeped in history and tradition, Harriett’s became a breath of fresh air, a place where books authored by Black women took center stage.

The establishment of a bookstore in Fishtown posed a unique set of challenges. Friends and relatives initially expressed reservations about the location, given Fishtown’s historical identity rooted in the working class fish merchant industry—a sector notably dominated by white immigrants. The very location of Harriett’s Bookshop served as a symbolic challenge, especially when the tumultuous year of 2020 and the deaths of countless black citizens brought the fight of the Black Lives Matter Movement to the forefront of the nation’s consciousness. Cook knew that this was something she couldn’t shy away from. The nation needed a wake-up call, and by God were they about to get one.

In the face of a global pandemic and the wave of protests ignited by the police killing of George Floyd, Harriett’s Bookshop remained a vocal advocate for change. Jeannine Cook utilized the bookstore’s social media platform to amplify her message, sharing powerful images that included one of herself kneeling for nine minutes in front of a line of police officers. This powerful gesture was a solemn reminder of George Floyd’s tragic death, a symbol of solidarity with a cause that transcended the confines of a bookstore.

The pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests served to test the resilience of Harriett’s Bookshop, yet it never wavered. Instead, it became an essential part of the community, fostering trust and creating a safe space for minority communities within Fishtown. Harriett’s Bookshop transformed from a mere retail space into a symbol of hope and unity.

When the pandemic struck in 2020, Harriett’s Bookshop had been in business for a mere six weeks. As any person alive during 2020 (that’s you!) would know, the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the nation and and was the Grim Reaper knocking on the front door of hundreds, if not thousands of small businesses around the country. Bookstores were no exception to this culling, as many struggled to find an audience during the pandemic, and didn’t have the live and interactive customer base that small, indie stores thrive on (Time.com)

This posed a significant threat to the fledgling business. However, Harriett’s didn’t back down.


COVID is all we know. We opened in February and had to shut down in mid-March. Our whole existence has been with COVID by our side in some way. Also, the uprisings in the country have had an effect on our business as well. We’ve only known the roller coaster.”

Cook – Technical.ly.com

Cook set up tables outside the shop, along with a donation box on an “honors system,” placing her trust in the local community to support essential workers by purchasing books. She even made headlines by delivering books door-to-door on horseback, a testament to her unwavering commitment to her community.

Jeannine Cook’s commitment to her community eventually led to the establishment of “Harriett’s House,” a dedicated space for gathering, learning, and healing. Through a successful GoFundMe campaign, she raised the necessary funds to purchase a larger building in Fishtown, ensuring her vision for the bookstore’s future. This space would be nearly three times larger than the original store, allowing for more extensive community engagement and programming.

Harriett’s Bookshop is not just a bookstore; it’s a testament to the power of perseverance, the resilience of the human spirit, and the impact of a dedicated community leader. Jeannine Cook’s journey, from a young admirer of Harriett Tubman to a passionate educator and entrepreneur, embodies the transformation of a “place” in Fishtown. In the insightful words of the author of “Liberation through Literacy,” Joshua Clark Davis, “Black booksellers positioned their stores as a new generation of black public spaces, welcoming a wide range of customers, activists, and curious community members. Like other active businesses, black booksellers understood their shops as free spaces or sites of liberation and empowerment” (Davis, 37). These words resonate strongly with the story of Harriett’s Bookshop and the indomitable spirit of its owner. Harriett’s Bookshop was established with a mission identical to the black bookstores of the 1960s, during the peak of the civil rights movement, to which the sentiments expressed by Davis describe.

Cook’s unwavering dedication to celebrating Black culture, amplifying diverse voices, and creating a tight-knit literary community mirrors the very essence of the quote. Her perseverance in the face of challenges reflects the understanding that black booksellers played a crucial role in fostering spaces of empowerment and liberation for their communities. Harriett’s has redefined the very essence of this historic neighborhood, challenging norms, celebrating diversity, and embracing the voices of Black women.

As “Harriett’s House” takes shape, Harriett’s Bookshop is poised to become an even greater beacon of hope, a space where ideas, stories, and change converge. It symbolizes the relentless pursuit of a dream, the resilience to weather storms, and the unwavering commitment to the community. Harriett’s Bookshop is more than a bookstore; it’s a testament to the enduring power of literature and the transformative impact of a visionary leader. As Cook continues to fight for a National Holiday celebrating Harriett Tubman, the woman that inspired the creation of this store and all the good that has come forth since its birth, let her perseverance  reaffirm her store’s role as a nexus of social progress, where history, culture, and advocacy intertwine to shape a brighter future.

Research and Images Taken from:

Beck, Tom. “Historians, Community Advocates Fret over the Future of Former Penn Home Building in Fishtown.” Star News, 14 Oct. 2020, starnewsphilly.com/2020/10/13/historians-community-advocates-fret-over-the-future-of-former-penn-home-building-in-fishtown/. 

Butler, Michael. “Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook Uses Resilience to Write Her Own Story.” Technical.Ly, Technically Media, 16 Aug. 2023, technical.ly/diversity-equity-inclusion/harriets-bookshop-jeannine-cook/. 

Chow, Andrew R., and Annabel Gutterman. “How Coronavirus Is Affecting Independent Bookstores.” Time, Time, 22 Apr. 2020, time.com/5822767/coronavirus-bookstores-amazon/. 

Davis, Joshua. “Liberation through Literacy.” From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs, Columbia University Press, New York, 2020. 

Harrietts Bookshop (@harrietts_bookshop) – Instagram, www.instagram.com/harrietts_bookshop/. Accessed 9 Oct. 2023. 

“Harriett’s Bookshop Seeking Permanent Home in Fishtown.” PhillyVoice, 3 May 2021, www.phillyvoice.com/harriets-bookshop-fishtown-philadelphia-gofundme-jeannine-cook/. 

Nentwig, Lee. “Jeannine Cook on Harriett’s Bookshop and Upcoming ‘Sisterhood Sit-In.’” NKCDC, 1 Dec. 2020, nkcdc.org/harrietts-bookshop/. 

“Prizm® Premier.” Claritas, claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

“Race and Ethnicity in ZIP Code 19125, Pennsylvania (ZIP Code).” The Demographic Statistical Atlas of the United States – Statistical Atlas, statisticalatlas.com/zip/19125/Race-and-Ethnicity. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

TodayShow. “Bookstore Named after Harriet Tubman Celebrates Women Authors, Artists and Activists.” TODAY.Com, TODAY, 12 Apr. 2021, www.today.com/money/philadelphia-s-harriett-s-bookshop-celebrates-women-color-authors-t214023. 

Winberg, Michaela. “She Was Told Not to Open a Black-Owned Bookstore in Fishtown. She’s Doing It Anyway.” Billy Penn at WHYY, 17 Jan. 2023, billypenn.com/2020/01/18/she-was-told-not-to-open-a-black-owned-bookstore-in-fishtown-shes-doing-it-anyway/. 

“With Harriett’s Bookshop, Jeannine Cook Honoring Women Authors ‘under the Guiding Light of Harriet Tubman.’” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 4 May 2021, www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/harrietts-bookshop-jeannine-cook-fishtown-open-for-business/. 

Family Roots & Literary Pursuits: A Brief History of Molly’s Books and Records in the 9th Street Italian Market

Family Roots & Literary Pursuits: A Brief History of Molly’s Books and Records in the 9th Street Italian Market

The 9th Street Italian Market in Philadelphia has a history of great inspiration and beauty. In the late 19th century, as the city’s cogs and gears churned away, Italian immigrants began settling in South Philadelphia. They brought with them a love for good food, and to make a living and find a place in the industrial powerhouse of a city, they began selling their produce and all else along the busy 9th Street. Fast forward a few decades and those Italian families will have transformed the street into something of a food haven. In small, family-owned shops, they sold fresh food and delectable cultural dishes. This market became a cornerstone of Italian-American culture in Philadelphia.

As time trudged on, the rise of chain stores and supermarkets almost threatened the charm of the market. However, the unique spirit and community that these businesses maintained with one another let it thrive through all that changed around it. The 9th Street Italian Market stands as a testament to the enduring magic of human connections and good food. It’s a place where cultures collide and coalesce, where you can experience Italian culture without an Americanized overcoat, straight from the hearts of its founding Italian immigrants. It’s a place where tradition meets modernity in a jumble of flavors and community.

Tucked away in this place, a hidden gem adds another layer to the market’s allure. Molly’s Books and Records is nestled within the Bella Vista neighborhood of the Italian Market, and it has a very special occupation in the market.

One is bound to wonder what a bookstore has to do with a place renowned for its culinary delights. To really understand just how Molly’s fits into the place, one must learn first of its owner and namesake, Molly Russakoff. She’s the heart and soul behind the establishment, and her story is woven into the fabric of the Italian Market.

Molly Russakoff’s connection to the market is tied to her family’s involvement in the bookselling business. In an interview with Tamala Edwards, Russakoff calls herself “a third-generation bookseller” (Edwards). She’s lived in the marketplace for over forty years, and her father, a book lover himself, owned his own bookstore on 10th Street called “Russakoff’s Books and Records.” In 1997, this place was passed down to Molly’s older brother, Joe Russakoff. Joe’s store now goes by the name of, “Mostly Books.” A passion for literature runs in Russakoff’s blood.

In February 2002, Molly Russakoff purchased the property that would become Molly’s Books and Records. Before this title, it went under several names and held a variety of products. It has been called Molly’s Books and Records since 2009. Just like the Italian immigrants who infused the market with their culinary traditions, Russakoff infused her store with a love for the written word.

One of the key sections of the store is its collection of cookbooks. The content is varied, having titles from a plethora of ethnic backgrounds—which is very intentional. Rusakoff manages this stock, as well as the other literature in the store. Through its content, she works to embody the spirit of the market; tradition is treasured and community is key. In Laura J. Miller’s book, Reluctant Capitalists, she writes that, “For those involved in the book business, furthering diversity is a form of social responsibility” (Miller 82). In Russakoff’s case, it is more than her responsibility—it is a key aspect of her store’s purpose. 

In 2010, the current co-owner of Molly’s Books and Records, Joe Ankenbrand, officially joined forces with Russakoff. Prior to their partnership, Ankenbrand had been a customer and friend. Unlike Molly, he did not spend his early life in the midst of the Market, but he appreciates its influence and atmosphere as much as any lifelong resident. He holds an unyielding love for music, particularly rock music from the sixties, and has been collecting records since 1964.

Ankenbrand took charge of the music section of the store, curating a selection that would resonate with fellow music lovers and collectors, while Russakoff tended to the literary treasures that lined the shelves. Together, they expanded their customer base, trying to achieve the making of a place even more diverse and unique than the one Russakoff started with. In an interview from 2015, Ankenbrand said, “When Molly and I started this place together, we said we wanted the best little store in the world” (DeMuro). 

In 2014, Joe and Molly’s partnership became one more intimate than business partners. They married right in the store—a self-governed ceremony among their family, in front of their store’s classic Jukebox. Their union was not only a merging of passions but also of hearts. They live upstairs from the store with their cat, Mrs. Stevenson, and Russakoff’s son, Johnny, who cares for the movies section and helps manage the store. What makes Molly’s Books and Records truly remarkable is not just the products on its shelves, but the love story that unfolded within its walls.

This timeline was created for the purpose of visualizing the events presented in this article.

A bookstore is as much about its content as it is about the atmosphere that’s created in its space. Molly’s Books and Records combines the passions of two beautiful people and the product is exactly what the partners hoped for. They run their store in a way that rejects the typical style of running a business, emphasizing the importance of preserving and sharing above all else. Their commitment to the Italian Market community runs deep, and they source most of their store’s needs locally, supporting their neighbors and fostering an everlasting sense of unity. “There’s something kind of indescribable about the personal connection that we feel with the other people on the street. We kind of feel like we’re all in it together” (DeMuro), said Ankenbrand, in a previously referenced interview. Also in that interview, he notes that oftentimes when he is buying stock for the store, he is shopping with specific customer requests in mind. In Miller’s book, she writes about the value and intelligence of getting a key customer’s insight on what to order in a publisher’s next print run. (Miller 77) Although a different scenario, the sentiment still sticks at Molly’s. Ankenbrand and Russakoff benefit by conversing with their customers, forming relationships, and shopping with their suggestions in mind.

Ankenbrand and Russakoff have refrained from online sales and take pride in knowing their top customers personally. Their online presence is very limited, and they like to keep it that way. Just like the rest of the 9th Street Italian Market, their bookstore provides an authentic and intimate experience that transcends the digital age, where the true value lies not only in the books and records on their shelves but in the genuine connections formed with their customers.

Molly’s Books and Records is a place where generations come together, where the love for literature and music transcends age, and where the Italian Market’s rich history continues to unfold.

WORKS CITED

Edwards, Tamala. “Married Couple Shares Their Love of Books, Music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc Philadelphia, 6abc, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/.

DeMuro, Catherine “Italian Market Q&A: Joe Ankenbrand, Co-Owner of Molly’s Books and Records on 9th Street.” 9th Street Beat, 3 March 2015, https://9thstreetbeat.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/italian-market-q-a-joe-ankenbrand-co-owner-of-mollys-books-and-records-on-9th-street/.

Genova, Ryan “CHS Grad Unveils Official Philadelphia Bookstore Map; 50K Now in Circulation.” Glenside Local, https://glensidelocal.com/molly-russakoff-chs-grad-unveils-official-philadelphia-bookstore-map-50k-now-in-circulation/.

“History of the Italian Market.” Italian Market, Italian Market Corporation, https://www.italianmarketphilly.org/history.html#:~:text=The%20market%20began%20in%20the,continuous%20market%20in%20the%20country.

Miller, Laura. Reluctant Capitalists. The University of Chicago Press, 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2022.

Weil, Abigail. “South Philly’s Beloved Molly’s Books & Records Will Close After 35 Years.” Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, https://philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks.

IMAGES

Edwards, Tamala. “Married Couple Shares Their Love of Books, Music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc Philadelphia, 6abc, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/.

“History of the Italian Market.” Italian Market, Italian Market Corporation, https://www.italianmarketphilly.org/history.html#:~:text=The%20market%20began%20in%20the,continuous%20market%20in%20the%20country.

Weil, Abigail. “South Philly’s Beloved Molly’s Books & Records Will Close After 35 Years.” Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, https://philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks.

Midtown Scholar: A History of Community Engagement

Midtown Scholar: A History of Community Engagement

Midtown Scholar resides in the heart of Midtown Harrisburg, which is an area of rich history and diversity. 

The Story of Midtown

Midtown Scholar Bookstore is in the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg, which is nestled between Downtown and Uptown. The neighborhood’s southern border is Forster Street, with Maclay Street to the north, 7th Street to the east, and the Susquehanna River to the west (“Districts”). Prior to the 1970’s, the area was marked by economic struggle and building vacancies. However, in 1977, the Midtown Square Action Council was created to improve the community’s interests, and they began popularizing the name Midtown. Between 1980 and 2000, the neighborhood began to improve economically, with the median income increasing from today’s $30,000 to $40,000. Additionally, the age of the population fell to over half of the residents being below the age of 35. The population also became more racially and ethnically diverse, with the majority of residents being Black or African American (Stabert). 

The exterior of Midtown Scholar Bookstore
Image taken from Publishers Weekly

Due to its close proximity to the state capital, many young professionals were drawn to this neighborhood. Over the years, new businesses drew people to Midtown with unique forms of entertainment and satisfying restaurant options. Oddly enough, many of these fan favorites dawn the name ‘Midtown’ into their titles. Aside from Midtown Scholar, Midtown Cinema opened around the same time to provide locals with both mainstream movies and lesser-known foreign films. There are also places like Midtown Tavern that adopted the name following the neighborhood’s newfound popularity. 

Today, the demographics of this area have remained relatively stagnant with a primarily Black or African American population of young people around the age of 30. These residents have a median income of about $44,444, which is not far from the numbers during their growth period from 1980 to 2000. 

The Birth of an Online Business 

Our story starts with two young intellectuals named Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawrence who met while in graduate school at Yale University. Their love story was built on a love for books, and they spent most weekends scouring bookstores for their next favorite read. However, upon their graduation from Yale, the couple relocated to the Harrisburg area. The year was 1999 and both Papenfuse and Lawrence had secured teaching positions in the area, with her working at Messiah College and him teaching Latin temporarily at Central Dauphin High School (Bedell and Landesberg). 

Once they found a house, the couple quickly realized they did not have much use for their collection of 100 to 150 university textbooks; and they certainly did not have the storage space for them. To solve this debacle, Papenfuse began selling his used books online at Amazon.com. Many of his books sold quickly, which convinced him there may be a market online for used books, especially academic ones. By January 2001, Papenfuse was selling books online from the comfort of his home in the Shipoke neighborhood (Bedell and Landesberg).

In terms of book selling, academic texts are generally always in high demand. This is because students have no control over what books are required for a course, that is entirely up to the professor’s discretion. Therefore, the sellers of these texts can mark university textbooks at alarmingly high prices because students will always need to buy them. This is where used academic book selling comes in handy because they are usually discounted compared to brand new copies, thus appealing to lower income college students. Papenfuse was able to profit from this need by curating a stock of used books that him and Lawrence acquired from local bookstores, library sales, and university presses. University presses proved to be very useful for the creation of their business because these types of publishers tend to print fewer copies than larger publishing houses. Therefore, by building strong relationships with these presses Papenfuse and Lawrence were able to have a steady flow of material to offer their customers (Bedell and Landesberg).

Becoming a Physical Place

As time passed and their business grew, Papenfuse and Lawrence realized their house in Shipoke could no longer withstand the steady influx of inventory. So, in 2002 they bought and began renovating the old Midtown Post Office building at 1519 N. Third Street, which became the first physical address for Midtown Scholar. Once they centralized their business in Midtown, the couple made it a point to cater their inventory to the community they were serving. Since the area was booming with diverse, young professionals, they stocked books dedicated to arts, photography, urban affairs, and African American studies (Bedell and Landesberg). This is a policy that Midtown Scholar has held onto since its inception. According to the store’s mission statement, they have “worked to transform our community by providing a welcoming space for the discussion and exchange of ideas about books, politics, arts and culture, and history (“About Us”). 

Midtown Scholar found itself in a constant cycle of growth that was marked by the ever-present need to purchase new spaces. Over the years, Papenfuse and Lawrence have bought and rented several storage units and buildings to house their constantly growing collection of products. Eventually, they were forced to close their original 3,000-square-foot building to expand down the street to a 10,000-square-foot space. On September 13, 2009, they reopened at 1302 N. Third Street. This new space allowed them to carry around 100,000 volumes, a café, a stage for author events and musical performances, and an art gallery (Bedell and Landesberg). 

Poster for 2023 Harrisburg Book Festival
Taken from Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Engaging the Community 

These new additions to Midtown Scholar allowed them to better serve their community by bringing interesting events to their doorstep. The store has hosted a slew of famous authors, like Frederick Backman and Erik Larson. However, arguably the largest way Midtown Scholar has continued to uplift its area is through the creation of the Harrisburg Book Festival, which Papenfuse and Lawrence launched in 2009. Although the project started small, it has grown into a book-themed spectacle that celebrates all things literature with a weeklong schedule of panels, author events, book signings, and children’s programs (Beeck). 

The success of Midtown Scholar as a community cornerstone can be marked by Papenfuse’s political career. He served as the mayor of Harrisburg from 2014 to 2022 and calls his bookstore “a place for civic engagement and a catalyst for urban development” (Beeck). 

Preserving the History

The city of Harrisburg and the Midtown neighborhood are both packed with examples of 19th and 20th century architecture, and Midtown Scholar is no different. In the current store, Papenfuse and Lawrence have made it a point to keep much of the original architecture from the former theatre and department store to honor the community’s history. For example, a portion of the original 1897 department store’s decal, the Boston Store, can be seen inside Midtown Scholar (Bassert). 

Taken from The Constant Rambler

Another example of Midtown Scholar’s historical preservations is the ornate bell that hangs from its ceiling, which is sometimes rung for special occasions. When Papenfuse was first elected, the sound of the bell tolling could be heard throughout Midtown (Bassert). 

The Motives of Midtown Scholar

Midtown Scholar’s dedication to fostering civic engagement and promoting free thinking made me immediately think of Archibald MacLeish’s assertions about books in “A Free Man’s Books”, particularly his claim that books are weapons. He specifically described books as “weapons of such edge and weight and power that those who would destroy the world of freedom must first destroy the books that freedom fights with” (MacLeish 6). Midtown Scholar’s mission statement, mentioned above, inadvertently acknowledges the fact that books generally have agendas, and these agendas can impact how a person thinks or acts. This is done by focusing on ideas surrounding politics and culture and promoting these ideas within their inventory by shelving titles that feature African American studies and political engagement. 

Image taken from TripAdvisor

However, as I ponder the agenda of Midtown Scholar, I cannot help noticing that these are white booksellers serving a predominantly Black community. Papenfuse and Lawrence realize their store is in a diverse area because they make it a point to stock up on books that focus on diversity. This then led me to considering Joshua Clark Davis’ claims in “Liberation Through Literacy.” During this piece, Davis explains that once Black and African American literature gained popularity in America, chain stores and white booksellers began selling these titles for cheaper prices than Black booksellers to make an easy profit (Davis 67). This forced many Black bookstores out of business, which made me consider Midtown Scholar’s dedication to Black literature. Are they just trying to give their community the content that best reflects their identities? Or are they attempting to make a profit off their diverse community? There’s no way to know the answer to this, but it does make me wonder if a Black-owned bookstore opened in Midtown, would it give Midtown Scholar a run for their money? 

Works Cited

“About Us.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, 2023, www.midtownscholar.com/history-and-mission. 

Bassart, Lauren. “Why Everyone Should Visit Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, PA.” The Constant Rambler., 30 July 2014, www.theconstantrambler.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore-harrisburg-pa/. 

Bedell, Doug, and Phil Landesberg. “Midtown Scholar Bookstore Owners Cover Business on Internet, in Shop.” ProQuest, Central Penn Business Journal, 6 Apr. 2007, libgateway.susqu.edu/login?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fmidtown-scholar-bookstore-owners-cover-business%2Fdocview%2F236300397%2Fse-2%3Faccountid. 

Beeck, Nathalie op de. “U.S. Book Show 2023: Midtown Scholar.” PublishersWeekly.Com, Publishers Weekly, 12 May 2023, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bea/article/92294-u-s-book-show-2023-midtown-scholar.html#:~:text=They%20entered%20the%20bricks%2Dand,bookstores%20in%20Cambridge%20or%20Georgetown%2C. 

Davis, John Clark. “Liberation Through Literacy .” From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs , p. 67. 

“Districts.” Explore HBG, www.explorehbg.com/neighborhoods/#:~:text=Midtown%20Harrisburg%20is%20delineated%20by,Susquehanna%20River%20to%20the%20west. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

MacLeish , Archibald. A Free Man’s Book

Stabert, Lee. “Rebirth in Midtown Harrisburg.” Keystone Edge – What’s Next & Best in Pennsylvania – Growth, Innovation, and Community News, 17 May 2016, www.keystoneedge.com/2016/05/17/rebirth-in-midtown-harrisburg/. 

Veronikis, Eric. “Midtown Scholar Set to Reopen in Bigger Space.” ProQuest, Central Penn Business Journal , 21 Aug. 2009, libgateway.susqu.edu/login?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Ftrade-journals%2Fmidtown-scholar-set-reopen-bigger-space%2Fdocview%2F236378901%2Fse-2%3Faccountid. 

Harriett’s Bookshop – History, Activism, and Literature

Harriett’s Bookshop – Home to History, Activism, and Literature

Harriett’s Bookshop – Home to History, Activism, and Literature

While walking down the historic streets of the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, you may notice the age of the town behind new paints and plaster, the indents where bullets still live within the ancient brick townhouses. Abandoned pickets lay scattered within Fishtown’s alleyways, they almost seem like cracks in an otherwise quaint and beautiful little neighborhood. A sudden gust of wind tinged with salt and scales has you looking down at a sidewalk that has led countless people to where they wanted to be, and now you happen to find yourself looking down at concrete steps leading into a bookshop. The black awning shields you from the sun but blankets you in warm shade, you open the door and hear “welcome to Harriett’s,” as the salt, scales, and alleyway unease are replaced by the light smell of frankincense and book paper. You feel comfortable, relaxed, like you’ve found yourself in some sort of paradise.

“The bookstore feels like a gallery, where the books, mostly iconic and newer titles by Black women-identifying authors—Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, bell hooks—are the art.”

Lauren McCutcheon (The Philadelphia Citizen)
Harriett’s Bookshop from the inside out (Fishtown District, 2023).

That’s exactly the kind of feeling Jeannine Cook, the owner of Harriett’s Bookshop, wants her customers to feel. Harriett’s, named after Harriet Tubman, strives to be a place for minorities to come to and feel at home, feel comfortable, feel safe. Cook has always been a big community-oriented person and takes great pleasure in teaching. After graduating from the University of the Arts in 2004, she began teaching creative writing twice a week at the John Street Community Center. On other days, she would stand at the corner of Broad Street and Cecil B. Moore Avenue selling books and incense. Cook would go on to teach creative writing at Point Breeze Performing Arts Center, District 1199C, and Youth Build. She’d teach at Yes Philly with teens who’ve dropped out and got caught up in the justice system and through American Friends Service Committee, she worked with youths from 10 different countries developing a racism, colonialism, and imperialism centered course curriculum. Even after opening Harriett’s, Cook says “Every time I think I’ve left the classroom. I end up right back in the classroom (CBS Philadelphia, 2020).” She does this through her activism, through giving back to the community, for speaking out when no one else is strong enough to. She does things with the intention of making an impact.

Cook has faced many trials and tribulations opening her bookshop and continues to face challenges. The first lease she ever signed for Harriett’s rented her a vacant store space that would end up burning down within that same year. This didn’t deter her, of course, as she signed the current lease in 2019 and had her grand opening on February 1st, 2020. Ah yes, the dreaded 2020. Merely six weeks after opening, all business were forced to shut down when a quarantine was mandated in March of 2020 due to the rapid spread of Covid-19. While many businesses had gone out of business, Harriett’s was still hanging on. Cook took the bookshop online, sold physical copies from a pop-up sidewalk bookshop, and collaborated with Dr. Gina South, an ER doctor at Pennsylvania Hospital, to create “Essentials for Essentials.” Although Cook was surviving through the pandemic, the natives of Fishtown didn’t make it any easier for her.

August 28, 1964, Twenty-Second and Columbia Avenue. The Columbia Avenue Race Riot (Elkins, 2022).

Fishtown today is considered one of the hippest neighborhoods in Philly; its historical scars hidden away behind its new persona, but that’s just the thing with scars, cracks, and history, they run deep. We see that in how much Cook has had to fight to open and sustain her business as a female black business owner. Although Fishtown has a more creative population than they once had, it is still one of the most nondiverse parts of Philadelphia having a predominantly white population. In a video titled “Stories in Place” on Harriett’s Bookshop’s website, Jeannine said, “When I first came to Philly, what people said a lot was that Fishtown has a really sorted past and a really sorted present (Momar 5:08).” The unbalanced nature of Fishtown is often pointed out to Cook in the form of violent and racist emails, protests of white men wielding baseball bats, and white people mimicking Floyd’s murder in the streets. This was especially prominent after George Floyd’s lynching, in May 2020, which sparked Black Lives Matter protests from all over the country. This isn’t new for Fishtown either; historically Philadelphia was known to harbor many violent race riots, one of the more famous being the Columbia Avenue Riot of 1964.

Stories in Place: Harriett’s Bookshop from Raishad Momar titled “Sisters of the Soil” (Momar, 2023).

Being a primarily white town isn’t what’s causing inequality in Fishtown, but the fact that so many of these white people are older and set in their ways. Cook recalls an event not long after the white ‘pro cops’ protest with baseball bats, when she was walking down the street and came upon white protestors silently kneeling for nine minutes, mimicking the same amount of time Derek Chauvin kneeled on George Floyd’s neck, protesting in favor of the police. Just as the ‘pro cops’ protest was just around the corner from Harriett’s, so too was this. Like any sane person, Cook found this display jarring as she watched countless strangers reenact Floyd’s lynching.

“This is the thing that happens in this country over and over again, where things lose their essence, lose their direction. In that very moment, silence is violence.”

Jeannine Cook (McCutcheon, 2022)

When Cook and several other black business owners received racist and violent emails, threatening to burn, rape workers and mothers, and remind them that BIPOC lives are in constant danger, Cook organized her own protest, a Sisterhood Sit-In. With the support of her customers and social media presence, on March 12, 2022, her and hundreds of others walked from Fabrika to Harriett’s in an umbrella procession. The umbrellas obscured the faces of protestors, making it difficult to guess ages, so-called races, and so-called sexual orientations. Cook only had three days to organize the protest, but in the end, it went exactly as she was hoping.

Group Photo in front of Harriett’s Bookshop, looking forward to another Sisterhood Sit-In Tour (Cook, 2023).

Cook’s social media presence grabbed the attention of more people than she was expecting, jumping from only 3k to 30k followers in only a couple weeks. People admire what she stands for, that she was risking her life and safety to pass out books like Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow: An Organizing Guide by Daniel Hunter and Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change, Changing Worlds by Adrienne Maree Brown. Cook was nearly shot herself by a police sniper in Kentucky but continued from Minneapolis to City Hall in Philly and back in front of her shop. Cook’s dedication to standing up against inequality, racism, sexism, and more, garnered her support from some well-known faces. On November 9, 2021, only a couple weeks after Harriett’s post-quarantine reopening party, Harriett’s hosted the launch party for Will Smith’s new memoir Will. Harriett’s also grabbed the attention of some of Cook’s literary heroes; with Nikole Hannah-Jones visiting Harriett’s in-store art display paying tribute to her book The 1619 Project, and Alice Walker attending a hybrid event hosted by Harriett’s celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Color Purple.

Harriett’s Bookshop would be what it is if not for how Cook is. From all the books being written by black female authors to the charming events, Harriett’s brings people together. An article from the Philadelphia Citizen, they quote Cook saying, “People start calling the store more than a store, saying it’s a sanctuary, a hangout, a safe space, an art gallery, a monument (McCutcheon, 2022).” This is exactly it. Harriett’s is a sanctuary and safe space for minorities within an oppressive neighborhood, that have no other place they can go where they feel safe. It is a monument dedicated to the fight for equality, showcasing what an equal world could look like. Harriett’s is a symbol of hope and of home, many can agree. It is a place of learning, filled with books that make you feel seen and topics which make you feel there’s hope or that good change is possible. Harriett’s sparks peaceful protest for what is right, it’s what makes the bookshop feel like a home rather than a place of business. “The purpose behind her store was “not a matter of sales. It’s not a questioning of bookselling… It’s the raising of consciousness (Davis, p 37).”

Timeline of Harriett’s Bookshop in green above and important national events in brown below (McCann, 2023).

Sources

Media

Cook, Jeannine. “Harrietts_bookshop .” Instagram, 2019, www.instagram.com/harrietts_bookshop/.

Elkins, Alex. “Columbia Avenue Riot.” Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia, 15 Mar. 2022, philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/columbia-avenue-riot/.

Fishtown District. “Harriett’s Bookshop.” Fishtown District, 2023, fishtowndistrict.com/business/harrietts-bookshop/.

Momar, Raishad. “Stories in Place: Harriett’s Bookshop.” Vimeo, 8 Oct. 2023, vimeo.com/507621976.

Websites

CBS Philadelphia. “Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown Thriving during Pandemic Due to Unique Mission.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, 25 Aug. 2020, www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/harrietts-bookshop-in-fishtown-thriving-during-pandemic-due-to-unique-mission/.

Goulet, Emily. “Fishtown: An Oral History (so Far).” Philadelphia Magazine, 25 Nov. 2019, www.phillymag.com/news/fishtown-oral-history-philadelphia/.

Harriett’s. “Harriett’s.” Our Sister Bookshops, 2023, www.oursisterbookshops.com/harrietts.

Harriett’s Bookshop Online. “Harriett’s Bookshop Bookshop.” Bookshop, 2023, bookshop.org/shop/harriettsbookshop.

McCutcheon, Lauren. “How Black Bibliophile Jeannine Cook Became the Voice of Philadelphia.” The Philadelphia Citizen, 14 Nov. 2022, thephiladelphiacitizen.org/jeannine-cook-philly/.

McShane, Julianne. “Why a Bookstore Owner Is Working to Make Harriet Tubman Day a Reality.” NBCNews.Com, NBCUniversal News Group, 29 Apr. 2022, www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/bookstore-owner-working-make-harriet-tubman-day-reality-rcna26333.

Rebolini, Arianna. “For Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook, at the Root of Everything …” Oprah Daily, 28 Feb. 2022, www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39186848/jeannine-cook-harrietts-bookshop/.

Wilson, Jennifer. “Q&A: Cook’s Activism at Philly Bookshop.” Poets & Writers, 11 Feb. 2022, www.pw.org/content/qa_cooks_activism_at_philly_bookshop.

Text

“Liberation Through Literacy.” From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs, by Joshua Clark Davis, Columbia University Press, 2020, pp. 35–82.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.

Timeline

McCann, Bedelya. “Harriett’s Bookshop Timeline.” Harriett’s Bookshop Timeline – Timeline, 2023, time.graphics/line/841980.

Midtown Scholar: Expanding Onward While Looking Back

Midtown Scholar: Expanding Onward While Looking Back

You wouldn’t expect a bookstore as established as Midtown Scholar to have only been around for two decades. However, the history of this building and the surrounding area is rich and established. Nestled in the midtown of Harrisburg, in a building that served first as a 1920s style theater and second as a 1950s Boston Department Store, Midtown Scholar melds the two looks of the building’s past into its own unique blend; from the art deco neon signage above the store to the “Boston” department store name preserved on their storefront walk-in (Association). It strives to preserve the history that came before it the same as it cements itself as a staple of Harrisburg’s modern history.

Midtown Scholar’s timeline begins back in the late 1920s when the building that would house the independent bookstore/cafe opened as Central PA’s first non-segregated movie theater (pawalkworks.com). In the present day, where Harrisburg has a rich and diverse population and much effort has been made to elevate the voices of those citizens, discovering that the roots of Midtown Scholar were ahead of their time and striving for equality seemed to be a fitting parallel. In fact, Catherine Lawrence, one of the two married owners of Midtown Scholar, discussed the intentionality of their store’s emphasis on diversity while they were a “Bookstore of the Year” finalist.

“We’ve been very intentional about having a diverse group of what we call ‘famous authors.’ We put new releases, classic works, and works of criticism there. We’re an urban-based store and a majority-minority city, and we have shelves upon shelves of Black history with great scholarly depth.”

-Catherine Lawrence (Publishers Weekly)

The concept of an academic bookstore with emphasis on elevating the diverse voices of the population that frequents it is not an uncommon one. As Davis quotes from Maulana Karenga in Liberation Through Literacy, “Nationalism demands study. Show me a true nationalist and I’ll show you someone who studies” (Davis, 37). The link between activism and academia is undeniable, and the history of Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg has always been a source of such activism, whether that be opening the first interracial movie theater in PA, or contributing to education and diversification past that of the mainstream white canon. 

The building’s past as Harrisburg’s first split-level department store in the 1950s can be found in the lighting fixtures and the architectural foundation of the building itself (Constant Rambler). The co-owners’ preservation of the building’s history is an admirable feat and one that becomes quite clear when walking around the inside of Midtown, now spanning six floors full of academic, historical, and additional genre books. Those genre books are a newer addition as Midtown grows and changes with the population around it. A cafe and a bakery now reside in the expanded building, without overtaking the architectural decisions made in the past. This focus on the historical preservation of the building and surrounding area cements the bookstore’s sense of place within the community and keeps bits of the past alive. 

A photo taken of the Boston Department Store in the 1950s. This was well before Midtown Scholar moved into the building and expanded to fill the building pictured to the left of Boston’s as well.

Midtown Scholar was established in 2001 after the Boston Department Store shut down and the building became available. Under the founding and co-ownership of married couple Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse, Midtown Scholar, a place for used and new books, came to life. Papenfuse was a local businessman and politician who was elected as the 38th mayor of Harrisburg from 2014 to 2022, well after the establishment of the bookstore. It must have been incredibly relieving to the community to understand so much about his morals and politics from the years they had seen him at Midtown Scholar already. What had started for him and his wife as a small walkup used bookstore and online e-commerce site turned into what we now see it as today, a massive bookstore with a deep care for the community’s history and a strong urge to bring people together (Publishers Weekly). In fact, Papenfuse stated that “It all began with a pile of books in our dining room,” and their business had grown from a used-book online portal to 15,000 square feet of retail space with a staff of fifty (Publishers Weekly). This revitalization of the neighborhood, including the renovation of a former post office next door, demonstrated their commitment to Harrisburg “as a destination for literary culture and political debate,” and encouraged the growth of an educated and activist population, much like that which came before it (Publishers Weekly).

A photo taken from the balcony outside of Midtown Scholar, where there is additional seating offered for those who have purchased items at the cafe or who simply wish to sit and talk.

One notable example of the community that Midtown Scholar curates in Harrisburg can be found no further than the Harrisburg Book Festival, an annual festival launched in 2009 by Midtown Scholar to celebrate the power of literature and its ability to unite, delight, and inspire (Midtown Scholar). Much like the popularity and influence of the store, this fest grew in size each year, and they eventually named Alex Brubaker as its director. This yearly attraction not only serves to energize the local community, but the influence and intrigue of the traveling authors speaking at the fest draw in a crowd to Harrisburg, who then are able to partake in the local cuisine, wander the streets, and interact with other parts of the town. The 2023 festival now includes featured authors, a full day of children’s programming, a used-book tent sale, and writing workshops, not only encouraging literary thinking, but thought of how the world around us interacts with itself and these concepts (Publishers Weekly). 

In fact, this expansion of the Harrisburg Book Festival, under the launch of Midtown Scholar, mimics the way in which the store has branched out to curate a larger community than just those who read. Midtown Scholar has engaged with the creative community at large in ways that mimic the surrounding area of Harrisburg, which is filled with muralistic work. The bookstore actually includes their own mural, depicting Sunset at Riverfront Park (Bassart). The preservation of this mural was held in high regard during their expansion, carefully moved to its current location. As Jenison says in Sunwise Turn, “As soon as you begin to think of books as life they connect up with art,” and Midtown Scholar exemplifies that at every turn, merging the worlds of art and literature, as well as the worlds of academia and advocacy (Jenison, 21). This bookstore serves within the community as a meeting space, a place to make ideas and to engage with other literary-minded individuals. Open cafe tables incite conversation, and events of all kinds are hosted within the store itself. The store treats books as life and lets their community find the art within. It strives to reach people of all ages and backgrounds, children and adults alike, and to engage with the creative side of their minds, much like the festival expanded to better encompass the diverse audience it served. 

Despite this long-running festival’s popularity and expansion, when COVID-19 hit, the festival was shifted to a virtual experience. This did little to dissuade the community of literary-minded individuals who were interested in it, however, and the festival had four years of virtual community-building before it became slated to take place in person again in October of 2023. This would not have been possible without the population’s commitment to keeping the literary side of Harrisburg alive, and the idea that books connect art and life, leading to a more enriching experience on all sides. 

A photo taken and used in promotion of the 11th annual Harrisburg Book Festival. One can note the expanded storefronts and see how this compares both to the photo illustrating the building’s past as the Boston Department Store, as well as the art deco signage reminiscent of the 1920’s movie theatre the building originally served as.

Past Midtown Scholar’s success with community building, they have also been nominated for multiple awards over the last two decades. Publishers Weekly crowned them its 31st annual Bookstore of the Year at the virtually produced U.S. Book Show on May 22 (Publishers Weekly). They have also been voted “Simply the Best” independent bookstore for the past 18 consecutive years. These accolades, while less personal than the impact that they have on the individual consumer who stops by to admire one chunk of Harrisburg’s rich history, still emphasize an agreement that Midtown Scholar has established itself as a prime resource, destination, and gathering place for the community around it. 

I admired the decision for Midtown Scholar to keep so much of the businesses and history that make up its roots on display, while still growing in the modern day with its consumers and community. I found myself particularly fond of the way they went about preserving the history of the building through signage and architecture without holding themselves back from expansion of genre, media forms, and community engagement. 

Sources Cited

Websites:

U.S. book show 2023: Midtown scholar, Emily Bates named PW Bookstore, rep of the year. PublishersWeekly.com. (2023, May 22). https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/awards-and-prizes/article/92371-u-s-book-show-2023-midtown-scholar-emily-bates-named-pw-bookstore-rep-of-the-year.html#:~:text=Publishers%20Weekly%20crowned%20its%2031st,PW’s%20Bookstore%20of%20the%20Year.

Midtown Scholar. (n.d.-b). Midtown scholar bookstore-cafe. Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe. https://www.midtownscholar.com/

Bassart, L. (2014, July 30). Why everyone should visit midtown scholar bookstore in Harrisburg, PA. The Constant Rambler. https://www.theconstantrambler.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore-harrisburg-pa/

Association, H. H. (2021). 1302 N. 3rd street: Then & now. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/1302-n-3rd-street-now-historic-harrisburg-association?trk=organization-update-content_share-article

pawalkworks.com. (n.d.). Capitol Complex Route. Harrisburg; PA Walkworks.

Books:

Davis, Joshua Clark. From Head Shops to Whole Foods: The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs. New York City, Columbia University Press, n.d..

Jenison, M. (1993). Sunwise Turn: A human comedy of Bookselling. Booksellers House.

Images:

Historic Harrisburg Association. (n.d.). 1302 N. 3rd Street: Then and Now. photograph, Harrisburg.

Me. Photo of Midtown Scholar Hanging Sign. (2023). photograph, Harrisburg.

Midtown Scholar. (n.d.). Harrisburg Book Festival. photograph, Harrisburg.

Timeline:

Free Online Timeline Maker, time.graphics/. Accessed 6 Oct. 2023.

The History of a Crown Height’s Bookstore 

Café Con Libros of Crown Heights, Brooklyn was founded in 2017 by social activist, new mother, teacher, and Afro-Latinx woman, Kalima Desuze. She grew up in Crown Heights and is remarkably familiar with the neighborhood full of busy restaurants and bars. The neighborhood has many immigrants and is mixed with various cultures that Desuze urges people to celebrate. Her goals were to open a joyful space in Crown Heights that fostered her lifelong interest in literature and intersectional- feminism, and her love of coffee with an enjoyable book. The store carries literature written by authors from diverse backgrounds, classical, and more contemporary. Desuze is a veteran whose time in the military made her realize the importance of being around people you are not usually around and learning from them. Forming diverse and understanding communities is something she strives to do daily at her bookstore. After receiving degrees in social work and actively working with survivors of domestic abuse and war veterans, she decided to open a business away from her established career. The name Café Con Libros comes from a dish from Panama called Café Con Leches, which is a part of her culture and one of her favorite dishes. The store was inspired by her own joy brought on by literature. Her philosophy is that a person needs to build their own life before building a career, so that the joy and passion that is unique to the individual is expressed as fully as possible in their career choice. It was especially important for Kalima Desuze to open her shop by herself when she was ready. Through business podcasts and books, and solo travels Kalima gained knowledge about what it means to open your own business and the coffee culture of Ethiopia.  

To build community and accessibility to literature for locals and those coming to visit thew bookstore Kalima sells books for much less than the suggested retail price and gifts books to children to build a sense of family at the store and inspire a love for reading in the neighborhood. The feminist book club held in Café Con Libros first began meeting in January of 2018 and The Womxn of Color Book Club started in December of 2019. These literary events are held, and attendance is organically generated by word of mouth and social media. These events draw in regulars to the store and new book lovers looking for a community to be a part of. Both book clubs meet once a month on the last Sunday. I’ve made a timeline that shows how quickly things pick up for this bookstore in such little time.  

https://time.graphics/line/cfd379080812e22a0b88bc50b94c0f38

Purchases are “influenced by how the bookseller conceives of her proper relationship with her customers. More specifically, a bookseller’s judgements about what books to carry and sell are shaped by the extent to which she sees herself as rightfully taking an active role in guiding the reading of her customers,” (Miller 55). This take on bookselling reminds me a lot of Café con Libros because Kalima Desuze makes an effort to build a book loving community that is inclusive and carries many books by women and people of color. Miller explains today’s view on bookselling when she writes: “Today the notion that the bookseller should not interfere with consumers’ legitimate right to enjoy any book that suits their tastes is widespread,” (Miller 61). I don’t think Kalima is trying to convince people to stop reading certain books, but instead, create a bookstore that highlights certain types of books. In Café Con Libros’ case, their focus is feminist literature and authors with diverse backgrounds. This approach works particularly well for Café Con Libros because it is located in Crown Heights which is populated by many immigrants with distinct cultural backgrounds. Specialized and niche bookstores are very important in tofay’s homogenized world. Big stores that sell every book ever written, may be succcessful business wise, but may fall short in terms of creating a community for similar types of people. What is important to the customer is entirely unique, so the choice to visit an independet bookstore or a chain bookstore is made based on individual interest. I think Café con Libros is needed in addition to other independent bookstores because they have a specialized interest that creates a unique and loving community of readers.  

Work Cited 

“Café Con Libros.” Medium, medium.com/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

Miller, Laura J. “Sovereign Customer.” Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2014. 

Saraniero, Nicole, et al. “Secrets of New York.” Untapped New York, 5 Mar. 2021, untappedcities.com/. 

“American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking.” American Express Credit Cards, Rewards & Banking, www.americanexpress.com/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023. 

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