Home is Where the Books Are: A Look into the layout design of Molly’s Books and Records

Home is Where the Books Are: A Look into the layout design of Molly’s Books and Records

Oftentimes, to avid readers like myself, bookstores and libraries act like a second home. Their atmospheres are built to be warm and inviting places where one can curl up in a favorite spot and spend wonderful moments in peace. In the article The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design, author Lyndsie Manusos discusses the recent trend in Bookstore design, goes in-depth on explaining how space and lighting is crucial to the Bookstore, especially independents. The owner of Wild Geese Bookshop in Franklin, Indiana had this to say about how she turned the near-century old hotel into the bookshop it is today; “My vision was to make sure it felt like a home with warm glowing light, rooms that fit the architecture and functional furniture pieces that mirrored the style of the house.” 

Molly’s Books and Records seem to run on the same logic. In my group’s interview with Molly Russakoff, owner and namesake of Molly’s Books and Records, she said that she designed the store’s layout to “make logical sense.”

Courtesy of Molly Russakoff

I think that not only does the layout make logical sense, but intuitive sense. Molly’s is a family business, and not only that, but the owners live above the shop. To me, the layout of the shop conveys this theme of home perfectly. Even before fully entering the building you are greeted by the books and records on sale, which is akin to a welcome mat. Along the right wall are shelves dedicated to CDs, Records, and Poetry. These shelves, at least in my interpretation, are symbolic of the owners themselves greeting the customer as they enter the shop. Molly Russakoff is a poetry writer, and co-owner/husband Joe Ankenbrand is a record collector and in a band. The table of records in the middle of this first room acts almost like a coffee table in this “living room” portion of the shop. Fiction lines the opposite wall with a Philosophy and Religion shelf adjacent to it. The next portion of the shop has sections for local works, non-fiction, and art. Cookbooks have their own dedicated room in the back, akin to a kitchen inside of a home. I think this placement adds to the store’s vibes, especially considering its placement in the highly community-oriented Bella Vista.

Even though I haven’t been able to set foot in the store myself, I feel a sense of calm even just looking at the layout. It just screams of homely comfort, and I think the fact that it also is very much a home to the owners adds to that feel. I hope I will be able to make a pilgrimage to the store myself one of these days.

Work Cited:

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, Book Riot, 22 Feb. 2022, bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.

Library Express: A Consumer-Driven Model

Library Express: A Consumer-Driven Model

It’s a Saturday morning and you’re strolling the industrial white halls of the Marketplace at Steamtown, a fan of the hit TV Series The Office who just took a picture with the famous “Welcome to Scranton” sign from the opening theme, a Scranton local on the way to Crunch Fitness for your weekly 12-Round TKO class, or a parent with kids in tow waiting for the Electric City Aquarium to open. Further down the hall, you see some color breaking up the white and grey monotony, one of the only spots of visual activity at this end of the mall. As you get closer, you realize those are books carts out front, and you step a little quicker at the thought of browsing through the selection. The store’s window displays are creative and timely, bright fall colors and spooky paper spiders to match the current season, and the oak facade augmented with book pages as decoration is comfortable, orderly, and eye-catching. After perusing the used book carts out front and peeking at the event schedule on the accompanying whiteboard, you enter the store…

Located on the second floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown, smack dab in the heart of downtown Scranton, Library Express furnishes the community with color, accessibility, and creativity in a neat, orderly package. Before readers even enter the store, they can explore the loosely organized discount books on mismatched metal library carts by the entrance, divided by age range and general category (e.g., cookbooks, mass-market thrillers). These are the cheapest books in the store, with $1 used paperbacks and $3 used trade books.

Though the primary shelving in Library Express is nothing to scream home about—slightly battered, adjustable, walnut-colored shelves that occasionally look the slightest bit lopsided; plastic folding tables covered in paper; wire racks next to milk crates and pegboard—it certainly fills the need for practical functionality while avoiding a feeling of pretentiousness in the store’s presentation. Despite this purportedly pell-mell assortment of shelving, the store still achieves a uniform appearance and layout that is easy to grasp and maneuver through the moment you step into the space.

Along the walls on either side, sections are organized into small, contained U-shapes of similarly coded books: classics and classic-adjacents, adult and YA, nonfiction and special interest, etc. Although this store design is somewhat formulaic (U-shape after U-shape after U-shape with tables down the middle and little to break up the repetition), you don’t need to be familiar with the store to figure out where to find things or recognize what it’s about as a branch of the Lackawanna County Library System and an independent bookstore.

Library Express seems to borrow much of its layout from typical shopping mall outlets, presenting its wares in straight, orderly lines and the U-shaped “cubby” sections on either side of the space. In “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design,” Lyndsie Manusos meditates on “how a bookstore should ‘reflect the style and traditions of its surroundings’” when forming its culture, design, and function within its community. With its position in a former shopping mall and aging industrial town, Library Express definitely exudes that same straightforward, businessy atmosphere that pervades the rest of Scranton. It’s direct and to the point—you quickly recognize where to go to find the books you’re interested in, you can see straight through to the back of the store the moment you walk in, and while the layout encourages browsing and free movement, it doesn’t give you leave to linger for hours while reading an unpurchased or unborrowed book. In this vein, the store “buys into” that consumer culture with its prominent merch tables cutting through the center and the NYT Bestseller display right up front just past the book carts for anyone who wants to keep up with the current rankings.

In addition to the regimented orderliness of its design, notice, too, the distribution of Library Express’s three main product sections in the following floorplan. The bookstore is roughly divided into thirds, resulting in a large merch section in the middle of the store that clearly reveals the influence that traditional mall shopping culture and profit-minded sales models have had on the bookstore’s development. A brief color key: books for borrowing and other library spaces are in purple, non-book items for sale are in orange, and books for sale (new and used) are in green.

Library Express’s floor design and allocation of space is also revealing in terms of its collection. In Reluctant Capitalists, Laura Miller argues that “aside from any personal attachment to a locale, the [book]store proprietor knows that the fate of her entire business is tied to the future of that community” (226). In other words, independent booksellers have a stake in upholding the community’s well-being and must cater to their customers’ interests and values to stay afloat in that community. Library Express does this in many ways by prioritizing certain genres or categories over others. For example, the cheapest books are the first things customers from the low-income community of Downtown Scranton interact with.

In terms of relative section size, Library Express frontloads the store with classics and nonfiction, while compressing all of adult fiction, memoir, and young adult into just one U-section. Classics are the only section that requires two rows of books on every shelf to accommodate the large selection and the nonfiction section overflows into used book crates on the floor. Meanwhile, YA and adult fiction is the section with the smallest number of face-out books because there’s only enough room for them to be packed in spine out due to how compressed their allotted space is, whereas the children’s books are given a lot of breathing room.

The library collection of the hybrid bookstore is also remarkably small, less than a quarter of the store’s floor space. It does contain, however, a huge assortment of large print texts that really is a testament to its specialization and dedication to accessibility in the community (the large print titles take up almost an entire wall of the library section, where space is a premium), as well as hundreds of DVDs library card holders can take home and enjoy for the standard two week period before returning. The library portion of the store seems less a resource for high academic pursuits and more a place for older individuals in Scranton’s aging population to stop by to pick up a movie or a relaxing afternoon read, which lines up with the store’s huge emphasis on community engagement and activities in the back part of the store.

Library Express, as influenced by the industrial, no-nonsense shopping culture in Scranton, is a store that calls back to (or never left) the days when bookstores operated on practical commercial business models, more of a transactional retailer than an intellectual gatekeeper (a model well-suited to the environment around it). By prioritizing its customers, Library Express brings a lot of life to the Marketplace at Steamtown with its colorful arrays, creative art displays, and emphasis on community involvement. It’s committed to positively impacting anyone who enters through its library resources and bookstore design.

Citations

Texts

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, 22 Feb. 2022, bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.

Miller, Laura J. “Pursuing the Citizen-Consumer: Consumption as Politics.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 226.

Images/Graphics

All photos taken by Amelia Alexander, Brooke Nelson, and Janina Reynolds on October 28, 2023 at Library Express Bookstore, Scranton, PA.

Floorplan drawn by Amelia Alexander in October 2023; floorplan annotations added using https://www.thinglink.com/

Midtown Scholar: An Enticing Maze

Midtown Scholar: An Enticing Maze

When you walk into a bookstore, the immediate focus should always be the books and the numerous forms of shelving that hold them. The layout of these shelves and the books they contain show the priorities the bookseller places on certain titles and genres over others. It shows how they want their customers to move through the store, and the way they mean for them to interact with the books and the store itself. In a Book Riot article titled “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design” and written by Lyndsie Manusos, a bookseller they interviewed stated, “The modern bookstore is about an intellectual browsing environment throughout the store… Our job, when you come into our stores, it’s just fun, it’s exciting, you walk out with books you had no idea that you needed, wanted, and feel really good about it.”

Filled with around 200,000 titles, the bookshelves of Midtown Scholar Bookstore span six floors over two buildings along with the numerous metal, library carts holding used books that customers can browse before even getting to the front door. It is a store full of wonder and gives people a chance to walk out with things they may not have expected including a desire to return and continue exploring again later.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore was founded by Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawerence. Both were proud book collectors from long before they even met, as they explain in an interview from April of 2023. Both have backgrounds in history and teaching that led to their specialty in academic, used, and antique texts.

The main floor of the Scholar has a multitude of tables upon walking in that they adorn with mostly new titles to fit adjusted themes for whatever is going on at the time (The Harrisburg Book Festival, holidays, signed recently, etc.). The standing shelves against the wall closest to the door hold staff picks/ blind dates with books and bestsellers. Other tables on this floor feature a multitude of categories displaying what books the booksellers believe would be of most interest to the clientele, like a table specifically for books written by women or the newest paperback releases. These tables can be found placed on the staging area as well when the store is not hosting an event. They also have a display for the merchandise of the store itself and the brand they push on a small standing shelf with shelving on all four sides, so customers walk around the whole thing to see all the merch.

Midtown Scholar’s checkout counter is part of their coffee bar, one of the first things a visitor sees when they come in, which gives people the chance to get a drink right when they arrive, or when they go to ask a question. People are more than welcome to walk around with their beverages, but if they’d like to sit they can go to the mezzanine level of the store. As a mainly academic bookstore, Midtown Scholar makes a point to place their books in a way that best displays their niche. The reflection of these things is vividly portrayed in the layout and flow of the shelves and titles around the Scholar, including on the mezzanine. There are two ways to go up, either straight into Art History, where rolling ladders are attached to the shelves to allow access to the upper levels, giving very much Beauty & the Beast vibes, and where a Pop Culture section hides in an alcove behind it. Or you can go straight to the highest level where Fiction, Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Poetry sit. This places these less academic categories in a more out of the way place, potentially in hopes that customers will wander about before making their way to those shelves.

The majority of the shelves on the main floor level are “Famous Authors” shelves, adorned with classic and canon titles in alphabetical order by author’s last name, with tags showing where each new author’s section begins and no concept of genre separation. The “Famous Authors” shelves are fully wooden and fixed, meaning the shelves do not readjust to fit differing sizes of books. Movable shelves provide a larger variety of options for their usage, because “A mobile bookshelf is one where shelves could be adjusted to fit either very tall or very short books and where shelves could move across the floor,” (Pyne p. 51-52). These bookshelves being stagnant shows a deliberate choice. The shelves create a unified look to the space, encircling the majority of the wall space on the main floor, and the titles that go on them give the effect of being as stagnant as the shelves themselves. These shelves even feature photos/ paintings of some of these famous authors on the edges that stick into the rest of the main area. This is a not-so-subtle way of showing the store’s inclination towards academic writing that leads customers further into the store.

If you walk down, into the deep, seemingly endless academic texts that flow throughout the depths of the store, you find a whole world of books that goes far beyond what anyone would expect when they first walk into the Scholar. Beginning with American History, the shelves ripple down into nonfiction texts of all kinds, surrounding the antique books room where the books are all displayed in cabinet shelves that require associate assistance to open. All throughout this maze of levels there are locked cabinets due to the titles’ exclusivity or price, and there’s a desk where an appraiser works to buy used books or accept donations, creating an endearingly cluttered look to the space with the boxes of books that are thrown in with the part wood, part metal shelves. An assumption that can be made from this shelving type is that they kept the uniformity of the wood, but the metal shelves allow for adjustment, and strength to handle the many tomes.

The underground of the Scholar (depicted within the floorplan above) encompasses the feeling of clandestine bookshelves, especially as one keeps going further down. “The idea of secret libraries full of clandestine bookshelves with books holding surreptitious knowledge is practically a trope that writes itself,” (Pyne p. 69). To reach the antique books in their locked cabinets and the lithography prints that grace tables in the same room, customers from the upper levels must first walk through a slightly elevated hallway that pays homage to the building’s past as The Boston Store. Photos of the old store, news clipping, and the old sign grace the walls that lead you to the antique works, showing the reverence being held for the things of the past. However, that’s not the end. Walking further in, visitors pass the sciences and gender studies to reach the Book Barn, filled with antique used books that are not valued high fiscally, but its placement secreted away in the basement gives it an intrinsic sense of value. “The secrecy that surrounds hidden bookshelves speaks to a sense that knowledge itself is a guarded thing,” (Pyne p. 74). The hidden gems of Midtown Scholar seem never ending when visitors find themselves exploring these underground shelves.

Given how much space is dedicated to the academic titles as compared to the general audience titles, one can clearly see the priority of Midtown Scholar is in its role as a scholarly bookstore. It gives reverence to its academic texts by placing them in spaces and on shelves that reflect their value. This is all just the main building, too. In giving customers an incentive to roam the store and find all the alcoves and little treasures they may have never expected, Midtown Scholar Bookstore adds to its likelihood for continuous visitation and sales.

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.

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, 22 Feb. 2022, https://bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.

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.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

Images & Video

All images and video were taken by Olivia Neumyer on 10/29/2023.

Thing Link floorplan was created by Olivia Neumyer on 11/1/2023.

Library Express: Creating a Library Feeling in a Consumer-Based World

Library Express: Creating a Library Feeling in a Consumer-Based World

The setup of Library Express is reminiscent of both the typical bookstore layout and the library it is modeled after. It intertwines aspects of a library that you would picture in any place with the distinct setup of a bookstore. Both aspects, while separate in theory, are tied together through the layout of the store. There is significance behind the placement and appearance of each section and decoration of Library Express. The setup of the front of the store, the purchasing area, is cluttered and full of books and book-related items that tempt customers into spending both their time and money in the store. The back of the store is a condensed version of a typical library, enough so that it is easy to forget you are also in a bookstore. This progression from store to library is well-paced and flows as it should. The overall layout of the store is clearly intended for independence. The calming music and general quiet of Library Express give everyone who enters a sense of solitude and peace that is much welcomed in the bustling world of today.

Despite this, the layout was more reminiscent of a bookstore than a library. There were only two sections with library-specific items, while the rest of the store was dedicated to purchasing items. The back end of the store was distinctly more library-centered than the front, which fits with the ideal library image. Libraries are typically quiet, private places where you can be alone in your thoughts. The placement of the community library areas at the back of Library Express allows more privacy. While there, you can feel as if you are in a different area than elsewhere in the store. If this area were at the front, the large windows would give a sense of being watched and exposed. You would never get the private sense that community requires.

Image taken by Brooke Nelson

The individual niches along the sides of the store were set up in a way that naturally progressed throughout. Each niche, though focused on a different subject, paired well with the surrounding niches. For example, the section on Scranton was next to the section on general history and reference books, which paired nicely with the facing artistic and poetry sections. This arrangement shows the great thought put into the set-up of the store. The designers thought about how people would progress while creating the layout. The entrance of the store, with bargain carts of books, suggests a feeling of intrigue in potential consumers. They see a variety of inexpensive books and themed window displays, which brings them into the store itself to encounter other temptations inside.

Image taken by Brooke Nelson

Though the library section was small, it was arranged in an almost exact match as the purchasing section of Library Express, making it easy to find books in either section. The two niches were separated by a container for returned library items, allowing it to be accessible to people on either side. In addition to this, the two niches on library materials were in the most isolated and private area of the store: the back corner. This mimics many other library setups in their separation from the rest of the world, which allows the customers to have a distinct idea of where they are. Allowing people to clearly know what the purpose of each section is allows them to find their way around without much outside assistance from employees. Their location next to the checkout, as well, lets the customers feel as if they are in a confined library. It eliminates the need to walk across the store through a different section with a different purpose.

Most items sold near the checkout area were book-themed, or at least book-adjacent. This perfectly reflects Lydia Pyne’s statement that “… the books and not-books a person puts on their shelves become a declaration of their identity” (41). The purpose of the store is to cater to bookish individuals and bring together a community. This is reflected in the specificity of books as a subject of most of the store. When you are next to the checkout area of any store, the small trinkets surrounding the register are meant to tempt you into spending just a bit more money. However, there was no pressure felt from the employees to purchase any of the items. The focus of the employees on creating an individual experience rather than spending money allows the store to mimic a library checkout experience.

The books themselves are shelved in a typical way, side by side with their spines out. The sales tables in the center of each niche are set up to maximize the space each book has. Each book on these tables is set apart from one another, propped up with their covers out, and arranged artfully on the shelves. This clear distinction forces the books on the tables to feel special, which tempts customers into purchasing them. The bookshelves themselves are wooden, with adjustable levels for each shelf. They do not have backing, which makes customers able to see through to the other side. This clarity between sections creates a small sense of community. You can see others participating in the same activity as you, which brings people together. Pyne states that “For some bookshelves, mobility involves arranging space for visitors. This arrangement of space is like creating spatial holes around the bookshelves” (64). The bookshelves, like Pyne’s idea of mobility, create individual spaces for customers to feel comfortingly confined in.

The sense of the store was one of isolated comfort, with a community available at any time. The employees never made their way around the store or even spoke with you beyond a greeting as you walked in the door. This action is reminiscent of a library, differentiating it from an otherwise consumer-based area, the mall. In libraries, the librarians do not walk around, and you are left to your own devices for the most part. However, in stores, you are forced to interact with employees and are asked if you require help at least once. This act, while innocuous, gives a distinct air that you are simply a customer rather than a member of a community, as opposed to the library sense.

It is obvious that Library Express caters itself toward community, especially in the wide variety of community-oriented sections. As Clifford says on page 221, “The critical history of collecting is concerned with what from the material world specific groups and individuals choose to preserve, value, and exchange.” Library Express collects books in a way that values their accessibility and wide audience, particularly shown in the clear and easy distinctions between areas. There are activity sections, book and stuffed animal pairs for children to peruse, a seating area, and an open activity for customers to color themselves. With the confined area of the back of the store, people in those areas are more likely to feel a sense of community with others, as they are all in the same space participating in the same activity. Though this activity is not always the exact same, the location and similarities in activities are enough. Library Express and its setup tie together into a close-knit community welcoming to all.

Images

Nelson, Brooke. Images of Library Express. 28 Oct. 2023.

Sources

Clifford, James. “On Collecting Art and Culture.” Harvard University Press, 1988, pp. 215–251. Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art, Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Pyne, Lydia V. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, an Imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Inc., 2016.

Harriett’s Bookshop: Like a Literary Museum

Harriett’s Bookshop: Like a Literary Museum

If you ever find yourself wandering the streets of Philadelphia in the good ol’ district of Fishtown, you might just happen upon a bookshop clad in black and white. You might even feel as though you’ve walked right into the pages of your favorite novel, surveying the cross-hatched floorboards and tracing stark black furniture illustrations against pale walls. If that’s the case, you’ve reacted just as Jeannine Cook intended. Despite only opening its doors for the first time in February 2020, Harriett’s Bookshop has already gone through its first cosmetic transformation in November 2021. In anticipation of Will Smith’s launch party for his memoir Will, Cook and her family began transforming the space from Indie to avant-garde. By the time Will Smith walked through Harriett’s doors, the shop housed no colors other than the absence of color: white.

Harriett’s original design concept (Gray, 2020)

Only later on, in 2022, would the renovations be completed. As Jeannine put it in an interview on the Kelly Clarkson Show, “and now the bookshop is a whole ‘nother bookshop again. Right, so we had artists come together and when you walk in, you’re literally inside of a book. So, there’s illustrations on every wall, on the floors, yeah.” In contrast to Harriett’s original dark woods, abundant greenery, and boho furniture, the store is now more of a bold statement piece or a work of art. It’s almost as though the entire store is one big art museum.

Interestingly enough, Cook curates the store like a museum, often rotating the shelves, books on display, and other trinkets to promote the “visiting artist” of the moment or whichever cause she is advocating for at the time. Nothing in the shop is stationary, meaning everything is able to be moved around and is often utilized. Changing the layout of the store not only creates interesting displays, but keeps customers constantly flowing, wondering what Harriett’s will look like the next time they walk through those doors. Due to the constant changes, the shelving categories vary and often are not categorized based on genres or alphabetized by author last name. There is no rhyme or reason to the layout that follows the rules of “book display etiquette,” often it is to promote whatever Cook finds interesting at the time or thinks others would find interesting. Harriett’s isn’t the kind of bookshop you go to when you’re looking for a specific title though, so the lack of structure works, it is a place to find books you didn’t know you needed.

Harriett’s new look (Bookshop, 2022)

There are a few things that always remain consistent, however, such as always keeping self-care and cookbooks, featured local writers’, and founding foremothers’ sections (Cooks “Foundational Foremothers” are Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Octavia Butler). The children’s book area also remains consistent, although it is still rearranged, the materials stay the same.

Despite how odd rearranging a bookstore and renovating after only a year in business may sound, Cook was and is very intentional in why she does this. Cook’s whole reason for opening a bookshop in the first place is that she couldn’t see how someone could be reading and not sharing. She says:

“We bookworms look for places to hide, but the bookshop is an open space, where we respect one another and hear each other out.”

-Jeannine Cook (Gray, 2020)

Harriett’s open concept is a way to encourage these discussions. The bold and bright new look of Harriett’s Bookshop was done with the intention of making the space feel bigger and more open; two concepts that are popular for bookshops among customers these days. The concept doesn’t make customers feel exposed, although some people prefer more comfortable, dark, and compact bookshops, which is why Harriett’s presents several different atmospheres. There’s the ground floor (which is bright and open), there’s the Underground (which is dark and neon), and there’s the reading garden (which is natural). Customers can grab any book they’d like, sit out back in the reading garden surrounded by plants and fresh air, and read for as long as they’d like.

Despite all the changes, Cook believes that the shop will never stray from Harriet Tubman. In talking about her bookstores in an interview with Libro.fm Podcasts, Cook says “I think the shops kind of adapt to the personality of the person they’re named for,” in response to her mother, Celia, describing Harriett’s as “classy, soft, and attentive.” Jeannine then proceeds to say, “so Harriett’s, the furniture is nimble and everything’s always moving, and it’s just that. And Harriet was a small but mighty woman.” Aside from what is mentioned, we are able to see what Jeannine is referring to. Harriet Tubman is represented throughout the shop from knickknacks on the shelves to the shrine in the Underground.

The Underground at Harriett’s (Bookshop, 2022)

The Underground is how Cook refers to the basement section of the bookshop. Naming it this way is a homage to Harriet Tubman helping people to freedom through the Underground Railroad, as Cook provides freedom through literature. The theme of the Underground is almost inverted from the main floor as the walls are black and the wall illustrations are drawn out in neon lights, resembling a night club. Cook wrote in a Facebook post in January 2023, “next time you visit us make sure you check out the new exhibit in our underground at the bookshop–it’s giving 80s techno vintage book rave.” These shelves are decorated with various historical/scholarly referenced items such as a globe, a moonshine jug, and other items that can be tied back to times of abolition. Aside from being an entertainment space and housing gently used books for $5 a pop, it features art from various miscellaneous artists, including Cook herself.

Floor plan layout of Harriett’s Bookshop (Left: Ground Floor) (Right: Underground) (McCann, 2023)

The upgrade in interior design reflects how independent bookstores are making changes recently. Before the renovation, Harriett’s Bookshop looked just like any other independent bookstore. If someone was walking by and peeked through the window of her old shop, they would’ve probably just kept on walking. Although people say not to judge books by their covers, the covers and titles give the first impression and the contents often come second. Jeannine Cook knows this, which has been proven by her unique innovative ways of drumming up business. She’s not alone as independent bookstores have begun changing themselves, so they are not only more recognizable, but so they stand out amongst the many other bookstores out there. What about their specific bookstore changes someone’s book shopping experience? Why go to an independent bookstore rather than just buying a book on Amazon? These are the questions independent bookstores are trying the find the answer to.

Independent bookstores aren’t the only ones effected by Amazon; Chain bookstores have also started changing their look to reflect indie bookstores. Barnes and Noble is no exception as they have been busy lately renovating their spaces, saying, “The green carpet is gone. Dark wood shelves are no longer in favor (cite NYTimes article above),” and working towards embracing lighter, brighter interiors in an effort to “act more like the indie stores it was once notorious for displacing (same NYTimes article).”

Citations:

Text

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, 22 Feb. 2022, bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.

O’connor, Maureen. “Barnes & Noble Sets Itself Free.” The New York Times, 17 Oct. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/style/barnes-noble-redesign.html.

Image

Bookshop, Harriett’s. “Harrietts Bookshop on Instagram.” Instagram, 17 July 2022, www.instagram.com/p/CgHXHe6jlZ2/.

Gray, Kylie. “Drexel MFA Student Opens Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown.” College of Arts and Sciences, 3 Feb. 2020, drexel.edu/coas/news-events/news/2020/February/drexel-mfa-student-opens-harrietts-bookshop-in-fishtown/.

Floor Plan

McCann, Bedelya. “Sign Up.” ThingLink, 2023, www.thinglink.com/scene/1776303159413572452.

Website

Bookshop, Harriett’s. “Harrietts Bookshop on Instagram.” Instagram, 17 July 2022, www.instagram.com/p/CgHXHe6jlZ2/.

Bookshop, Harriett’s. “Not Trying to Alarm, y’all. Pic.Twitter.Com/cAhEGe2BG3.” Twitter, 21 Oct. 2023, twitter.com/harriettsbooks/status/1715729157508751701.

Butze, Olivia. “Libro.Fm Podcast – Episode 12: ‘Interview with the Owners of Harriett’s Bookshop.’” Libro.Fm Audiobooks, 27 Mar. 2023, blog.libro.fm/libro-fm-podcast-episode-12-interview-with-harriets-bookshop/#transcription.

Gray, Kylie. “Drexel MFA Student Opens Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown.” College of Arts and Sciences, 3 Feb. 2020, drexel.edu/coas/news-events/news/2020/February/drexel-mfa-student-opens-harrietts-bookshop-in-fishtown/.

The Kelly Clarkson Show. “Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy with Deliveries on Horseback.” YouTube, 5 Apr. 2022, youtu.be/Esnh6OJyxrQ?si=Ta-5ilxUt55iHNQ0.

Midtown Scholar: More Than a Bookstore, More Than an Experience

Midtown Scholar: More Than a Bookstore, More Than an Experience

Midtown Scholar is more than a bookstore, it’s an experience. But that’s almost still too derivative, to just call it one experience. Midtown Scholar is a different experience on every floor, from the main floor brimming with bestsellers, to their balcony full of used and new fiction, to their underground scholarly levels stacked with rare books. Every floor in the building is perfectly placed, some appealing to the masses while others appease those who reject the mainstream. As said in On the Front Counter and the Store Window, “out on the floor, it’s all possibility, what a customer might choose to purchase, but at the counter, once the register starts ringing, that’s where the revelations are” (Buzbe 106). Between their expanded collection of new, used, rare, and scholarly books, you can go to Midtown Scholar and get any blend of experiences and take home any number of different novels, perfectly tailoring the bookstore to your needs as a consumer. 

For instance, I could never leave the ground floor and have a full indie bookstore experience. To my immediate left as I enter lies the Midtown Scholar cafe, where one can step up and order a coffee to drink while you browse. I personally recommend their iced chai latte, as I’ve found that the drink pairs nicely with browsing paperback books and chatting about popular authors.

The lighting on this floor is warm, spotlights reminiscent of the building’s roots as a theater beaming down on me from the high ceiling and illuminating neutral-toned murals, light wood, and black metal banisters. The look is cohesive, but incomplete without reference to the tall, unmoving bookshelves that reach almost to the ceiling of the floor, and the more movable ones in the center of the room, filled with BookTok hot picks and new paperbacks. For the average consumer, those looking for a bestseller or greatest hit, this first floor fulfills every need they could possibly have. For me, I am merely delighted to discover one of many facets of this bookstore.

As Pyne states in her novel, “Bookshelves act as the mediating object between a person and a book; how the book is met depends on the mobility of the shelf,” (Pyne, 52). The “shelves” on this floor are easily movable for new configurations, events, or other needs, perfect for the high turnover world of popular sellers and for community experiences. This is where the majority of the new books in store are kept, face up on every table, easily spotted from a distance. If merch is more your style, you can pick up some Out-of-print shirts and paraphernalia next to the stage. The ease with which I can pick up and flip through novels and merchandise here is most comparable to a chain bookstore, with ease of access to as many books as possible taking priority. It’s familiar and effortless, but I much prefer other areas of the store.

A photo taken of the Mural on the wall of Midtown Scholar. As referenced on the map, this image can be viewed from either the ground floor or from the balcony across from the poetry section. Photo courtesy of myself.

Rather than focusing on the ground floor first, I like to make a beeline for the balcony, breezing past the cafe area and making a right up the stairs to settle upstairs among the YA, new adult, fantasy, and sci-fi novels. The color pallet of the store remains the same, but the balcony area carries a quieter sort of feel. Looking down over the ground floor of Midtown Scholar, this section is where I feel most at home.

Reminiscent of the years of my youth spent wrapped in books at local libraries, his section feels comfortably all-encompassing. The shelves of alphabetized fiction rise high over my head, to the point that I feel small, but not uncomfortably so. It’s quieter up here, the buzz of those below feels far away and I can relax as I peruse cheesy romance novels and over-the-top fantasy epics. This is where more used books are stored as well, perfect for a college student on a budget. These books are mostly faced in, appealing to those like me who enjoy the hunt of browsing, though the rare eye-catcher is propped on a thin wire stand.

While the lighting on the first floor is traditional to that of an indie bookstore, the upper balcony includes some natural lighting while still benefitting from the store’s overhead lighting, giving the balcony and ground level a sense of similarity. I feel like I can stay here longer and browse at my own pace. Not like the fast, open nature of the ground floor. As Manusos states, “The difference [between indies and chain stores] is the location in which the book is found” (Manusos). Whereas the ground floor felt similar to Barnes and Noble with tables of themed books at every turn, this upper level only includes bookshelves and glass cases. The ability that Midtown Scholar has to switch between a more mainstream feel and a more independent feel while remaining cohesive is impressive, and it all comes down to these tiny details: the wooden texture of the bookshelves, the warm lighting, and the metal banisters.

For those who prefer scholarly or rare books, you may step beyond the ground floor and instead head to the lower levels. The air is cooler here, the air smells like old books and concrete. The lighting is colder, and the clientele keeps to themselves. Same as the balcony, it’s quieter down here, and carries an air of curation rather than consumerism. These books speak to the “scholar” part of Midtown Scholar’s name, and as Pyne points out, ‘authority, advantage, and social status […] is most easily symbolized by the presence of bookshelves, particularly in a social space’ (Pyne 75). Gone are the flashy covers of the books on the ground floor, and these books sit mostly face out on the same wooden shelves, spaced further apart. Nothing else sits on these shelves. Each book, each shelf, is given the room to breathe, and a certain sense of respect that you don’t find on the ground floor, with stacks of mass-produced, perfect-bound novels. Yet the other people in this section keep the same joy in their eyes that I see in the eyes of the 14-year-old girl who picked up a bestseller upstairs. The worn wood of the shelves and the signage above are familiar, and I feel compelled to learn enough about this place to understand it, rather than feeling like I’m not supposed to be here.

Yet at the end of the day, everyone must return to the register, arms heavy with books. Some of them you were probably looking for, some of them you never realized that you needed. Midtown Scholar has that effect on people. In an interview with James Daunt, the Chief Executive Officer of Barnes & Noble, he stated that “the modern bookstore is about an intellectual browsing environment throughout the store. […] Our job, when you come into our stores, it’s just fun, it’s exciting, you walk out with books you had no idea that you needed, wanted, and feel really good about it” (Manusos). I find that this holds true. When I last stepped to the register, I found my arms full of books that were rich and varied in genre, length, and form. However, much like the entirety of Midtown Scholar, these novels are linked together by commonalities. The used book I found on Celtic mythology includes mention of a species strikingly similar to the vampiric love interest in the romance novel I grabbed off the bestseller table. Another book I picked up because I recognized the author’s name includes ties to the folklore that inspired a fairytale retelling I found tucked away in a corner. 

One of the commonalities between the ground floor and balcony area of Midtown Scholar is the lighting. While there is a lot of overhead lighting on the ground floor, one of the most beautiful ways that Midtown Scholar lets in natural light while keeping a warm feeling is through this beautiful stained glass window, found by the section on the arts. Photo courtesy of myself.

Despite the differences between floors, Midtown Scholar still manages to present an experience that feels natural. If you’re like me, and enjoy spending time flitting between floors, feeling the difference in atmosphere, consumer, and content, you’ll notice ties between the woods and metals, the art on the walls, and the font on the signage that directs you. Midtown Scholar executes varied experiences while still tying them together. You can step inside and travel through a cafe, an independent bookstore, a library, and a scholar’s space all within the square footage of one building. In a way, walking through this building is just like reading a book.

Citations

Buzbee, L. (2008). The yellow-lighted bookshop: A memoir, A history. Graywolf Press. 

Manusos, L. (2022, February 22). The science and recent history of bookstore design. BOOK RIOT. https://bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/ 

Midtown Scholar. (2012). Traced Map of Midtown Scholar Layout, minor artistic edits made. Facebook. Midtown Scholar. Retrieved October 27, 2023, from https://www.facebook.com/MidtownScholar/photos/a.10150580590017724/10150580597522724/?type=3. 

Pyne, L. (2019). Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic.

Harriet’s Bookshop: Where Every Page Breathes Connection

Harriet’s Bookshop: Where Every Page Breathes Connection

In the heart of Philadelphia, a literary haven stands as a testament to the power of curated experiences and the beauty of shared connections. Harriet’s Bookshop, founded by the visionary Jeannine Cook, goes beyond the conventional bookstore archetype. The moment one steps inside, they are enveloped in an immersive journey—a sanctuary interwoven with narratives, history, and the echoes of societal change.

In 2022, Cook appeared on and was interviewed on the Kelly Clarkson Show, and described her store in the following way, “And when you walk in, you’re literally inside of a book,” (Harriet’s Bookshop on Facebook.com). These words encapsulate the very essence of the space—a convergence of curated pages, art, and purpose. Every element, every single thing that catches your eye is meticulously arranged, put there for a reason, and reflects a deliberate intent to foster connection and exploration of the stories portrayed in the books on display.

The inception of Harriet’s and the space that it would end up being wasn’t just a dream realized; it was a journey marked by challenges and creativity. Jeannine Cook drew upon her resourcefulness that she had developed from years of teaching and making classrooms out of any space she was provided, with anything she could get her hands on. In an interview with Cook from Take Creative Control, Cook talked about how initially overwhelming it was when she first entered the blank canvas that would become Fishtown’s literature sanctuary. She was met with blank purple and green walls and broken floor, but still persevered, “I had to visualize what it could be…it was just not right. But I was like ‘Ok, I can make it work’ cuz, like, I’ve had classrooms that were in old closets. So I was like ‘We can change this around, we can make it work,” (Take Creative Control, “Owning Our Own Spaces”). 

The outcome of her resourcefulness, akin to her role model and inspiration for the store herself, Harriet Tubman, created a space intentionally open, inviting visitors to wander through shelves that aren’t just filled with books but infused with a story—a story of activism, art, and social progress. “‘I needed a certain kind of space, and if you come into the bookshop you can feel the kind of bookshop it is. It’s not crowded–I like space,’” (Take Creative Control).

As the door swings open when you first cross the threshold of the giant black and white sign adorning the front of the shop, a perfect picture of pages unfolds before you. The room is a canvas brought straight out of the pages of a book, the walls adorned with the black outlines reminiscent of drawings and illustrations. There’s a small reading nook moving further inside, and you notice that every single item and furniture piece, from the chairs to the doors, exudes meticulous detail. Art from community artists find a home on the shelves alongside the books, whose covers are works of art, themselves.

Image taken from @ciciadams on TikTok

Turning to your immediate right, your gaze is drawn to one of many quotes from famous authors painted onto the walls, each exuding wisdom and insight. Nestled within these celebrated words, the poignant presence of the poem “American Heartbreak” by Langston Hughes adds a layer of emotional resonance to the atmosphere.

"I am the American Heartbreak–
The rock on which freedom stumped its toe–
The great mistake that Jamestown made
Long Ago" - Langston Hughes, "American Dream: 1619"

Continuing into the store you notice the books living on the shelves, a continuing rotation of different authors and titles throughout the months. The emphasis is unmistakably on Black women authors, their names boldly emblazoned, their faces adorning book covers and framed portraits on the walls, evoking a profound sense of recognition and celebration. The unique aspect of Harriet’s lies not only in its collection of books but in its curated experience.

Cook characterizes Harriett’s as a fusion of a bookstore, an art gallery, and a monument, where renowned works by Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, and Zora Neale Hurston are consistently showcased. However, the inventory undergoes monthly transformations resembling curated exhibitions, meticulously aligned with the store’s merchandise and interior design. Each month, a thematic focus emerges, such as the recent emphasis on reparations, featuring books like Olúfẹmi O. Táíwò’s “Reconsidering Reparations,” Michael Albertus’s “Property Without Rights,” and Natalie Baszile’s “We Are Each Other’s Harvest.” The aim is to foster a shared language and actionable steps toward new ideas by month-end (OprahDaily.com).

Pictured to the right is a tweet from the shop’s official twitter showcasing some of the books currently available that go with the shop’s current them of “Reparations”.

These spaces transcend mere retail; they are immersive experiences and reflections of the world envisioned by Cook, demonstrating its significance and worth. Visitors on Sundays enjoy perusing the shelves while a live choir fills the air with some of Harriet Tubman’s beloved spirituals. In January, local musician Veronica Hudson mesmerized patrons with vibraphone melodies within the store. The store’s basement, named the “underground,” offers a unique browsing experience—a dimly lit room navigated by candlelight, paying homage to ancestors who had to conceal their reading. There are also designated days for silent browsing, inviting contemplative engagement with the literature (OprahDaily.com).

The cubed shelves at Harriet’s – Image taken from Penguinrandomhouse.com

These displays aren’t just collections of books; they are thematic focuses that prompt dialogue, action, and enlightenment. Recent months have seen an emphasis on reparations, where patrons engage in a dialogue that is both enlightening and actionable. The shelves at Harriet’s house more than just books; they are adorned with colorful and meaningful clutter that seem to transcend the typical image of what a “bookshelf” can be. Lydia Pyne describes a bookshelf as follows, “Every bookshelf has its own unique life history…[it] speaks for its own cultural context. Bookshelves are dynamic, iterative objects that cue us to the social values we place on books and how we think books ought to be read,” (Pyne, 2). The way Harriet’s shows its books perfectly captures what a bookshelf should do; they draw you in with their unique hand-drawn appearance, but never take away from the Prescence of the books themselves. The cubed shelves act almost like frames showcasing art in a museum, as Cook has compared the shop to before, (Pyne, Bookshelf).

Harriet’s transcends the role of a mere bookstore; it’s an experience, a cultural exploration. Sundays resonate with the soulful harmony of live choirs, paying homage to Harriet Tubman’s spirit. Local musicians grace the space with melodies that enrich the collective experience of all who visit. Even the “underground” space, softly lit and candlelit, pays homage to ancestors who sought solace in hidden literacy, and payes symbolic homage to the hidden literacy of ancestors. It not only adds to the ambiance but stands as a silent tribute to resilience and the power of knowledge in the face of adversity. Within these walls, every book, every quote, every event, and every plant-covered nook isn’t just a decorative element—it’s a thread in the tapestry of connection that defines Harriet’s Bookshop. Jeannine Cook’s unwavering dedication to creating a space that blends literature, art, and history is the heartbeat that resonates through this haven for the curious, the seekers, and the dreamers.

The commitment to fostering connections and enriching lives goes beyond the tangible—serving as a sanctuary for shared understanding and a reflection of Cook’s aspirational world. Every event, every curated display, and every book finds a place in this mosaic of cultural celebration and intellectual dialogue. In essence, Harriet’s Bookshop stands not just as a space where books are sold but as a sacred ground where connections are forged, where societal narratives are interwoven, and where every visitor becomes part of a larger, collective journey through the human experience.


Resources

Butze, Olivia. “Libro.Fm Podcast – Episode 12: ‘Interview with the Owners of Harriett’s Bookshop.’” Libro.Fm Audiobooks, 27 Mar. 2023, blog.libro.fm/libro-fm-podcast-episode-12-interview-with-harriets-bookshop/#transcription.

“Harrietts Bookshop on Instagram: ‘Everything in the Shop Is 50% off (except the Rihanna Books-Stop Playing, You Know Those Aren’t 50% off) from 12-6 Pm. Today (June 30th) Is the Last Day to Shop at Harriett’s before We Close for the Summer to Build Josephine’s Bookshop in Paris. Our Sister Shop @idas_bookshop Will Remain Open in Collingswood and Your Harriett’s Gift Cards Will Be Honored There. We Are Still Open 24/7 Online and Available for Bulk Orders at Info@harriettsbookshop.Com.’” Instagram, www.instagram.com/p/CuHPL1GOO0d/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook Says Connection Is at the Root …, www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39186848/jeannine-cook-harrietts-bookshop/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.

Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook Says Connection Is at the Root …, www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39186848/jeannine-cook-harrietts-bookshop/. Accessed 2 Nov. 2023.

“Jeannine Cook of Harriet’s Bookshop on Owning Our Own Spaces.” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Dec. 2021, www.youtube.com/watch?v=arWwie7TLz8&t=142s.

Login • Instagram, www.instagram.com/harrietts_bookshop/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Poitevien, Jessica. “This Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy with Literature, Art, and Activism.” Travel + Leisure, Travel + Leisure, 21 Oct. 2022, www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/harrietts-bookshop-philadelphia.

Popova, Maria. “We Are the American Heartbreak: Langston Hughes on Race in a Rare Recording.” The Marginalian, 23 Sept. 2016, www.themarginalian.org/2016/09/23/american-heartbreak-langston-hughes-reads/.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

Sasko, Claire. “The Coolest Addition to Philly’s Indie Bookshop Scene Is Opening in Fishtown.” Philadelphia Magazine, Philadelphia Magazine, 17 Jan. 2020, www.phillymag.com/news/2020/01/17/harrietts-bookshop-fishtown/.

“Spotlight on Harriett’s Bookshop: Penguin Random House.” PenguinRandomhouse.Com, Penguin Random House, www.penguinrandomhouse.com/articles/harrietts-bookstore/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

“Thank You Kelly Clarkson for the Opportunity to Share Our Story on Daytime Television. We Are Open Everyday from 12-6 Pm at 258 E. Girard Ave. in…: By Harriett’s Bookshop.” Facebook, www.facebook.com/harriettsbooks/videos/3218513215030689/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

TikTok, https://www.tiktok.com/@ciciadams_/video/7201164512177720619. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

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/.

The “Lived-In” Vibe of Molly’s Books & Records

The “Lived-in” Vibe of Molly’s Books & Records

Molly’s Books & Records invites customers to discover a combination of personal and public interests that create the spatial narrative of a home. Outside of the shop, there are tables of assorted books and cheap records. The tables create somewhat of a tunnel that surrounds passersby, acting as a kind of bookish “landscaping”. Molly’s is situated in Philly’s Italian Market, and the tables outside closely resemble the food stalls of the vendors in the neighborhood.

The inside of the 600-square-foot store is split into three general sections. The first section is the busiest and functions most like a family/living room, the hub of all household activity. When you walk in, the rightmost wall has a small section for CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes. Past that are more records and a small poetry section. These three areas lead up to the Ankebrands’ apartment door. On your left is the sales counter, and past that a long wall of fiction. These areas all form the walls of a rectangle with the main record area right in its middle. The sales counter closes off the left side of the store from those coming in, directing the traffic flow in a counterclockwise loop. There is a small rare/valuable books section behind the counter, a way of keeping precious items near a kind of ‘home base’.

The outside of Molly’s Books & Records. There are tables of books, records, and other media on the sidewalk. There are signs on the door and in the window. There are also many books facing out of the front window. This photo portrays the personality of Molly’s store and some of the various shelving techniques Molly has used to display her items.

The second section of Molly’s begins with two categories: Local and Philosophy/Religion. This section forms a rectangular alcove that has nonfiction books to the right and art to the left. The “Local” section reflects a piece of the community that Molly’s is a part of, acknowledging its place in a neighborhood with various interests. The Philosophy/Religion section also reflects the diverse audience that the family invites into their ‘home’.

The final section is another alcove that Molly deems the “Cookbook Room”. It is interesting that Molly herself refers to this section as a room since the store has an open layout. This implies that she sees the shop as a kind of living space as well, with different ‘rooms’ of different subjects. The cookbook room acts as a kind of separate zone from the rest of the store as it is the only space dedicated to one subject category. This section is a defining feature of Molly’s Books & Records. As the final destination in the store, it is a focal point, placed at the back so customers walk through the entire store to reach it.


Click here to view the accessible version of this interactive content

Molly places emphasis on organization, maneuverability, and cleanliness in her shop. These qualities are similar to those people try to create in their homes. Because of the open layout, customers do not have a choice of where to walk, increasing the feeling that they are entering a space that is not entirely subject to their whims. Molly acknowledges her desire to make the shop feel like coming into a home. She achieves this vibe with the simple layout of the store, easy to navigate but also slightly cluttered, giving a ‘lived-in’ kind of feeling. The books are arranged in alphabetical order to help customers browse, but the shelves are cluttered. Molly said this organization has been pretty consistent over time. This hearkens back to the idea of an inhabited space rather than a commercial business, since people do not constantly change their living spaces.

The lighting of the store is fluorescent, an economic choice Molly made for her business (“It needs to be bright”). She stresses the idea of having a “welcoming and friendly” attitude toward customers. In this way, the family does cater to their ‘guests’. They try to stock books that are popular with their audience even if they are not personal favorites. This is reminiscent of a host’s duty to accommodate the guests who visit their house. In fact, Molly stated that they used to hold events in the store, such as weekly poetry readings. This shows the purpose of the shop’s open layout, which is meant to act as a communal space for people to gather rather than a private one.

Molly surrounded by the walls of her bookstore. This photo depicts the idea I have been describing, of a bookstore/house. We can see the cluttered but neat look of the shelves, and Molly personally going through some of her cookbook stock.

Molly has a clear vision of what she wants her store’s narrative to be. She has made personal choices not to sell books online as it takes them away from the shelves and overcomplicates the selling process. Online bookselling does not align with the “what you see is what you get” transparency of the home environment she has created, so they did not continue to do it. The shop also used to accept donations, but received too many items that “didn’t belong on the shelves”. Molly’s is a public shop that sells personally curated used goods. They want to communicate this feeling of personal touch and interest through their store’s inventory. The lights and bookshelves vary across the shop, again communicating an organic feel. The bookshelves themselves appear to be made of a raw material that contrasts the smooth, polished look of chain bookstores.

There are various non-book items throughout the store. Molly sells store merchandise such as mugs and t-shirts, which are placed near/behind the sales counter. She also draws notecards with illustrations from old children’s books that appear to be displayed near the sales counter as well. Molly handpainted all of the signs that hang from the ceiling notifying customers where each section is. The shop even has a pet cat, Mrs. Stevenson, another addition that makes Molly’s feel like a regular homestead.

In fact, the shop seems to have parts that belong to each family member. Upon entering the store, the CDs, records, and poetry straight ahead represent Johnny, Joe, and Molly. Going straight back, customers next come across the local section, which metaphorically represents the Italian Market community. The other literature sections reflect different facets of personal life: religion, philosophy, fiction, nonfiction, and the arts. These things can all hold stories, memories, and meanings, just like a personal library.

From left to right: Joe Ankenbrand, Molly Russakoff, Johnny Russakoff, Mrs. Stevenson the cat. This picture shows the family in their bookstore, a place they have turned into a second home.

The main spatial narrative that all of these elements project is that of a community/home that emphasizes literature as a shared experience. You are reminded of this through the cookbook room in the back of the store, which acts as a reminder of and homage to the location of the store. The door to the family’s apartment reminds you how the owners are directly connected to the store and subsequently the surrounding community. Rather than a commercial space, they wish to tell the story of a communal ‘home’. Molly’s merchandise allows customers to become even more a part of this ‘home’. Also, the simple fact that the shop only carries used products suggests a narrative of the arts as a shared activity. There is a place for each family member, but also one for each customer.

Through this narrative with their shelves and items, Molly’s Books & Records “…speaks to its own cultural context” (Pyne). The bookstore merges the unique surrounding area of the Italian Market with the family members’ personal focuses, using community serving as the bridge between them. Pyne also asserts that bookshelves “…radiate personal identity and institutional purpose” (Pyne). This is particularly true in the case of Molly’s: the family has continued to find harmony between reflecting their own tastes and styles in their store and also appealing to those ‘guests’ that frequent it. At the end of the day, Molly’s is still a business and has to make some compromises for the sake of sustainability. However, the shop’s narrative has allowed it to function as more than just a space to purchase items, but a comfortable place to create a personal and public conversation around them.

Images

B., Patrick. Yelp, 9 Mar. 2019, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=D-jiokMHHKwAYQDjXvGa7g. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

C., Bri. Yelp, 31 July 2022, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=_hDaBMI9RDKwfe0JXcbr9A. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

C., Bridget. Yelp, 9 Jul. 2016, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=D-jiokMHHKwAYQDjXvGa7g. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

C., C. Google Reviews, 2023. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

C., Marietta. Yelp, 9 Dec. 2018, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=D-jiokMHHKwAYQDjXvGa7g. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

C., Marietta. Yelp, 9 Dec. 2018, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=D-jiokMHHKwAYQDjXvGa7g. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Fletcher, MJ. Google Reviews, 2022. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Henninger, Mark. Google Reviews, 2018. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

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/.

Nova, Super. Google Reviews, 2022. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Piserchio, Natalie. Eater Philadelphia, 13 Dec. 2021, https://philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Shifman, Jay. Google Reviews, 2023. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Soifer, Alejandro. Google Reviews, 2016. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Williams, Eric. Google Reviews, 2016. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Other Citations

Floor Plan, courtesy of Molly Russakoff.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury, 2016.

Russakoff, Molly. Video conference interview. Conducted by Lexie Kauffman et al., 28 Oct. 2023.

Thinglink. “Create Unique Experiences With Interactive Images, Videos & 360 Media.” ThingLink, www.thinglink.com/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Investigating the Inner-Mechanisms of the Library Express

Investigating the Inner-Mechanisms of the Library Express

Space and place are separated from one another by the qualifier in activity. According the definition laid out in Tim Cresswell’s “Defining Place” (p. 7), a place is a location that has been given meaning. In other words, it is not so much that it exists, but that it has a deeper human purpose attached to it.

That meaning of any given place is, of course, shaped largely by its contents: this is essentially the thesis for Lydia Pyne’s “Bookshelf”, as well as the whole ObjectLessons series at large.

If we consider the mall the Space – after all, it is a vast empty medium for operating shops – then a store like the Library Express would undoubtedly one of the Places that makes the Space worth noting.

The Library Express is unique among the other stores in the Marketplace@Steamtown for its wood-paneled windowed frontwalls; it quite literally makes the business stand out, characterizing it apart from other run-of-the-mill mall stores rather than fitting in with its surroundings (as Manusos would argue bookstores should). Helping this task would be the eye-catching artistic displays, which must have been made with love and care given their detail. As objects of book mutilation, one can only assume that they don’t directly help sell books like other store displays, but they do communicate to passersby that you’re in the right place if you’re looking for books or culture.

To put it bluntly, the Library Express is a small store. While its art pieces out front might be award-winning, especially for the late-capitalist minimalist decadence that characterizes the mall, you’re not going to catch it on a list of the most beautiful bookstores in the world anytime soon. Many of its shelves look like they were pulled out of a library basement and repurposed. Some books are literally stored in milk-crates under brown-paper-wrapped tables. Black-and-yellow-striped cables run from the heart of the store to the back, alerting you so you don’t step on them and ruin tonight’s movie night.

Checkout at the desk is equally rustic: there’s no fancy card-reader, not even a Square reader that so many small stores now use to utilize cards, but the old-fashioned method where they take your card and run the numbers behind the desk.

This rustic, one-foot-in-the-now and one-foot-fifteen-years-in-the-past environment is no weakness, though: the store is polished enough to be fittingly up-to-date from a Rust Belt perspective, with nothing new that might alienate its working-class audience. It’s not going to enthrall any architects, technocrats, or socialites, but for many workers in greater Appalachia, it’s going to be more welcoming and cozy than many other places they inhabit over the day. It’s generally much more in-touch with the modest working class history of Scranton than any of the other shiny, glassy boutique-esque stores in the mall. Ultimately, it’s a library – there really isn’t any pressure to spend any hard-earned cash, since it quite literally offers free wares, but there’s always the option if you’re looking to spoil yourself with a nice, flashy object of intellectualism.

It’s compact, too – you could reasonably head in, run to the back, and U-turn it out of there in about a minute, even with a leisurely pace. After about ten minutes in-store, you should have visited each little enclave, unless a particular section has particularly captivated you.

If we continue with our assertion that the Library Express is geared toward the working man, then it might not be too odd to call the Library Express model the “mullet” of bookstores: the business (bookselling) is in the front, the party (library and community planning) is in the back.

The Library half hones in on the Express nature inherited from the title. My co-passengers aboard the Express were quick to point out the relatively small selection of borrowed books were. However, a little inside information about libraries is their interconnectedness: the best way to get a good selection from the Library Express would be to order the books there from the website, and pick them up from there, meaning there are many more books within the Library’s catalog than are on the shelves. There are still enough books (and other traditional library media) that one could spend just as much time browsing these shelves as they might any other section of the store, though.

Quick library pitstop! It’s important to note the sheer number of large-print novels stored by the Library section of the Express. Pennsylvania does have an aging geriatric population (PASDC), and this seems like a good-faith attempt to cater to their interests as well as the interests of other visually-impaired peoples. One naturally has to ask how accessible it must be for them to get to the second floor of the mall, through the city and the parking garage, to which the Library Express would answer with their Bookmobile program. It must be intensely refreshing to see so many books for free: with bigger text comes more pages, and thus a higher cost, and such a niche market that many stores won’t think to cater to.

Of course, to get to the Library, you will have to make it through the bookstore, so on the way back you’re likely going to pass up something that at least stops you and catches your interest. While the Express might betray traditional capitalist sensibilities from the outside, on the inside, its front-facing two-thirds are a traditional trip into retail hell. While so many bookstore chains are looking to subvert expectations and/or invert this old model into “business outside, cozy inside” (O’Connor), the Library Express sticks to what works for selling product, as if it’s a business necessity more than an area of interest.

With the promise of free access to intellectualism imbued into the DNA of the store, though, this classic setup somehow doesn’t seem as predatory as it should. While I was checking out, I even chatted with the clerks about the paradoxical business model, remarking that I could get request any of the books at a library free of cost, anyways, and they agreed (of course, I was also patronizing them with a triple-figure sum of “could I really get this anywhere else?” “is this plausibly homemade/small-business?” bibliophilic merch, so they might have been a little inclined to smile and chat with me, but I have naïve hopeful faith in the workers of Scranton like Powederley might have hoped for).

As you enter and leave the store, having taken your quick little journey on the Library Express, whether it be to explore each little U-shaped nook-or-cubby of the store, to check out the frequently sold-out yet incredibly topical new releases, browse the bargain carts, or even to simply drop off library books at the hastily home-made return box, you are reminded of the Library’s programming: bus tickets, movie nights, community-builders, kids’ arts and crafts, and even free computer access at the back if you are truly in need.

Many bookstores claim to be a home away from home but when they’re really looking to gut you at every price point or point-of-sale, are they really that much more cozy-academic than, say, any predatory private university? On the other hand is the Library Express, wholeheartedly here to support its community, whether they be customers or simply card-holding “friends”, the freest ticket to ride one could ask for.

Citations (Theory and Data)

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

McLaughlin, Katherine. “The 9 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World.” Architectural Digest, 23 June 2023, https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/most-beautiful-bookstores-slideshow. Accessed 1 November 2023.

O’Connor, Maureen. “Barnes & Noble Sets Itself Free.” New York Times, 18 October 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/17/style/barnes-noble-redesign.html. Accessed 1 November 2023.

Pennsylvania State Data Center. “POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS AND CHANGE: 2010 TO 2017.” 10 July 2018, https://pasdc.hbg.psu.edu/Data/Research-Briefs/PA-Population-Estimates. Accessed 1 November 2023.

Pyne, Lydia. bookshelf. Bloomsbury, 2016.

Media Credits

Alexander, Amelia, Gavin Knouse, Brooke Nelson, and Janina Reynolds. Various photos of Library Express, 28 Oct 2023.

Knouse, Gavin. “Library Express.” Thinglink, 1 November 2023, https://www.thinglink.com/scene/1776434116347036134. Accessed 1 November 2023.

L, Derek. “Library Express”. Foursquare, 14 June 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/library-express/4e98550ff9f413b04cd4d0f8?openPhotoId=62a8fa26bdc8db3bd5a99005. Accessed 1 November 2023.

Café con Libros: Proving That Maybe Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Café con Libros: Proving That Maybe Bigger Isn’t Always Better

Down a quiet street nestled in the heart of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, lies Café Con Libros, a neighborhood staple and community center. The light blue paint of the exterior invites you in, and the ivy gently overhanging the sign reading “Black, Feminist & Bookish” adds a whimsical element that immediately charms you. Small tables are located outside, waiting for people to grab a steaming cup of coffee and sit down with a book.

On the left, featured books line the large window, enticing customers with their bright colors and intriguing titles. Such titles include My Broken Language: A Memoir by Quiara Alegría Hudes, which tells the story of Alegría Hudes growing up in Philly amongst her Puerto Rican family, fighting to become an artist; Las Madres by Esmeralda Santiago, which follows the life of women who journey from Puerto Rico to the Bronx, and explores themes such as gender, faith, and race; and cookbooks like Bountiful Cooking by Agatha Achindu, who explores her Cameroonian heritage and relationship to food.

Floor plan of Café con Libros, explaining significant choices in shelving and layout.

The window on the right boasts a collection of children’s books, including titles such as La Guitarrista by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player, and Los coquíes aún cantan by Karina Nichole González, illustrated by Krystal Quiles. A pride flag and the flag of Panama, where owner Kalima DeSuze hails from, are proudly displayed in the window.

The window displays reflect the values Café con Libros stands for. A diverse array of authors and subject matter, reaching not only adults but also children. Books written in Spanish as well as English reiterates this mission of diversity and reflects the rich area of New York in which the store is located. The flag of Panama displays DeSuze’s pride for her heritage, and the pride flag ensures that all guests should feel welcome, that Café con Libros is a safe space for them.

Inside the store, welcoming faces greet you as you walk in facing the coffee bar, conveniently also where the register is located. The aroma of coffee grounds and sweet syrups fill the air, mixed with the delightful sounds of pages flipping as customers peruse books, and the milk steamer whistling into the air.

When inside, you are shocked by the small space. Nothing more than a square, it can at times feel claustrophobic when more than three people occupy the space. However, big windows that let in natural light, high ceilings, warm lighting, and bright white bookshelves create an illusion of space that does not exist. Lyndsie Manusos points out that the ways in bookstores are lit has become an increasingly important part of bookstore design. Based on this fact, Café con Libros has certainly paid special attention to the “vibe” in their store. The natural lighting not only creates space, but also an inviting place for folks to browse books while sipping a coffee. This reflects Café con Libros’ mission of being a community space where people would want to stop by and hang out.

Because of the smallness, books line the walls and sit on two circular tables by the door. Tote bags hang on an exposed brick column, highlighting the bookstore’s mission, stating things such as: “Black, Feminist & Bookish.” “Café con Libros, Feminist Bookstore.” “latinx. feminist. bookish.”

A tote bag sold by Café con Libros.

While short on space, Café con Libros fills the space with more than enough titles to explore for hours. Only having one main, floor to ceiling, bookshelf for their titles means that sections don’t exist as we are used to in other bookstores. Instead, the shelves are divided into cubes, and each cube is labeled with a “section” or theme. Such sections include poetry, black feminist classics, black American classics, Latinx diaspora, African diaspora, Caribbean diaspora, LGBTQ+, romance, and more. Within each section, fiction and non-fiction, speculative and realist, romance and mystery, can all be mixed together. The shelving of the books often reflects, not the genre of the book necessarily, but the identity of the author or content. Lydia Pyne, in her book Bookshelf, says that “[b]ookshelves do more than catalog books; bookshelves put those books on display” (22). Further, “what books are put where on which shelves reflects the values…that shape the shelves and books” (22). Café con Libros demonstrates their values by the way in which they categorize books. They demonstrate that their mission of uplifting feminist, black, latinx, and other underrepresented voices is what defines their categorization more than other, more typical, ways.

These small cube sections, and the condensed space of the store, create a difficulty for Café con Libros. The difficulty is that of selection. Most sections have 20 or less titles, and of those normally only one or two of the books has extra copies. The extra copies are stocked at the back of the shelf, lying horizontally behind the otherwise normally shelved books (vertical, with the spine faced out). Such books that are lucky enough to have extra copies stocked are best sellers for the store, such as All About Love by bell hooks, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison.

More books are housed on round tables adjacent to the door. On the left is a collection of adult books, both fiction and non-fiction that are new or highlighted by the staff. Opposite this table on the right side of the store is another round table that features children’s books in a similar way. The remaining collection of children’s books is featured on a smaller set of the cubic shelving found on the left.

While visiting with my friend, Sophie, she commented that many of these titles were not ones that she had heard of before. In this alone, it is clear that Café con Libros has done their job and done it well. They have created a space in which smaller authors are able to have their work displayed, work that focuses on their experiences as women, people of color, and more, in a place that ardently cares about these missions. Café con Libros is not one to fall victim to so-called “rainbow capitalism,” as many stores do around Pride Month or Black History Month, but practices what they preach. They uplift as many stories as they can that center on issues that they care about, stories that are impactful, not only for people who share those identities, but also for the general population to educate themselves.

A picture posted by Café con Libros on Instagram, captioned with this quote by Jen Campbell: “You see, bookstores are dreams built of wood and paper. They are time travel and escape and knowledge and power. They are, simply put, the best of places.

Lyndsie Manusos, in her article “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design,” notes that chain stores are beginning to move to doing what “independents do best and have always been doing: Catering to their customers’ interests and the needs and values of the surrounding community.” The mission of owner Kalima DeSuze has always been to do just that, and not only cater to the needs and interests of her community, but to create new interests by showcasing a unique and diverse display of titles.

Being able to browse a store that was so warm and welcoming (and had some of the best coffee I’ve ever tasted), was a privilege. Seeing the care that the staff take to display and shelve their books to align with their mission stuck out to me as something that I had not seen in many other stores. Often, indies have a theme or mission, but rarely do they stick to it as well as Café con Libros. Their community centered focus shines through, as when you walk into the store, you are at the center of it. The books are off to the side, but the people who gather and chat and browse are the center of Café con Libros’ world.

Sources

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” Book Riot, 23 February 2022. https://bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/. Accessed 31 October 2023.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. New York, Bloomsbury Academic, 28 January 2016.

Media

Floor Plan made by Janelle Cass using www.thinglink.com.

Instagram Reel by @lavidaseguncata

Images by @cafeconlibros_bk on Instagram

Other images by Kelsey F., Kassidy K., and Café con Libros on Yelp. https://www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-con-libros-brooklyn-2.