Books in Bella Vista

Books in Bella Vista

Philadelphia is one of the oldest and most populous cities in The United States of America. It is a rich melting pot of culture brought about by the immigrants who settled there. Molly’s Books and Records nestled in on S 9th Street in the Bella Vista neighborhood of South Philly is right in the center of this melting pot. Being from the Greater Philadelphia Area, I was vaguely familiar with the name “Bella Vista,” being the name of the “Italian section” of Philly. I decided to talk to my Dad, who grew up in the Northeast and works in the city in the electrician’s union, about the area. He confirmed my minimal knowledge, that Bella Vista is, or at least was, a neighborhood settled by Italian immigrants, though nowadays it has “different demographics,” but its Italian roots still hold a strong influence on the neighborhood. With this knowledge as my frame of reference, I eagerly began my research into the area. 

As stated previously, Bella Vista was primarily settled by Italian immigrants in the late 19th-early 20th century. Like many of its kind, the 9th street Market was a result of the cultural habits brought over by the masses of immigrants. Shopkeepers lived above their shops, which themselves were family businesses run by generation after generation. I found that this is still marginally true, as Molly’s and many of its neighboring businesses are family-run, and many of them (like Talluto’s and Fante’s) are generational with a rich history in the neighborhood. In fact, founders and owners of Molly’s Books and Records Molly Russakoff and Joe Ankenbrand live above their store, just like how the immigrants who populated the Italian Market lived above their stalls. 

In terms of the demographics, I found that my Dad wasn’t entirely right. Yes, there are a good number of Hispanic and Asian businesses in the area that probably weren’t there when he was growing up, but the area is still vastly dominated by Italian restaurants and businesses. The current population of the area is 36,228, and about 69% of that population is white. Though I’m not entirely sure how much of that 69% is actually Italian, I’m sure they still account for the vast majority. However, I noticed that the majority of households in the Bella Vista area are childless, with about 82% being without children. It is also a young neighborhood, the median population age is 34. This means that though the race demographics are still largely the same, the age and household demographics are certainly different. 
It was immediately noticeable to me how Molly’s location in the city of Philadelphia impacts its very existence. As noted by journalist Abigail Weil for the website Eater, Molly’s is home to a massive collection of cookbooks. When you account the store’s position close to the Italian Market, and such neighboring stores as Fante’s Kitchen Shop, Darigo’s Fish & Seafood Market, Cappuccio’s Meats, and Mexican Restaurant Alma del Mar, the collection of hundreds of used cookbooks from a myriad of backgrounds is the clearest influence that place has on the store.

Citations:

“PRIZM® PREMIER.” Claritas, claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

ExplorePAHistory.Com, explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-3E1. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“ZIP Code 19147 Map, Demographics, More for Philadelphia, PA.” United States Zip Codes, www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/19147/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“Explore the Bella Vista Neighborhood of Philadelphia.” Visit Philadelphia, 18 May 2021, www.visitphilly.com/areas/philadelphia-neighborhoods/bella-vista/.

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.

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/.

Like Gold Through Trees – Harriett’s Bookshop: Carving Out a Place for Black Women Authors

Like Gold Through Trees

Harriett’s Bookshop: Carving Out a Place for Black Women Authors

While walking down East Girard Avenue in Fishtown Philadelphia, PA, past quaint little coffee shops and studios displaying multiple artistic mediums, keep an eye out for a deep black awning with the words “Harriett’s Bookshop” printed in a white bolded sans serif font. You can’t miss it, especially not with the silhouette of an antique rifle shot through the midriff of the lettering; an ode to Harriet Tubman herself, who was known to use a sharpshooter’s rifle during the American Civil War, and symbolic of Black women’s resilience and their fight for freedom.

Girard Avenue in Fishtown – Photo by M. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia

Harriett’s Bookshop lies nestled between the red-bricked cushions of Christy H. Neill’s Ameriprise Financial Services and K Studios & Co., just a couple blocks North of the Delaware River, located in the Fishtown (sometimes referred to as lower Kensington) neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA. Fishtown is known for its artistic, music, and culinary scenes. Whether you want to get inked-up at Black Vulture Gallery, order a custom-made dress or take sewing classes from VIIXVII Sewing Studio LLC., or even just want to just try a new hairstyle at Shear Design or Franklin’s Barber Shop, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy. With numerous culturally vast eateries such as Ekta Indian Cuisine, Hajimaru Ramen, Gilda Café & Market, and Johnny Brenda’s, Fishtown draws in amateur food connoisseurs and tourists of all kinds, such is the way of Philly.

“North of Gerard, south of Lehigh, east of Front and west of the Delaware River, Philly’s young creative class roots itself here with hopes to take ideas from gestation to reality.”

Visit Philadelphia
Girard Avenue – Locations that are near Harriett’s Bookshop

Despite Fishtown’s diverse dining culture, the neighborhood itself has minimal diversity with a 78.1% White population. Black or African Americans only make up 5.9% of Fishtown, and the other 16% is made up of Asian, American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian & Other Pacific Islander, and other unspecified races as of 2020. The median age is 33, the median household income is $41,186, and in terms of schooling, 23% of residents have less than a high school diploma, 41% graduated with a high school diploma but did not move on to college, 6% earned an Associate’s degree, 20% earned a Bachelor’s degree, 8% earned a Master’s degree, and professional school degrees and doctorate degrees were only earned by 3% of the population. There are no colleges or universities in Fishtown, only 10 different elementary and high schools, so for a working-class neighborhood with high property costs, it’s no wonder so many residents didn’t pursue higher education.

Charts from US ZIP Codes on Fishtown Statistics

Fishtown, with its modest rowhouses (a historic reflection of a classic working-class neighborhood in the city), is home to various independently owned businesses. With roughly 23,000 residents packed into Fishtown’s 1.57 square miles of space (including water area) it is bursting at the seams (that’s roughly 17,000 people per square mile). Due to low-income and high population density in this area, crime statistics are very high. “The F grade [shown on the Crime Grades map] means the rate of crime is much higher than the average US neighborhood. Fishtown is in the 6th percentile for safety, meaning 94% of neighborhoods are safer and 6% of neighborhoods are more dangerous.” It’s especially dangerous for minorities within this neighborhood. In a short video titled “Stories in Place: Harriett’s Bookshop,” owner of Harriett’s Bookshop, Jeannine A. Cook, recalls several instances of violence towards her and her bookshop. Black business owners being chased out by white men with baseball bats, peaceful Black Lives Matter protests turning violent when white men rip apart the BLM banners, and Jeannine and her coworkers have even received emails threatening rape, threatening harm, using racist and derogatory words, etc.

Crime Statistics Map for Fishtown

“Fishtown has a really sorted past and a really sorted present. I met a woman who came in and I laughed because she was like, we’re not racist and we weren’t racist. I said ‘ok.’ She said, we just didn’t like other people.”

– Stories in Place: Harriett’s Bookshop

Although Philadelphia is known as the “City of Brotherly Love,” it isn’t perfect, it isn’t all inclusive or equal or diverse in some cases. This is just how big cities are, especially in areas of low-income and working-class neighborhoods where it’s ‘work to survive or die trying,’ but especially in a neighborhood lacking in diversity, this is a common issue. Fishtown, as was mentioned before, is predominantly white, it has more Slovak and Irish ancestry than most neighborhoods in the United States (32.2%). The ethnicity/ancestry statistics in lower Kensington are as follows: Irish (32.2%), German (14.3%), English (11.2%), Polish (8.7%), Italian (8.3%), and others below 8%.

Despite the violence and lack of diversity, Cook says that she feels they opened the bookshop in Fishtown for a reason. Maybe the reason is a continued effort to dig deep in the nooks and crannies of suppression and snuff them out, make the world more diverse, provide a place for women of color to showcase their writing.

“I regard my responsibilities as a Black writer as someone who must bear witness, someone who must record. But I want to make sure that a little piece of the world I knew, a little piece that I knew, doesn’t get forgotten.”

-Toni Morrison

Jeannine A. Cook builds a sense of place at Harriett’s Bookshop by not only creating common ground between potential buyers interested in Black women’s writing (by naming this shop in the name of Harriet Tubman and the other shop in the name of Ida Wells), but by using this lack of diversity to bring forth a sense of safety and comfortability for black women that otherwise might feel unsafe or unwanted in other places throughout the Fishtown neighborhood. I feel Harriett’s Bookshop fulfilled the requirements B. Dalton held to the prototype to his shop. “In a bookstore, we strive for a design mixing leisure with excitement, casual warmth with soft elegance, high-brow culture with worn-shoe comfort, and serious study with simple fun (Reluctant Capitalists, pg. 92).” Harriett’s Bookshop shows this through their modern, bright, and contrasting interior design. The events they put on and the community they’re building goes hand-in-hand with mixing leisure and excitement. When Cook would bring the books outside and set up an outdoor bookshop for the day, this is what people go to Harriett’s bookstore for. They don’t come for the copy of “I know why the caged bird sings” because they could always get it online, they go because Harriett’s is an experience, it’s comfortable both literally and socially. You, as a Black woman, don’t have to feel unsafe or uncomfortable when you’re in Harriett’s because of the atmosphere and the people there. Harriett’s perfectly exemplifies how books can change a person’s life (through the video they did) and how it expands your views, which expands your horizons.

I could see Harriett’s (and Ida’s) being the start of a movement, starting out small and growing exponentially just like Appleton’s. Harriett’s drive and their messages speak louder than any words on the pages of the books they sell. The passion and drive and dedication are well worth the hardships. Just as Appleton’s originally location burned down and people still associated the space with Appleton’s, the same is being done for Harriett’s while they endure all this violence, hate, and discrimination from the Fishtown White community. Harriett’s is becoming a legacy. “And here
lies both the strength and the frailty of the 21st century independent book-store. As a cultural and community institution, it has the power to produce and preserve idealized visions of local experience—to be a living archive and to act as a hub in social, literary, and cultural networks; to be, in short, a
physical landmark of and for local community (Highland, pg. 243).”

Harriett’s Bookshop

Sources

Charts

Point2. “Fishtown Demographics.” Point2, 2021, www.point2homes.com/US/Neighborhood/PA/Philadelphia/Fishtown-Demographics.html

Media

Momar, Raishad, and Aiden Un. “Stories in Place: Harriett’s Bookshop.” Vimeo, 19 Sept. 2021, vimeo.com/507621976.

Visit Philadelphia. “Explore the Fishtown Neighborhood of Philadelphia.” Visit Philadelphia, 8 Dec. 2020, www.visitphilly.com/areas/philadelphia-neighborhoods/fishtown/.

Websites

Harriett’s Bookshop. Our Sister Bookshops, 2019, www.oursisterbookshops.com/.

Erkiletian, Alex. “Myth’s & Facts About Harriet Tubman.” Harriet Tubman Myths and Facts, 2023, www.harriettubmanbiography.com/harriet-tubman-myths-and-facts.html.

Security Gauge. “Philadelphia, PA (Fishtown – Lower Kensington).” NeighborhoodScout, 2023, www.neighborhoodscout.com/pa/philadelphia/fishtown-lower-kensington#overview.

US Zip Codes. “ZIP Code 19125 Map, Demographics, More for Philadelphia, PA.” United States Zip Codes, 2020, www.unitedstateszipcodes.org/19125/.

Maps

Google Maps: Girard Avenue, Harriett’s Bookshop

Mapbox. “The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Fishtown, Philadelphia, PA …” Crime Grade, 2023, crimegrade.org/safest-places-in-fishtown-philadelphia-pa/.

Text

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

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

Past: Place and People, Student Work

Hashtags: Activism, Black women authors, Black-owned business, Fishtown, Community

Bedelya McCann

People & Place: Midtown Scholar’s Indelible Influence

People & Place: Midtown Scholar’s Indelible Influence

First opened in 2001 by married couple Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse, the Midtown Scholar Bookstore has grown from a humble book retailer to what can best be described as a trove of literature; with six floors in the present location carrying over 200,000 rare, used, and unique texts, any patron would be forgiven for losing track of time within its walls. Additionally, Midtown Scholar contains two cafes within its sprawling halls, providing visitors with ample refreshments and a foyer to enjoy them in. Outside of the collections it houses and shops within, Lawrence and Papenfuse also sought to change the community in which the bookstore resides for the better, spreading grassroots transformation through the medium of literature. The owners cite an interview they participated in on their website, saying that “Ideas change people’s minds and affect people’s directions and sensibilities – tie people together or fracture them apart – and so, books transform,” showing that they wish to foster a comfortable space where people can discover more than just their next favorite title (History and Mission).

Heavily contrasting the elitist concepts covered in Laura Miller’s Reluctant Capitalists, the owners have consistently sought to foster a sense of community in spite of organized booksellers and chains that continue to have a stranglehold on the field; rather than removing the human aspect like many chains have chosen to do, Lawrence and Papenfuse instead sought to characterize their storefront in the diverse image of Harrisburg, welcoming those from all walks of life. Even the layout of the store contrasts all standardized notions of what a bookstore “should” be, the sprawling shelves and spiraling levels don’t make it the easiest to locate a specific text, but may just lead you to finding something new altogether.

Looking at the demographics of Midtown, the neighborhood in Harrisburg this bookstore is located in, we quickly realize there’s a stark contrast in the people that live here– a sizable percent of individuals here make less than $15,000, with even more making between $35k and $75k; moreover, a majority of the population of Midtown is made up of people between the ages of 25 and 44, with a notable amount being those above 65 years of age. Generally speaking, this area is populated more with singles and married couples than families with children, though families make up a small percent– this lack of family has likely contributed to the abundance of humanities and social spots within walking distance of each other.

From a geographical point of view, Midtown Scholar is located directly in the middle of a diverse community of individuals from different backgrounds, incomes, and heritages. Immediately surrounding the storefront are multiple shops including grocery markets, cafes, and retail shopping centers, highlighting the frequent traffic this area gets. Moreover, a majority of the landmarks surrounding Midtown Scholar are social or interactive spaces; museums, art galleries, yoga, taverns, and more– the topography of this area heavily suggests that this is a flourishing community, deeply invested in the arts and humanities. For readers who prefer a crisp breeze over an armchair by the fireplace, there are three outdoor parks and gardens within walking distance of the bookstore, allowing one to read their titles wherever they’re most comfortable. Not as prominent as other features in this neighborhood, housing is largely centralized in townhouses, with larger living complexes like the Linden Terrace Apartments towards the Susquehanna River also taking up a good chunk of the population. As mentioned above, worship centers in this area are largely Christian, with an international, non-denominational house of worship not far from Midtown Scholar. Community highlights of the arts and humanities include galleries such as Vivi on Verbeke, a painting gallery with assorted sculptures of what can best be described as a clash of nature and americana, or Pocket Park, an interactive studio geared towards families with children that allows them to express their creativity. Harkening back to Tim Cresswell’s essay Place, Midtown Scholar has forged something more than a location within their walls– existing outside of a brick and mortar location, this bookstore has helped redefine the very place it exists within, Papenfuse even serving as the 38th mayor of Harrisburg to further affects his constituents’ quality of life, focusing many of his efforts on the neighborhood of Midtown.

All in all, Midtown Scholar exists in the populated center of a thriving neighborhood of many different lifestyles, and has ample options for food, shopping, worship, entertainment, and more, giving any visitor a wide range of options to choose from on their trip. If any location’s attempt to redefine the notion of bookstore has succeeded, it would without a doubt be Midtown Scholar, having helped shape its community for over two decades.

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Sources

Images:

https://uncoveringpa.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore

https://www.visithersheyharrisburg.org/listings/midtown-scholar-bookstore-caf%C3%A9/707/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/mhoffman1/9060576278

https://www.fox43.com/article/news/local/dauphin-county/midtown-scholar-harrisburg-publishers-weekly-bookstore-of-the-year/521-d50a4ae9-b492-4523-9d70-2148bea5429d

Articles:

https://uncoveringpa.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore. Accessed 18 September 2023.

https://www.midtownscholar.com/history-and-mission. Accessed 18 September 2023.

Maps & Misc:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1i9TqQIov8VQh8b1_Cqw_ybgezV4iKTg&ll=40.26961690000003%2C-76.8911064&z=17. Accessed and created 18 September 2023.

https://vivionverbeke.com/. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Library Express: Simply the Best

Library Express: Simply the Best

Library Express, located in Scranton, PA, is not only a bookstore, but a library as well. This dual purpose serves the surrounding community and its residents well, allowing people of all demographics to find what they are looking for, whether they are seeking to buy a bestseller or simply borrow a book that interests them. The offered variety of purchase and rental options at Library Express similarly reflect this urge to cater to all types. There are options to have a book mailed to your home if you are unable to go to the bookstore, online options for in-store pickup, and, of course, in-person options in the store itself. These options allow the community to utilize the bookstore in any way they are able to, and in any way they would like to (“Library Express Bookstore.”).  

In Place, a Short Introduction by Tim Cresswell, places are defined both as “spaces which people have made meaningful” and “spaces people are attached to in one way or another” (Creswell 7). These definitions allow people to make sense of the area they are in, especially the spaces most significant to them. These meanings applied to Library Express are various and change for each person. For some people, the location itself creates meaning, while other people create meanings through the environment of the bookstore and the community within it. Due to Library Express’ location in the Marketplace at Steamtown with a multitude of other stores, the location suggests business and a sense of constant activity. The immediate surroundings outside the mall include historical train museums and a multitude of restaurants. This physical sense of place allows the consumers at Library Express to have a meaningful area with everything they might want. In addition to the physical sense of place, the significance of the space itself is created through the large number of activities the Library Express hosts.  Included in this wide are open mic nights, technical assistance tables, and community discussions about topics such as parenting. Though these activities are not offered in the bookstore itself due to its small size, they are offered through the Lackawanna library system, which helps cater to people in multiple areas.   

Image courtesy of the Lackawanna Library System

Data from the US census and other surveys give further reasons that Library Express utilizes a great business model. In the surrounding area of the bookstore, the median income is far less than the state average, estimates reading about $41,000 dollars a year compared to $71,000 average (“Scranton, PA.”). With this, the employment rate of the same zip code is at a mere 36%, and 45% of their population 65 and older are in poverty. The obvious way to cater to this is to have multiple options for consumers. For those who cannot afford books due to poverty or unemployment, having the option to check out a library book is an excellent idea. By contrast, a significant amount of the population is comprised of well-educated people in their thirties who have the income to spend on books. The ability to buy books and browse in a store is appealing to this audience. In addition to this, the population of disabled people in the area is 23%, an almost 10% increase from the state average (Bureau). This is easily reflected in Library Express’ book mailing option for those who cannot be in the store itself. Because of this catering to their area, far more people are able to access books than they would otherwise.  

Image Courtesy of Data USA
Image Courtesy of United States Census Bureau

The idea of ‘place’ in a bookstore is easily reflected in Library Express. The dual library-bookstore combination allows consumers to feel at home and comforted as they recognize their own place in the order of things. As Creswell explains on page 2, place can be used in the context of social hierarchies in the world and “suggests that there are particular orderings of things in the world that have a socio-geographical basis”. This is a sentiment that is reflected through the comforting accommodations in Library Express. It is comforting to know your own place in the world and social expectations of you, and it is simultaneously comforting to have accommodations made to suit you. Libraries have been a part of the world for centuries, and the branching out of this model allows two communities to come together. The community of bookstore consumers can use a library model to explore multiple avenues of reading, and the library community is able to purchase a book they find especially good. Libraries and bookstores have opposite problems—people in libraries wish they could keep books and people in bookstores may not be able to afford the books they want. Library Express caters to all possible audiences by making books available in a multitude of ways, which ensures the people of the Scranton area are happy.  

Citations

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Blackwell, 2011.

“Library Express Bookstore.” Lackawanna County Library System, lclshome.org/b/library-express/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

“Scranton, PA.” Data USA, datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-pa. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Bureau, United States Census. Explore Census Data, data.census.gov/profile/ZCTA5_18503?g=860XX00US18503. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Images

“Library Express Bookstore.” Lackawanna County Library System, lclshome.org/b/library-express/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

“Scranton, PA.” Data USA, datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-pa. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Bureau, United States Census. Explore Census Data, data.census.gov/profile/ZCTA5_18503?g=860XX00US18503. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Map courtesy of Brooke Nelson

Harriett’s Bookshop: Taking a look into the Present to see the Future

Harriett’s Bookshop: Taking a look into the Present to see the Future

When looking for a small Local business bookshop, it is important to have the ideals of the shop align with your own. Having a place that is accessible, unique, and surrounded by like-minded people helps to create an excellent atmosphere for a bookshop to thrive. Harriett’s Bookshop has become that bookshop for many people in Fishtown. 

In the heart of Fishtown, Philadelphia, exists a Black women-owned bookshop, Harriett’s Bookshop. This Bookshop was named after Harriet Tubman to inspire women activists, artists, and authors. It is the purple marker on the map.   

This Large neighborhood of over twelve thousand residents started as a small fishing town in the 1700s until drugs overtook the area in the 80s and 90s (19125). Fishtown began anew in the 2000s with artists finding a home in Fishtown because of the cheap housing and untapped potential. New businesses started to emerge, creating a new Fishtown. This brought younger-aged families into the mix of the older-aged families that held on to the hope that Fishtown would one day reclaim its good name. The older residents had yet to learn of the rise to fame the new businesses would bring to Fishtown. A restaurant was created out of the ruins of another building, and a garage-themed bar established its second store. These businesses helped to reinvent Fishtown and put it back on the map as a place to visit (Goulet). 

When looking into the businesses that helped to reinvent Fishtown, I noticed they are unique and different from the average everyday companies. For example, Frankford Hall, created from ruins, makes German cuisine with outdoor seating and looks similar to a beer garden. The garage bar is made to look like you are eating in an auto shop. There are even quirky coffee shops, such as Milkcrate Café, that showcase vinyl records. It is shown on the map with green markers.   

Image curtesy of Frankford Hall
Image curtesy of Garage Fishtown

Harriett’s Bookshop is also a part of this rise. It has created a chain effect of Black-owned, LGBTQ+ businesses. Another bookshop, Lot 49 book, was relocated to the same street as Harriett’s Bookshop in 2022. This bookstore is black-owned, women-owned, and Latino-owned and is also LGBTQ+ friendly (lot).   

Harriett’s Bookshop is very involved in the community through its social media and the events that it hosts. On their social media, I found that they have block parties for ban books and sisterhood Sit-in Trolley Tours, where they visit black-owned businesses in Philadelphia on a trolley. Upon further investigation of their Instagram, I found an article that states this tour is based on Rosa Parks’s defiance of not giving up her seat. These ideas that they have created with their store are very telling of their ideals and how they choose to improve society.  

Through pictures on their Instagram, the inside does not look like a traditional bookstore. They change up the inside of their store regularly. For example, in one of their posts, they made the bookstore look like a club and captioned it as a “book club,” pun intended, and another was decorated to look like an art gallery with its two-dimensional feel.  

Harriett’s Bookshop uses fun and inventive ways to captivate its readers, creating returning customers through its events both in and outside the bookstore. When first browsing Harriett’s Bookshop’s website, I immediately noticed a picture of a woman holding two books to a group of people protesting in front of the store. Harriett’s Bookshop is directly telling its customers what is most important to them: activism. The way they choose to categorize their books online aims to demonstrate the types of books they want to sell and what they want the community to know, such as my general Tubman, Children’s readers, “Ladies of the House of Love” book club and Penn Reads Literacy Project (University of Pennsylvania): Book Donation (Harriett’s). When I click on the categories, it brings me to more books in that category and gives me a descriptive blurb. Each category focuses on a topic of diverse books that are not generally showcased at big chain bookstores. Most books are by local authors or people starting to write more about different types of people.    

image curtesy of Harriett’s Bookshop

Overall, I would describe Fishtown as a quirky place that knows how to cater to those fighting for change peacefully and excitingly. Harriett’s Bookshop has become a valuable part of the Fishtown neighborhood. I am excited to personally experience the energy of Fishtown and how Harriett’s Bookshop has continuously helped create a safer and more activist environment.    

Text

“19125 Fishtown Zip Code.” Claritas, claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.  

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

Harriett’s Bookshop Bookshop, bookshop.org/shop/harriettsbookshop. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“Lot 49 Books Records Zines Used And New Books.” , lotfortynine.com/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Images

“Frankford Hall.” Visit Philadelphia, 18 July 2019, www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/food-drink/frankford-hall/.

“Garage Fishtown.” Garage, www.garagephilly.com/copy-of-fishtown-1. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023..  

Harrietts Bookshop (@harrietts_bookshop) • Instagram Photos and Videos, www.instagram.com/harrietts_bookshop/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.  

Midtown Scholar: A Sense of Place in Harrisburg

Midtown Scholar: A Sense of Place in Harrisburg

Since it was named the state capital of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg has had a rich history. From being a stop on the Underground Railroad to the yearly Great American Outdoor Show to the accident on Three Mile Island, the state capital has a lot of stories to tell. This is highlighted through all of the museums, theaters, and bookstores there are within twelve miles of the city. An example of this is an independently owned small bookshop called Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Midtown Scholar sells new, rare, and used books, and has a café. They have tables and seats throughout the store for people to sip their coffee while they browse books and meet their friends.

Image courtesy of Shelf Awareness.

Within the neighborhood, there are several other options specifically for entertainment that make Harrisburg the community it is. Four blocks away from Midtown Scholar is the Midtown Cinema, and three blocks the other way is the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. Down the road and across the bridge from Midtown Scholar is FNB Stadium, where the double-a affiliate of the Washington Nationals, an MLB team, plays. Harrisburg being an entertainment-based neighborhood is interesting when you consider the demographics. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the American median household income was $76,330 while the Harrisburg median income was $44,444. Bills, food, and just the general cost of living are a lot of money these days. This means that the average Harrisburger doesn’t have much money after expenses or the time to enjoy all of the entertainment options that the city has to offer. This leads me to believe that Harrisburg relies on tourists and their dollars to keep its economy going. This is when places like Midtown Scholar Bookstore help boost the economy. They have events, most notably author readings and signings frequently. One of the big events that is happening soon is the 2023 Harrisburg Book Fair. It is an event where all book lovers come together at Midtown Scholar for tent sales, author signings, workshops, and children’s programs. While this event brings in a lot of people from all over Pennsylvania, it also gives an opportunity for people who usually don’t have the extra money for a book to still enjoy reading, literature, and being surrounded by likeminded people.

While looking around the neighborhood, I also noticed that other places have festivals and activities for not only tourists but also locals of Harrisburg. The Midtown Cinema features “Music on the Patio” which is free for all to enjoy. The Harrisburg Senators, the double-a affiliate of the Washington Nationals does a lot of community outreach specifically with youths in the area. The team puts on free baseball clinics so that kids can get some exercise and socialize with the players. At the end of the clinic, the team gives every child a wiffleball, a bat, and a free ticket to a Senators game. This gives the opportunity to go to a game where some kids would never even think about going out to the ballpark with their friends or family and having fun with other kids from the community. The players visit hospitals to deliver customized hospital gowns to sick children. Miller explains, “Stone was interested in the ways in which urbanites could be more tightly bound to their communities through the relationships they established with the personnel of retail stores.” Harrisburg exemplifies this quote, and it doesn’t stop just at retail stores.

Image courtesy of Visit Hershey and Harrisburg.

Furthermore, Cresswell describes what the feeling of “place” is. He mentions the feeling of moving into college for the first time and decorating your dorm how you like it. He says, “Thus the space is turned into your space. Your place.” While Harrisburg’s economy is set up and depends on tourism, that is not how the city survives. It survives because of Harrisburgers sense of community. It survives because locals can go down to Midtown Scholar on a Saturday morning, buy a cup of coffee from the café, sit at one of the beautiful wooden tables, and read the week’s newspaper. It survives because they can tell their stories in books and museums, both consumed because tourists want to know more about the city. It survives because the people of Harrisburg have made it their place.  

Sources

Cresswell, Tim. Place: a short introduction. Blackwell Publishing, n.d..Harrisburg Book Festival, www.hbgbookfest.com/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“Harrisburg Senators Visit Kids at UPMC Children’s Harrisburg.” UPMC, www.upmc.com/media/news/central-pa/2023-news-releases/040523-harrisburg-senators-visit-kids-at-upmc-childrens-harrisburg. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“Harrisburg.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 17 Sept. 2023, www.britannica.com/place/Harrisburg-Pennsylvania.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, www.midtownscholar.com/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2007.

Person, Elise. “Harrisburg Senators and Central Penn College Baseball Team up in a Free Clinic for Kids.” WHP, WHP, 11 June 2023, local21news.com/news/local/harrisburg-senators-and-central-penn-college-baseball-team-up-in-a-free-clinic-for-kids.

U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Harrisburg City, Pennsylvania, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/harrisburgcitypennsylvania/PST045222. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Map courtesy of Jessica Branche

Pictures

Gornall, Jonathan. “Shelf Awareness for Tuesday, April 9, 2019.” Shelf Awareness, www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=3469#m44012. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

“Midtown Scholar Bookstore Café.” Visit Hershey & Harrisburg – Things To Do In Pennsylvania – Visit Pennsylvania, www.visithersheyharrisburg.org/listings/midtown-scholar-bookstore-caf%C3%A9/707/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

An Intersection and an Outlier: Molly’s Books and Records

As the nation’s city of world heritage, Philadelphia prides itself for its exceptional history and diverse culture. Hence, the historic outdoor marketplace–fondly known as Little Italy–is one of Philly’s most cherished attractions. There, 10 city blocks down South 9th Street, tourists and locals immerse themselves in a gastronomic environment. However, not just a 15-minute walk from the heart of Little Italy, a cluster of independent bookstores stretches across the mouth of South Street. There, tourists and locals–with their bags full of fresh produce and freshly cut meats–filter out onto South Street’s busy scene where dozens of art and recreational businesses line the street.

 
Image courtesy of Eater Philadelphia

If you could imagine a place where these two worlds coincide, would you see a place where second-hand books coexist with vinyl records and DVDs; does the storefront shine under the sun because it is embossed with mosaic art; do you see a cat wandering the narrow aisles of this mom-and-pop shop? If you could imagine this place, you should know it already exists as Molly’s Books and Records. Burrowed between the Italian markets and the cluster of bookstores, Molly’s Books and Records stands as the intersection of one of the most culturally and artistically enriched communities of South Philly. 

As Education Updates explains, Philadelphia was historically a site for immigration, particularly for people of Italian, Irish, and German descent. In fact, their presence is still recognized in South Philly as the population of Italian descendants stands at 17.7%, Irish descendants at 16.5%, and German descendants at 11.7%, according to the United States Census Bureau. However, it is the dominating presence of Italian ancestry that contributes to the cultural identity of South Philly. 

Now, you can easily picture South Philly as the hub for authentic Italian cuisine, and this points to the significance of food in Italian culture and identity. In fact, in the Broad Street Review Pamela J. Forsythe explains gastronomy is a “‘social glue’” in Italian communities, especially in South Philly where Italian-owned businesses were established to facilitate daily and authentic Italian life. Therefore, when you picture yourself standing at the heart of Little Italy, you see butcher shops, specialty food shops, authentic pizza and pasta restaurants–what you don’t expect to see is a used bookstore. 

So, how does Molly’s Books and Records fit into this gastronomic environment of South Philly? According to the official website of Philadelphia, the city has a long history and commitment to preserving culture and art. This sentiment of celebrating culture and art is reflected in the 10.7% of South Philly’s population who are currently employed in arts, entertainment, recreation, and accommodation and food services (United States Bureau). Notably, dozens of art and recreational businesses scatter throughout South Street, such as a painting studio, a concert venue, and at least nine other independent bookstores. 

With nine other independent bookstores in South Philly, how does Molly’s Books and Records establish meaning as a significant place of art? Consider Tim Cresswell’s fundamentals of defining place: “Naming is one of the ways space can be given meaning and become place” (9) and “places must have some relationship to humans and the human capacity to produce and consume meaning” (7). Originally established in 2001 at the heart of Little Italy, Molly’s Books would yet officially change its name to Molly’s Books and Records until nearly nine years later (The Secondhand Beat). As mentioned in Tamala Edward’s 6abc News article, the name change proceeded after the bookstore’s owner, Molly Russakoff, formed a relationship and partnership with rock-and-roll enthusiast Joe Ankenbrand; together they operate Molly’s Books and Records as a family-owned business. In this sense, Molly’s Books and Records is a place of unique and emotional meaning to Molly Russakoff and Joe Ankenbrand–but how does the store become a meaningful place in an area where people’s values rest in culture and cuisine? 

Image courtesy of Eater Philadelphia

As Laura J. Miller explains in Reluctant Capitalists, independent bookstores like Molly’s Books and Records “assumed position as cultural authorities” (84) of their communities. Hence, these independent bookstores diversify and expand their reading material to preserve the democracy of bookselling and bookbuying (Miller 84). With this ideology, Molly’s Books and Records became a multifaceted bookstore where customers can purchase vinyl records and DVDs (The Secondhand Beat). Not to mention, the bookstore has one of the most diverse genres of books in the neighborhood, including poetry, literature, children’s books, and more–note, I have yet to list all the sub-genres of their extensive cookbook and food writing selection. In their position as “cultural authorities” (84) of South Philly, Molly’s Books and Records pursued the task of representing the culinary cultures of Little Italy through a carefully curated cookbook collection. Considering Little Italy’s history with immigration and cultural diversity, the cookbook collection extends its range far beyond the neighborhood’s Italian population with books “devoted to Pennsylvania Dutch, African American, Native American, Jewish, Scandinavian, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisines, among others” (Weil). In their pursuit of diverse cultural representation through cookbooks, Molly’s Books and Records became the intersection of culinary and artistic cultures of South Philadelphia.

Works Cited

“The City of Philadelphia Celebrates 60 Years of Percent for Art.” City of Philadelphia, 18 Apr. 2019, www.phila.gov/2019-04-18-the-city-of-philadelphia-celebrates-60-years-of-percent-for-art/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” pdf.

Edwards, Tamala. “Married couple shares their love of books, music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc News, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Forsythe, Pamela J. “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas.” Edited by Andrea Canepari and Judith Goode. Broad Street Review, 18 Jan. 2022, www.broadstreetreview.com/reviews/the-italian-legacy-in-philadelphia-history-culture-people-and-ideas-edited-by-andrea-canepari-and-judith-goode. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists. 2006.

“Molly’s Books and Records.” The Secondhand Beat, 12 Mar. 2011, thesecondhandbeat.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/mollys-books-records-part-ii/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Stephanie. “Decisions of the Board of Special Inquiry: The Story of Irish Immigrant Bridget Donaghy.” Education Updates, 1 July 2021, education.blogs.archives.gov/2021/07/01/irish-immigrant-bridget-donaghy/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

United States Census Bureau. data.census.gov/profile/ZCTA5_19147?g=860XX00US19147#employment. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.Weil, Abigail. “There’s No Place in Philly Quite Like Molly’s Books & Records.” Eater Philadelphia, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Library Express Bookstore: buy or borrow!

Library Express Bookstore: buy or borrow!

The Electric City Trolley Museum. Image courtesy of Jim Cheney.

Scranton, Pennsylvania is well known as the Electric City. According to Google, it is known for its Steamtown National Historic Site. Some may know it from their Electric City Trolley Museum which has vintage trolleys. Others may only know Scranton from the US adaptation of the television series, The Office, which is set at a fictional paper company in Scranton. Or perhaps people may know Scranton just because of the colleges that are located there.

Head down to Scranton for a day or a weekend trip, and stop by the Marketplace at Steamtown where you may find whatever you need. As stated on the Marketplace at Steamtown’s website it is the “home to lifestyle services, professional offices, retail shops, and entertainment.” The Marketplace at Steamtown has many different stores for just about anyone. If you need to do some errands you may find what you need there. If you want to go to the gym after work, you can stop by Crunch Fitness. If you are a book lover who happens to be taking a trip to Scranton, be sure to stop by the Marketplace at Steamtown where they have a bookstore known as Library Express. This unique place is not only a bookstore, but it also functions as a branch of the Lackawanna County Library System. Much like a regular public library, Library Express will loan books to the members of its community. However, Library Express also allows you to go in and wander around so that you can buy yourself a new or used book as you would do at a regular bookstore.

Streetside view of the entrance of the Marketplace at Steamtown. Map courtesy of Google Maps.

The entrance of Library Express Bookstore. Image courtesy of the Library Express Bookstore Facebook page.

Library Express is located on the Second Floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown. Its storefront is paneled with oak, and it has large windows that have decorations that match the seasons. As seen in the picture below, the window display matches the current autumn season matching people’s love of fall foliage. When the bookstore is open its doors always remain wide open which allows anyone to stroll in. This provides a sense of feeling welcomed and may encourage people to enter the bookstore. Since Scranton has several universities, Library Express is very useful for college students. They can go to the bookstore and either buy the books that they need for school, or they could possibly just borrow them and give them back once they are done with them. Right next door is Lackawanna’s Dress for Success, a second-hand clothing store that all women to feel empowered by providing them with professional attire that allows them to thrive at work. There is also a little food court that has food that ranges from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels to Ruano’s Pizza & Pasta to Amori Sushi. So take a stroll inside the Marketplace at Steamtown, where you can have some lunch, and then go grab yourself the book you have been wanting to read. Plus if you happen to also like The Office then you can stop to check out the Scranton Welcome sign that is seen during the opening credits of the television series.

Library Express Window Decorated for the Fall. Image courtesy of the Library Express Bookstore Page

In Tim Cresswell’s “Defining Place” he talks a lot about what a place can be, whether it is a specific location, locale, or a sense of place. There are many things that are considered places such as your bedroom, a garden, a gym, Scranton, Marketplace at Steamtown, Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, etc. As Cresswell would say what makes these all considered places is that “they are spaces which people have made meaningful” (7), and that is what these places are to people. These places including Library Express provide people with what they may need or want. Library Express is a place that is meaningful to bookworms who cannot help but stop by and buy a new or used book. It is also a meaningful place for college students to stop by and possibly borrow a book if they do not wish to buy it since they already spend a lot of money just to go to their university.

According to the 2020 Census Bureau, the city of Scranton was predominately White (71.3%), the second highest demographic was Hispanic (9.51%), the third was Black or African American (5.39%), then following was Asian (5.07%). With three more demographics: Multiracial (Hispanic) at 3.17%, Multiracial (Non-Hispanic) at 3%, and Other (Hispanic) at 2.01%.

The age of the population is approximately 33% 65 years old or older and 15% at the age of 25 or younger. However, in the neighborhood that Library Express is in, about 35% of households whose incomes are less than $15K in a year.

In Laura J. Miller’s Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, she mentions how the right kind of businesses are “nourished by its vital connections to a locality” and that they “can rise above profit considerations to provide community service as well as customer service” (122). This is exactly what Library Express does. The Library Express being a branch of a public library and bookstore allows it to provide not only for the community but also for a regular customer who may not be part of its neighborhood community.

Sources:

Texts

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: An Introduction, 2013, p 7.

Library Express Facebook Page. Facebook. (n.d.). https://www.facebook.com/LibraryExpress/

Miller, Laura J. “Serving the Entertained Consumer: The Multifunction Bookstore.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 122.

Mixed-use Facility: The Marketplace at Steamtown: United States. Steamtown. (n.d.). https://www.themarketplaceatsteamtown.com/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

We brighten the lives of women across the world. Dress for Success Lackawanna. (n.d.). https://lackawanna.dressforsuccess.org/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Images

The entrance of the bookstore: https://www.facebook.com/LibraryExpress/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

The window display: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=881111396810461&set=pb.100047348262907.-2207520000&type=3 Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Cheney, Jim. “17 of My Favorite Things to Do in Scranton, PA.” Uncovering PA, 14 Aug. 2023, https://uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-in-scranton-pa Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Maps

Streetside view of the entrance of the Marketplace at Steamtown https://maps.app.goo.gl/8fpjpofh9HFcFUrm9

**Map created on https://mymaps.google.com/ **

Statistics

Households by IncomeClaritas, https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Scranton, PA. Data USA. (n.d.). https://datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-pa#demographics Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

The Capital’s Culture: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Brings Life Into Harrisburg

The Capital’s Culture: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Brings Life Into Harrisburg

Midtown Scholar Bookstore, located in the bustling city center of Pennsylvania’s capital, has become a staple in the Harrisburg area since its doors opened in 2001.

Tim Cresswell talks about political geographer, John Agnew’s, “three fundamental aspects of place as a ‘meaningful location.’” These aspects are location, locale, and sense of place. It’s already been said that Midtown Scholar is located in Harrisburg, PA, but what does that mean for its locale? What is “the actual shape of place within which people conduct their lives as individuals,” (Cresswell p. 7)?

Midtown Scholar is within the 17102 zip code, which houses roughly a sixth of the overall population of Harrisburg, PA (Data USA and Claritas). This segment of the population is made up of mostly people 25-years-old and up, with the majority unmarried and living alone (Claritas). It is also a diversified area regarding race and ethnicity, as shown in the graphic on the left.

Keep in mind that this is only a small segment of the population which can find enjoyment in Midtown Scholar and all it has to offer. However, these are the people that make up the immediate surroundings, and therefore have a level of influence on how people from beyond that area feel about entering it. Laura J. Miller states, “Suburban women would take periodic shopping trips to the city, and commuting men would pick up items on their way home from work. Some suburbanites minded the inconvenience, especially those who saw the city as a place of iniquity and danger,” when discussing the post-World War II era, within which shopping in the city became less necessary for the suburban areas surrounding them (Reluctant Capitalists, p. 89-90). Despite being many decades since this change began, there is still quite the stigma around city areas, and Harrisburg is no exception. Although some may harbor this tainted idea of cities, the neighborhood Midtown Scholar is housed in has been referred to as “an up-and-coming neighborhood” by Jim Cheney in his September 2023 review for Uncovering PA.

Looking at the map of midtown and downtown Harrisburg, one will find several locations (marked in purple) that were built, like Midtown Scholar (marked in red), for the artistic, cultural, and historical betterment of the community. Midtown Scholar sits in the same strip as the famed Broad Street Market, known for its numerous vendors and fresh foods, and the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, known for its live music performances. Also not far are the Susquehanna Art Museum and Midtown Cinema. Just on the other side of Forster Street, a main road running through Center City, anyone interested can visit the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, Capitol Park, or The Forum Auditorium, all beautiful representations of the art, architecture, and history of the Harrisburg area. And if that all is not enough to fill the day, taking a quick trip through the Strawberry Square shopping center could kill some time as well.

The bookstore also makes a point of being involved with the community surrounding them. Jim Cheney’s review also states, “The local arts scene is quite prevalent in the store, with local artists, authors, and speakers frequenting the Scholar’s stage and the work of local artists hanging on the walls.” Anyone who visits the About Us: Community page on the Midtown Scholar website can see their preference for local representation in their featured events and works.

To have such a hand in the community, the store must understand who this community is and why their influence on the store and its influence on them is culturally significant to the Harrisburg area. In this way, the community and the store formulate their sense of place. The community and the locale and how it all interacts shows how, “places must have some relationship to humans and the human capacity to produce and consume meaning,” (Cresswell p. 7). Featured on the Midtown Scholar website, along with their mission statement, is part of a review left by Carson Vaughan in his article “The Independent Bookstores Every Booklover Should Visit in the U.S.” (Vaughan, 2017) for Travel + Leisure back in 2017 (the original article is no longer on the Travel + Leisure site). In it, Vaughan remarks, “Today, The Midtown Scholar has become a veritable marketplace of ideas… Come for the literature, stay for the conversation.” This is the sense of place Midtown Scholar has built for itself over the course of its (so far) 22 years.

Citations
Texts

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

“Community.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, www.midtownscholar.com/community. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: A Short Introduction, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 2004, p. 7.

“History and Mission.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, https://www.midtownscholar.com/history-and-mission. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. “Designing the Bookstore for the Standard Consumer.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 89-90.

Vaughan, Carson. “The Independent Bookstores Every Booklover Should Visit in the U.S.” Local Color XC, Local Color XC, 30 Jan. 2017, www.localcolorxc.com/travel-blog/2017/1/27/local-color-xc-in-travel-leisure.

Images

H, David. Inside Midtown Scholar Bookstore. 13 Feb. 2022. Yelp, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/midtown-scholar-bookstore-harrisburg?select=6VTVMd9GRzFXoRWIjrXsDA. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Schindlerdigital. State Capitol building in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. 15 Sept. 2018. Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:State_Capitol_building_in_Harrisburg_Pennsylvania.jpg. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Stats

Harrisburg, PA. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/harrisburg-pa. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Population by Race & Ethnicity. Claritas, https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Maps

“Midtown Scholar Bookstore.” Google Maps, Google, www.google.com/maps/@40.2698301,-76.8890499,3a,75y,231.75h,98.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srbbfijdcvJQOKjpdNqUABA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Neumyer, Olivia. (2023) Midtown Harrisburg Art/Culture Scene, Google My Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1i6ufKyiP25OTPeo8WR6njjFNgehCwG4&ll=40.264298356631905%2C-76.88645563397043&z=16. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Library Express: Looking to the Library in the Economic Turmoil of the Rust Belt?

Library Express: Looking to the Library in the Economic Turmoil of the Rust Belt?

Growing up in the Appalachian backwater, I always expected the model store to stand on its own, both physically and economically: four external doors, at least one door, perhaps a roof, invoking the shape of a home, barn, or county store. Yet, as I’ve grown older and more knowledgeable, understanding of urban geography, architecture, and the market have proven my childhood sensibilities to be wrong on at least multiple fundamental levels.

I’m not sure that my youthful mind could have wrapped itself around the Library Express bookstore, something that takes something perhaps deceptively simple – the independent, small business of the bookstore – and directly challenges its place in your head.

The Library Express is located on the second floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown, the city mall in Scranton. On that floor, the bookstore is accompanied by most notably the gym, Scranton Public Market, Boscov’s, Luzerne Community College, but of course, also a number of other stores which, like Library Express, are relegated to being marked by code on the mall directory: clearly, they aren’t mainstays, but economic ephemera.

If the mall does not already function as its own miniaturized (albeit hypercommercialized) environment, one only needs to look out the mighty glass windows on the mall’s second floor to view the greater neighborhood sprawl.

The Marketplace is located at the south end of the “Downtown” neighborhood of Scranton, almost forming a wall at the intersection of the Lackawanna River and its tributary. The southwesterly flowing River flanks the neighborhood to the west, with its tributary making another natural border flowing east. The northeast holds the aforementioned expansive downtown neighborhood in full, reaching about until you hit Delmore. This is possibly the most modern part of the city (consider the President Biden Expressway) and where the Marketplace derives its style and commercial spirit. Behind the mall is most notably the Steamtown Railroad Museum, from which the Marketplace derives its name and elements of its cultural spirit. Though most businesses are located in the expansive downtown, a few do dot the peninsula to the south: a few small shops, a marijuana dispensary, industrial supply shops, medical clinics, and even a rehab Salvation’s Army. Like any good nosy neighbor, I find that this backyard view tells a lot about Scranton’s character.

While I’m not from Wyoming Valley, Susquehanna alumnus Bree Brennan is. When I attempted an interview about the bookstore, they were surprised to hear of it, and provided this explanation why:

“The economy [of Scranton] isn’t super sustainable. A lot of shops open and close within a couple of years… The mall is pretty rundown. It’s not exactly a tourist destination. No one comes to the city, except for Christmas lights and The Office.”

Bree Brennan
With most median incomes struggling to hit $50k, it’s not surprising to understand why the city suffers economically.

This downcast sentiment is one I’ve found to be pretty common amongst discussions of Scranton, if not Pennsylvania as a whole. Scranton is, or was, the Electric City, powered by its local anthracite. Yet, with the excision of the Rust Belt industry and thus the compounding redundancy of coal, Scranton’s economy languishes, struggling to find a niche. Its formerly proud factories and working class have now become the butt of many jokes, now being ranked consistently one of the saddest or ugliest locales.

Despite losing its prominence, coal remains the city’s largest export. Obviously, this is a cause for concern, but what are the city people to do about it?
With coal mining out of the picture, the city no longer has a common working identity to unify them.

All of this seemingly in spite of the city’s learned populace: despite a relatively small population at around 75,000, it holds at least four universities in Scranton alone. The Valley also possesses nine libraries, of which, any uninformed reader might be shocked to find actually count the Library Express as one of their own! Yes, it’s a dual bookstore and public library! It performs this dual role exceptionally: to address Bree’s concerns, it proudly sells The Office merchandise (ranked above its Electric City identity on its bookshop.org page) to cater to outsider tourists as well as the library lending services it offers to city denizens.

With economic reasons already cited, should this fact shock you? Perhaps this is the perfect place for such experimentality. In the Rust Belt or other economically-suffering locales, sometimes the most powerful chains are those of the government. As recanted in Miller, the standardization of chains – perhaps interchangeable with the standardization of the library, thanks to the work of John Dewey and other librarians? – lends itself well to shopping centers like the mall (Miller, p. 91). Furthermore, in such a mercurial economic environment, the bookstore is sure to suffer, and, as Carrion notes, the library might ensure a more permanent place (Carrion, p. 41). Were these bookstores to fall, and in the Rust Belt they most certainly have, they would merely become more empty spaces in the mall. It is in the hearts and minds of the people that the space is given meaning to become the place (Creswell, p. 10), and who could ever own the public library but the people?

With all that in mind, this dual-role public library venture might be the model for the post-capitalist bookstore of the future. With Scranton’s layered history of labor and public action, it certainly fits the locale – though, more on that in my next post.

Sources

Charts

Data USA. “Domestic Tonnage in Tonnage.” https://datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-city-dunmore-old-forge-taylor-moosic-boroughs-puma-pa. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Data USA. “Median Earnings by Industry.” https://datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-city-dunmore-old-forge-taylor-moosic-boroughs-puma-pa. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Data USA. “Occupations.” https://datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-city-dunmore-old-forge-taylor-moosic-boroughs-puma-pa. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Interview

Brennan, Bree. Interview. Conducted by Gavin Knouse. 18 Sept. 2023.

Maps

100 Penn Ave. Google Maps, 2023, maps.google.com.

Lackawanna County Visitors Bureau. “Lackawanna County Neighborhoods.”, https://www.visitnepa.org/maps-info/scranton/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Map of Scranton. Google Maps, 2023, maps.google.com.

Seliga, Christopher. “Scranton Neighborhoods.” Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Scranton_Neighborhoods.png. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Steamtown National Historic Site. Photograph taken by Levi Naugle. Google Maps, 2023, maps.google.com.

The Marketplace at Steamtown. https://www.themarketplaceatsteamtown.com/. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Misc. Links

Scranton Public Library/Library Express Bookstore. Bookshop.org, https://bookshop.org/shop/libraryexpress, n.d.. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Tripadvisor. “Photo: Library Express Bookstore & Library.” https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g60969-d949455-i476270575-The_Marketplace_at_Steamtown-Scranton_Pennsylvania.html. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

News Videos

BBC. “Why do people like bashing Pennsylvania?” YouTube, 27 Nov. 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGSVobnGUCE. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Lange, Stacy. “Ugly Accent? What Ugly Accent?” WNEP, 2 Oct. 2014, https://www.wnep.com/article/news/local/lackawanna-county/ugly-accent-what-ugly-accent/523-5cb0460b-bf1f-4767-bc1f-7b5bfdc3c365. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Theory

Carrión, Jorge. Bookshops: A Reader’s History, translated by Peter Bush. Biblioasis, n.d..

Cresswell, Tim. Place: a short introduction. Blackwell Publishing, n.d..

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2007.