Library Express Interior Design

Strolling Through Library Express

Now picture this… It is a Saturday morning, and you decide you want to take a stroll through the Marketplace at Steamtown. You start by parking your car in the parking garage then you take the escalator up to the first floor of the mall. As you are strolling through the first floor you see different types of stores. You see a dentist’s office, an aquarium, Geisinger, a Starbucks, etc. Since there is a Starbucks you may grab a cup of coffee before you decide to continue your stroll through the mall.

After getting your Starbucks coffee you make your way up to the second floor of the mall and almost immediately your eye catches the wooden panels that border a store. Out of curiosity, you make your way toward it and discover that it is a bookstore called Library Express.

Not only is the Library Express a bookstore, but it is also a public library that is connected with the Lackawanna Country Library System. This is just one way that makes the bookstore stand out compared to other bookstores.

A look at the Library Express exterior from the left side of the bookstore. Photo by Janina Reynolds.

Before even entering the bookstore, you will find three carts full of books that they keep outside of the store to attract customers to their store. Keeping book carts outside of a bookstore allows customers to browse through the books on the outside of the store before they decide to continue their way into the store.

The book carts at the very entrance of the doorway allow customers to start book browsing before they are even fully in the store. Photo by Amelia Alexander.

Along with the carts full of books, they also have signs that help advertise their store more. The sign that is at the far left of the front of the bookstore shows what sales and programs they have going on during the month. As you make your way to the entrance there is another sign that has flyers on it that promote the different events the bookstore holds during that month. As you pass the sign there is a cart full of books and another one right after it.

Book decoration hanging from the lights by the Library Express entrance. Photo by Janina Reynolds.

Lighting

In Lyndsie Manusos’s article, “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design,” she talks about how “lighting and space have always been important” which remains to be true it is the first thing a customer notices when they enter Library Express or any bookstore. Manusos also mentioned how “Bright lighting is important… but natural light was and still is a priority” which is not the case for Library Express. Since the bookstore is inside of a mall, it has no natural lighting. Instead, they have artificial lighting that helps brighten the store up so their customers can read better while they are browsing. At the entrance of the store, you can see the light source right away. Along with it are books used as decorations that are hanging from the ceiling right by the lights.

Entering Library Express

Then when you finally make it past the doorway you will see a book display that holds books that fall under the “NY Times Bestsellers” category. On this book display, you can find Walter Isaacson’s book on Elon Musk. A regular customer would have to purchase the book for its full price, but if a customer happened to have a Lackawanna County Library System Library Card (usually labeled as an LCLS Library Card) then they get a 25% discount if they buy the book. Another book you can find is Daniel Stashower’s American Demon which is 25% off for anyone who has an LCLS Library Card.

Library Express Floor Plan

The floor plan was created by Amelia Alexander and then modified by Janina Reynolds via Thinglink. A little key for the color of the icons: the icons in blue are part of the bookstore. They are typically books, but two of them are also just window displays. The green icons are other items that customers can purchase that are not books. Then the black icons have to do with the library part of Library Express.

The Right Side of Library Express

The front right side of the Library Express bookstore has a table full of calendars and planners then has bookcases that each hold different genres. Photo by Janina Reynolds.

From the “NY Times Bestseller” display you may head towards the right side of the store. The first thing you will see is a table full of calendars and planners that were 10% off. Behind the table is a U-shaped space for customers to walk behind and look at the bookshelves that surround the table. Going from the right side of the table you see a section full of Cookbooks so if you want to learn a new style of cooking and want to get a book on it then this is exactly where you need to look. As you continue walking the U-shape space you will see a section for Wellness, References, Religion, and two bookcases full of books that are part of the Social Science/History genres. Then at the very end of the pathway, you will find a bookcase full of Journals. As you continue walking straight you will find a small table that is a mix of Nonfiction and Fiction New Releases.

A section of the bookstore is dedicated full of Dunder Mifflin Merchandise. Photo by Janina Reynolds

Also on the right side of the store as you head further in you will see a whole section dedicated to the television series, The Office. In this section, they have Dunder Mifflin merch and they even have some Scranton merch as well.

In Scranton, The Office is something that gets recognized by many people because the show was set in Scranton. A section of their bookstore dedicated to it ties the store into its community. It also brings in people who may be visiting and have watched the show.

Placing it right next to the check-out desk also allows customers to get their books first and then potentially stop by and grab Dunder Mifflin merch as well.

The Left Side of Library Express

Mainly a Classics Genre Section, but the front of the table is full of art. Photo by Brooke Nelson.

Heading towards the left side you will see a bookcase with two tables behind it. The items on the table closest to the “NY Times Bestseller” display are Art items that are facing toward the walkway so that customers can look at them. On the other table, it is full of books that are part of the Classics Genre. Behind that table are bookcases that are against the wall full of books that are also part of the Classics Genre.

A bookcase full of Classics that can only be accessed by a worker. Photo by Janina Reynolds

The bookcase that the tables are behind also holds Classic novels. However, to look at the books in this case a customer must go to the check-out desk and ask for assistance so that they can look at one of the books. A locked bookcase where you can see what books are in it, but can only access them if you ask for assistance gives customers a different feeling than bookcases where they can just pick up a book and look through it at their own free will. In Lydia Pyne’s novel, bookshelf, she talks about a practice known as chaining. She describes chaining as “a practice that reinforced a relationship of power and access between those who curated the books and those who read them” (Pyne 11). Seeing a locked bookcase may make customers feel this way. They may look at the display and want a book that is in it but still want to have the bare minimum interaction with a worker and decide to look at other books instead. The novel also mentioned that “libraries acted as gatekeepers… determining how access to its books would be granted” (Pyne 15). This can be applied well in this case since Library Express is not only a bookstore but also a public library.

Circle deal table where everything on it is Buy One Get One 50% Off. Photo by Janina Reynolds.

Making your way towards the back through the left side of the store. You will find there are several bookcases full of books in the Fiction genre then get into the Young Adult genre. In this area, there is a bookcase that holds novels that fall under the “Books to Film” category and novels that are Biographies.

In this specific area, Library Express also has a circle table at the center of it making it easy to move around it. Another plus to the circle table is that everything that was on the table was “Buy One Get One 50% Off.” Including a table that is full of books that are part of a deal is a good move because book lovers also love a good book deal.

Activities table in the library part of the bookstore. Photo by Janina Reynolds

The Library Part of Library Express

Towards the back of the bookstore is where the library part of more noticeable. They have a sign hanging from the ceiling at the right side of the back of the store that says: “Lackawanna County Library System.” At the back right of the store, they have three bookshelves full of books. The way they categorize the books on these shelves is considered “Large Print.” All of these books you can borrow if you have an LCLS Library Card. In the middle of this area, there is an activities table where library members and customers can rate the last book they read and kids are even able to do some coloring as well.

Bookshelves that are categorized by “Large Print” books.
Photo by Janina Reynolds.

The Center of Library Express

Rack of Tote Bags for customers to purchase. Photo by Janina Reynolds

At the center of Library Express is where they keep their non-book items. Close to the check-out desk, they have tables that are full of socks and another table that is full of cards and mugs. Between the table of socks and the table with the Fiction New Releases, they have racks full of tote bags.

Having non-book items at the center of the store near the check-out desk is a smart design because even though someone may have found all the books that they wanted they will still look at the items on the center table and the chances are they may purchase something. Especially if someone is buying a bunch of books they may buy a tote bag so that they can carry their new books in it.

Text Citations

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, 23 Feb. 2022, bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.  

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. 

Photo Citations

Alexander, Amelia: Book carts at the entrance

Nelson, Brooke: Classic Genre Section

Reynolds, Janina: Exterior of Library Express, Book Hanging Decorations, Front Right Side of Library Express, the Dunder Mifflin Merch, Locked Bookcase, BOGO Circle Table, Activities Table

Floor Plan Citation

Created by Amelia Alexander and modified by Janina Reynolds using Thinglink

Midtown Scholar’s Menagerie: Everything, Everywhere

Midtown Scholar’s Menagerie: Everything, Everywhere

Although based in the renovated remnants of a historic movie theater, and originally beginning as an online storefront, the Midtown Scholar as it presently stands can best be described as a haven for bookworms and casual readers alike, feeling like a lodge of sorts, where its shelves are stocked with a vastly diverse array of literature, so much so that the average customer may not know where to begin.

Overview of the Midtown Scholar from the Gallery, looking down on the main stage. Photo taken from Flickr.

As described by the owners, Eric Papenfuse and Catherine Lawrence in an interview on their YouTube channel, every aspect of the Midtown Scholar’s structure from the ground up was deliberate– each panel, light, even the newly furnished stage in the center of the establishment were all placed there with the larger design in mind. The space exists to connect the consumer with one another, and with Midtown Scholar’s collection of texts, which sets itself apart from other independent bookstores through its scale and scope. For all intents and purposes, the Scholar could serve as a library, its collection of 200,000 texts rivaling most comparable institutions; what differs from the rest, however, is the presentation.

An excerpt from the reading “On Collecting Art and Culture” by James Clifford highlights a similar sentiment, as he describes ethnography as a form of collecting, relating it to the contemporary Western notion of “collection,” being that whatever items a collection consists of, they will fade without proper care, Clifford describing it as a “rescue of phenomena from inevitable historical decay or loss” (231). In this sense, the Midtown Scholar has an incredibly unique definition of collection, having it range dramatically in genre. Their collection is free-flowing and rapidly changes, and Papenfuse describes their desire to stock five unique titles over five copies of one in the same aforementioned interview, highlighting their sentiment towards collection. A diagram showing the layout and a full breakdown of all the genres and categories present in the store can be found below.

A full floorplan of the Midtown Scholar, highlighting their extensive collection of texts. Highlights all major areas of the store. Taken from the Midtown Scholar Facebook Page.

Aside from the over 200,000 titles housed in the Midtown Scholar, they have two cafes, an art gallery, and a stage at the center of the establishment that serves as a platform for authors, speakers, and artists to perform for the community; that, at its core, is what the Midtown Scholar seeks to engage with through every facet of its construction: the community– to foster a warm, thoughtful, ever-changing space that has something for everyone. It’s difficult to nail down precisely what “type” of bookstore the Scholar is, seeing as its genres range from Pennsylvanian historical accounts, to jewelry and textiles, even having a full catalog of texts on social sciences, the Scholar holds true to its namesake, baring a collection that would inspire envy in any academic.

I feel as though the two cafes located within serve as a microcosm for the overall feel of the bookstore. This too is difficult to articulate as “feel” isn’t all that descriptive of a term, but it’s essential to understand that this idea seeps from the very cracks of the foundation, as if the bookstore itself has a discernible personality. 

To elaborate, the Midtown Scholar is an inherently social space, but the average consumer may not immediately jump at this opportunity, so they head to the fringes where both cafes are located. Upon my visit to the store, most people were centralized around these places– reading, discussing, observing– before that same cafe broke them out of their shells, prompting a sort of adventure through the self-described “labyrinthian” layout by Catherine Lawrence. 

This term aptly describes the spiraling layout of the Midtown Scholar, composed of four floors with dramatically different subjects on each, allowing the appeal of the texts themselves to draw readers in and guide them on their path through the store. When they purchased the property, owners Papenfuse and Lawrence connected the basements of the two, adding a subterranean level to the store entirely of their own creation. It’s often said about mesmerizing places such as this, but I genuinely felt as though I could get lost within the establishment. When I visited the bookstore, one of the first things I noticed was how the texts were arranged in a near-overwhelming manner; shelves that tower over the consumer are what compose a majority of the store. 

View of the main stage in the Midtown Scholar during Olafur Arnalds’ performance in 2011. Taken from the Artist’s website.

Specifically, those shelves and the books contained on them reminded me of an excerpt from Lydia Pyne’s Bookshelf, where she describes the relation between a collection and how its displayed on the shelf, saying “In other words, how books are cataloged, shelved, and displayed shows a certain worldview and a particular system of thinking—aesthetic, pragmatic, categorical, or out-and-out haphazard, even” (33). The way Midtown Scholar views its collection is as an amalgamation of knowledge, and this is reflected in the broadness of what’s contained on the shelves. As stated earlier, it’s difficult to nail down what type of bookstore the Scholar is as it is such a wide-spanning store, but the message spoken through the shelves are clear: the sky’s the limit.

Despite how initially chaotic things may seem within the Scholar, everything is painstakingly organized and cataloged, which is worthy of admiration when one knows the extent of their collection. I’d like to place special emphasis on the upper level of the store, where the gallery, humanities, arts, and ephemera sections are located, among much more. 

While this is by no means the most “important” area of the store, any of which can be argued to be, I feel this is the best reflection of the beliefs of the owner on the design of their store. The shelves on this floor are as broad as the rest in the establishment, but they incorporate their dedication to the arts and humanities, having a balcony to overview shows, a gallery with work from local artists, and the upper level is dedicated to texts discussing arts and cultural interests. 

The lighting and woodwork throughout the entire store is worthy of note, but it feels more intimate on the upper level due to the small space, soft lights shining on specific paintings and books; the grain of the wood making the upper level seem like a cabin, quaint and cozy, where one can take a seat on the chairs and open a text they’re interested in while observing the art.

Overall, the layout of Midtown Scholar encourages the consumer to choose their own experience in the depth of what they offer, carpe diem if you will. The warm and welcoming design, community-driven layout, and intentionality of each detail lends this bookstore an indescribable uniqueness which attracts those from all walks of life to engage with literature in this manner. Regardless of your age, identity, or level of education, Midtown Scholar goes above and beyond in fostering a welcoming environment, despite how overwhelming it may feel when first entering.

Texts Cited

Clifford, James. “On Collecting Art and Culture.” The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, 2002, pp. 212–249

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019.

Videos Used

The Midtown Scholar. LIVE | The Story of an Independent Bookstore with Catherine Lawrence and Eric Papenfuse. YouTube, YouTube, 27 Apr. 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpdFCTpNQj4&t=3432s. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Beyond the Bookshelves: How Space in Cafe con Libros Tells a Story

Beyond the Bookshelves: How Space in Cafe con Libros Tells a Story

When you walk into the door of Café con Libros in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, one word immediately comes to mind: small. The store itself cannot hold more than five or ten people comfortably, despite the majority of the space being left open. There aren’t tables and chairs to sit in simply for space-saving purposes, and the books themselves take up nearly the entirety of the walls to either side of you as you walk into the store. At a glance, the shelves cannot hold more than 500 books, despite being packed full to the point where some of the longer shelves are bowing in the middle. The “sections” are indicated by small paper labels on the outside edge of the shelves, and there must be a dozen labels spanning the length of the wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling shelf along the left wall that holds the majority of books in the store.

The irony of a lack of shelves in a bookstore is not lost here. The lack of space seems to have forced DeSuze’s interior design hand here, yet there is more of a method to her madness. The large front-facing windows in the store accompanied by the bright overhead lighting bring a sense of openness and lightness to the space. The bright white bookshelves don’t hurt either. DeSuze was clear about her commitment to diversity in books, but she was also clear about her commitment to fostering a community of intersectional feminists in Crown Heights. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this little shop held book club meetings, author signings, and many other events that pushed its capacity to the limit. Communities need all the space they can get, hence the lack of bookshelves filling every nook and cranny in the store.

Kalima DeSuze, the owner of Café con Libros, made it clear when she opened the store that its goal was to empower and uplift the voices of intersectional (specifically Afro-Latina) authors. This mammoth of a shelf shows just how committed she is to that vision. There are sections for Black biographies, Black novels, Queer stories, African diaspora, and many more. It seems as if DeSuze is attempting to encompass the world in her shelves. There can’t be more than two or three of the same books on the shelves, unlike the standardized Barnes & Noble style stocking we see so often. Instead, DeSuze has favored variety over quantity, cramming her shelves full of every story from the African and Latinx diaspora she can get her hands on, and then some.

“There were times when I couldn’t answer questions about my own identity and I would read, and it would give me more insight into who I am and put my experience in a global context; it’s not just about me. So I decided I wanted a feminist bookstore.”

Kalima DeSuze, Medium

The lack of clear, large signs indicating sections also tells a story of community and inclusivity. DeSuze doesn’t hide her commitment to intersectional stories, and what screams intersectionality more than books with no sections? Black biographies are next to Latinx novels, and without a close look, the average customer cannot see any borders between the sections. The identities these novels represent are less separate than we may believe, and Café con Libros’ shelves show that idea in their organization.

In Lydia Pyne’s novel Bookshelf, she breaks down the implications of a bookshelf and its organization beautifully. Pyne states that “any system of organizing books creates an order and an expectation…how books are catalogued, shelved, and displayed shows a certain worldview and particular system of thinking” (33). Pyne argues that bookshelf placement and organization send a message from the owner of the shelves and books to the consumer of the books. DeSuze is clearly sending a message here, intentionally or not: all stories are intertwined, and identities have no strict boundaries like a section in a bookstore does.

The section labels, along with parts of this imposing shelf, appear to have changed over time through necessity. The shelves featured a small desk in the middle that no longer exists, replaced by more shelves to hold more books, and the books are crammed in tighter now, instead of arranged in neat little displays like in the past. The shelves and their organization changed as necessity asked more of the store: more books, more variety of stories, and more organization in the shelf itself.

An older image of the shelf in Cafe con Libros (De Vries)

Pyne touches on this aspect of the shelf as well in her novel, stating that “ways of storing books…are shaped by the necessity of circumstance” (72). While Pyne is referring to bookshelves during a time of book banning, the principle applies to DeSuze her bookshelf in Café con Libros. Necessity brought about changes to the store and how its shelves interact with the books and the customer. This necessity comes mostly from the desire to compose a more comprehensive collection. DeSuze finds more books by Latinx and Black women, adds a couple to the shelf, and suddenly there are too many to be contained by the few shelves available. The desk disappears, replaced by the Queer romance section followed by four other sections below it. Two tables appear on either side of the entrance featuring more popular Black literature, and the shelves begin to sag under the weight of the Latinx and African diaspora on paper.

A more recent image of the shelf in Cafe con Libros (“Intersectional…”)

Café con Libros is advertised as an intersectional feminist bookstore, which begs the question of how representative or comprehensive their book collection can be. At first glance, it seems this store is in danger of creating “the illusion of adequate representation of a world,” as James Clifford discusses in “On Collecting Art and Culture” (218). Yet DeSuze never claims that these books represent the world, or even the entirety of a small piece of the world. Another major point Clifford makes regarding collections is how collections will often cut “objects out of specific contexts (whether cultural, historical, or intersubjective) and making them ‘stand for’ abstract wholes” (220). DeSuze’s book collection in Café con Libros does the opposite of this. The books she stocks are the source of context for multiple cultures and experiences.

Café con Libros also looks at culture and intersectionality as a source of community wealth for others. By connecting with individuals who have similar experiences we can form stronger bonds with our identities, and what better way to encounter someone just like you than through a book? Clifford sees this as a more negative aspect of collecting, noting that “the notion that this gathering involves the accumulation of possessions, the idea that identity is a kind of wealth,” referring to the thought that obtaining objects from cultures was a form of displaying status or wealth (218). Yet the collection in Café con Libros speaks to a different version of wealth: cultural wealth. The range of experiences contained in the singular shelf lining the left wall does not try to represent the whole world, but instead provide context and knowledge to its consumers that museum collections do not.

While small, the content of that singular shelf in Café con Libros packs a punch, covering the experiences of women across the globe. And what the bookstore lacks in stock it makes up for in open space and brightness, as well as community connections. The fewer shelves there are, the more room there is for socialization and community events in the walls of this tiny beacon of feminism and diversity in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. I for one, cannot wait to see Café con Libros packed to the brim with people for events once again.

Works Cited:

Research/Information

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. New York, Bloomsbury Publishing Inc. 2016.

Clifford, James. “On Collecting Art and Culture.” The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art, Harvard College, 1988, pp. 215-251.

Kobert, Rebecca. “Badass Women: Kalima DeSuze, founder of feminist bookstore, Café con Libros.” Medium, 28 Jun. 2018. https://medium.com/coconuts/badass-women-kalima-desuze-founder-of-feminist-bookstore-cafe-con-libros-c64e0f8ed358.

Images

Bookshelf inside Cafe con Libros. “Intersectional Feminist Bookstore: Cafe Con Libros: New York.” Cafe Con Libros, www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

De Vries, Susan. Bookshelf in Café con Libros. “Get ready to Snap Up Some Books With the Return of the Brooklyn Bookstore Crawl” by Susan De Vries, 13 April 2022, Brownstoner, https://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/brooklyn-bookstore-crawl-2022-greenlight-cafe-con-libros-freebird-books-are-magic/

Midtown Scholar: A Space in History

Midtown Scholar: A Space in History

Many booklovers, including myself, dream of being locked in a bookstore overnight. The prospect of spending a night surrounded by literature with no responsibilities or rules is so enticing to me that I find myself looking for hiding spots every time I go to a new bookstore. As I entered Midtown Scholar Bookstore, I felt the familiar urge to lock myself within its book infused walls. However, the store itself fuels this desire by being set up as an almost “book maze” with its sprawling shelves.

The store itself spreads across three floors: the main level, the lower levels, and the balcony level. 

Image of the main floor, photo courtesy of Jess Branche

Main Level

The entire layout of the first floor invites customers to stay and make themselves comfortable. Instead of focusing on sales and profit, the setup fosters a sense of community and gives locals a place to gather. This is exhibited heavily through the constant cycle of events held within the space. Since the store’s mission is provide the Harrisburg community with “a welcoming space for the discussion and exchange of ideas about books, politics, arts and culture, and history,” it’s no wonder the main floor is designed to be a gathering place (“Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe”). 

The entrance to Midtown Scholar deposits visitors directly to the front counter, which doubles as a check-out counter and café counter. The café portion of Midtown Scholar sells an assortment of coffees, teas, and pastries. By offering food and drink, the store is asking their customers to extend their visit to enjoy a treat. This is just one way the main level is a gathering place. Another example of this is the large stage that rests on the right wall of the main floor. Therefore, there is a lot of empty space directly in front of the stage to accommodate the need to set up chairs for author events. Another small gathering space present is their children’s room that is also on the main level. 

Aside from the main floor acting as a gathering space, it is also where all the brand-new books are displayed. These books are organized into various sections. Near the entrance, there are two tables showcasing new bestsellers in fiction and nonfiction. To the left of these tables, are bookshelves that feature different kinds of specialty books. During my visit, they held books written by the authors who were scheduled to speak at the Harrisburg Book Festival. Another shelf held a display for “Blind Date with a Book.” Besides these shelves, there are small alcoves of books throughout the remainder of the floor. What’s interesting about these sections is that they are labeled by author. For example, there are placards marking where Mark Twain books begin and end. This makes the shopping experience convenient if you know what author wrote the book you want. Personally, when I browse a bookstore, I usually focus on the titles of the books, but this setup forced me to browse by author instead, which I found to be refreshing.

Overall, the main floor of Midtown Scholar can be described as the “commercial floor” since it is full of new books that are currently popular while also supplying a space for the public to gather. 

Visitors can then decide whether to take the stairs up to the balcony or down to the lower levels. 

Lower Levels

Customers can take one of two sets of staircases to visit the lower levels of Midtown Scholar which are packed with academic books. Initially, you will be greeted by the sections dedicated to history books, with American history towards the front and world history behind that. Once you’ve explored this area, you can either go to a room dedicated to rare artifacts, or you can go down another set of stairs to visit Scholar Underground. This portion of the store focuses on academic books ranging from the humanities, social sciences, religion, and culture.  

Floor plan of the original Boston Store, located in the rare artifacts room, photo courtesy of Emily Costantino

The lower levels feel like a nod to Midtown Scholar’s roots as a used academic book seller. The bookshelves are jam-packed with merchandise, whether it be collectable books or historical art prints, and they are so high that it feels as if you’re in a tunnel of books. This maze of manuscripts invites visitors to lose themselves in the rich history of the store. This is obvious by how much they have preserved previous artifacts from when the space was a department store known as the Boston Store. The space blends both structural history with historical content to transport the visitor to an area that transcends time. 

Balcony Level

View off the balcony level, photo courtesy of Emily Costantino

As you ascend the stairs back to the main level, you can take one of two staircases up to the balcony level, which is devoted entirely to used books. If you decide to take the stairs to the area directly above the lower levels, you will find all things art history. As you follow the balcony along a narrow catwalk, you can browse a selection of popular fiction and poetry books that are categorized by author. Some famous people I noticed were Sylvia Plath and Rupi Kaur. This catwalk is also lined with public seating so guests can further enjoy the space. If you chose to take the other staircase behind the sales counter, you will be led to the side with all the used fiction. This area is also separated by author and all young adult books are lined along the back wall. As you continue further through this section, the collection morphs from fiction to literary criticism and eventually ends with sci-fi/fantasy books along the opposing wall. The balcony level showcases how the store has attempted to use their space as efficiently as possible. Most people would not expect to find mainstream fiction next to literary criticism, so it shows how the owners aim to jam as much material into the store as possible. 

Midtown Scholar as an Accessible Space

Throughout the entirety of Pyne’s writing in “Bookshelf,” she stresses the historical importance of bookshelves by describing their history from medieval chained bookshelves all the way up to e-bookshelves (Pyne). Midtown Scholar is clearly dedicated to preserving and honoring the history of books and bookstores, while also preserving the history of the space they inhabit. This is accomplished by offering an abundance of used and rare books, while also preserving the original structure from the Boston Store.

However, by doing that, I noticed that the store itself is not as ADA-accessible as it could be. For instance, by saving the original building structure, there are no elevators, so wheelchair-users are unable to travel to the lower levels or the balcony. Therefore, limiting their shopping experience to the newer books, which are oftentimes higher priced than used options. 

The article “How Bookstores are Bringing Books Within Reach,” tackles this issue head on by presenting an example of a store whose basement was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The store owner expresses the dilemma of wanting to preserve its rich history, while also making it accessible for disabled customers. Some stores have tried to combat this issue by creating add-ons like height-adjustable computer monitors and foam standing mats (op de Beeck). Therefore, I ask Midtown Scholar, are you willing to alter your history to make your store more accessible? 

Text Citations

“Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, www.midtownscholar.com/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023. 

Op de Beeck, Nathalie. “How Bookstores Are Bringing Books within Reach.” Publishers Weekly, 21 July 2023. 

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. 

Photo Citations

Branche, Jessica. Main Floor. 20 Oct. 2023. Harrisburg. 

Costantino, Emily. Balcony Level. 20 Oct. 2023. Harrisburg. 

Costantino, Emily. Boston Store Floor Plan . 20 Oct. 2023. Harrisburg. 

Floor Plan Citations

Floor plan created by Emily Costantino

Harriett’s Bookshop: A Tribute to Women

image from Inquirer

Imagine walking into a store dedicated to women and being inspired by a woman who fought through lots of hardship. Harriett’s bookshop embodies the personality of its namesake in a podcast interview with Libro. Fm, the owner, Jeannine Cook, states Harriett’s is “a place where you come to understand (a) bit more about the historical context that this woman (Harriet Tubman) lived in and how we could adapt from her humanity.” (Butze). The bookstore not only uses historical context but the feel of the place can be described as showcasing the personality of its namesake as well. In the same interview, Jeannine states, “The furniture is nimble, and everything’s always moving… and Harriett was a small but mighty woman” (Butze).

The design of Harriett’s bookshop lacks color on the walls and the shelves, but it adds its color by having the covers of books faced out and alternating between books in each box to create a variety pattern. The owner’s mother, Celia Cook, explains that the shop is “so classy and soft and attentive” (Butze). She demonstrates that even the décor has been chosen to create an atmosphere that encapsulates the feeling of empowerment for women through women. Harriett’s bookshop is ever-changing in what books they sell in their store but have what Jeannine Cook calls “foundational foremothers” or “foundational texts,” which are Toni Morrison, Zora Neal Hurston, and Octavia Butler, who are always displayed in their store (Butze).


Harriett’s bookshop has a highly curated variety of books that changes frequently. The bookshop is split into two levels. Both levels demonstrate a different purpose but share a theme of invoking learning and growth. When you first see Harriett’s bookshop, the first thing you notice is its books that are displayed in the front window. These books are usually the foremothers, which helps to showcase their ideals from the start (Rebolini). When you enter the bookshop, visitors immediately notice the wallpaper and how the books are displayed. The walls are painted to look like the shelves are built into the wall. The store is white with black outlines for the bookshelves and picture frames painted on the wall. The overall bookshop gives off a two-dimensional feeling. The vision behind the two-dimensional feeling was to have people feel like they were stepping “inside a book” (NBC). Once a visitor is done marveling over the walls, they notice a square shelf that sticks out in the middle to act as a wall to make another room that splits the front desk and the stairs to the basement. On these shelves, they showcase newer books written for women by women. The front desk has more books behind the counter and more shelves in front. Behind the front desk, there is a painted drawing of Harriet Tubman. Next is the children’s corner with books that help to inspire children in different aspects or to teach them. The children’s books are focused on picture books of children of color and activism. For example, they have a children’s book about the origin story of Harriett’s Bookshop. Right next to the children’s corner is a door that leads to an outside reading garden.

image from yelp

The hallway walking to the garden is also full of two-dimensional drawings with women from the past and quotes also being displayed leading to the door. The reading garden is a little area with a two-dimensional classy look, with white tables and chairs, bookshelves with books, and green plants that help to give in an earthly atmosphere.

images from Foursquare

The design of Harriett’s bookshop lacks color on the walls and the shelves, but it adds its color by having the covers of books faced out and alternating between books in each box to create a variety pattern.


The basement floor is called the Underground, and it is decorated like a nightclub. She hosts her book club down there. The underground showcases the concept that bookshelves are “power symbols” and influence how people interact with them within the room by the way they are shaped in the space (Pyne, 57). They showcase this by having bookshelves along the wall and having a wide-open space, portraying that the bookshelves are essential, but having more people being able to meet is more important.
The Underground is a place where visitors look at books through candlelight to pay respect to those before them who had to hide that they could read. The Underground also has special days where silent browsing happens to extend respect to their ancestors (Rebolini). The Underground is decorated with “thought-provoking” quotes and questions to have visitors not only thinking about their next book but also what this book could help to teach them (Poitevien). According to the assistant of Harriett’s bookshop, the books sold in the basement are generally gently used 5-dollar books “grouped in deep categorical dives.” An example of the books would be a fiction shelf focused on post-civil war life, the Harlem Renaissance, and women politicians.


The books in Harriett’s have a specific focus on activism and women. They focus on text that helps to improve society, but also, sometimes, the owner will put in books that she likes and thinks the community should learn more about. She talks about how bookshops are not a “box” and that they live “outside the realm of boxes” (Butze). She is talking about how bookshops create their way of fitting in and standing out. She also states that her bookshop is not an “airport shop” and that she focuses on what the community needs and wants to read that fits in the realm of her quest. She has said that she has gotten an airport book to see how the community would react. The responses from the community were interesting. People questioned the book’s placement, which she put on the bottom shelf, and others expressed that this was their guilty pleasure to read (Butze). This concept of being able to choose what you sell is reinforced in an article called, The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design. The article talks about how owners have more freedom in who they can bring into their stores vs. how it used to be the publisher sent into the highest buyer (Manusos).

Harriett’s bookshop overall is a place that is cultivating the young mind. It uses as much of the space as she can to illustrate her love for not only books but also for bringing about change. The quotes on the walls and the people she has illustrated showcase this, as well as the events and books she hosts and displays in the bookshop. The owner’s knowledge and experience create a movement through books. This bookshop uses its space not only to inspire and educate but to keep history relevant so that no one forgets, and they continue to fight until every injustice to women and women of color is resolved.

Sources

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.  

“Harriett’s Bookshop.” Foursquare, foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

image of a Harriett’s Bookshop front . https://www.inquirer.com/life/harrietts-bookshop-sit-in-activism-20201009.html.

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, 23 Feb. 2022, bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.  

NBC, https://www.nbc.com/the-kelly-clarkson-show/video/philadelphia-bookstore-honors-harriet-tubmans-legacy-with-deliveries-on-horseback/993861984. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.  

Pictures of Harriett’s bookshop on Yelp . Https://Www.Yelp.Com/Biz/Harriett-s-Bookshop-Philadelphia.

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.  

Pyne, Lydia. “Bookshelves as Signs and Symbols.” Bookshelf, p. 57. 

Rebolini, Arianna. Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook Says Connection Is at the Root …, 28 Feb. 2022, www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39186848/jeannine-cook-harrietts-bookshop/

images

Pictures of Harriett’s bookshop on Yelp . Https://Www.Yelp.Com/Biz/Harriett-s-Bookshop-Philadelphia.

Midtown Scholar: A Maze of Knowledge and History

Midtown Scholar: A Maze of Knowledge and History

Image of the Midtown Scholar sign, photo courtesy of Jess Branche

Growing up in my snobby hometown on Long Island, there was only one bookstore near me. My town fondly nicknamed “The Playground of the Rich and Famous,” does not allow chain stores (besides a Starbucks conveniently placed right next to the only bookstore) so we had a local chain, Book Hampton. It had one other location, but that location has since closed its doors. I was an avid reader when I was young, gobbling up books and always asking for more. So, my mother, also an avid reader, would go down to the bookstore and get me books about fairies and magic tree houses. However, it never felt like a place where I was welcome. The vacationers would always look at me like I wasn’t supposed to be there. The employees tried their best but could never overshadow the feeling of being looked down upon by people who could probably buy my existence. When I traveled down to Harrisburg a week ago, however, I felt the complete opposite of what I felt when I still had a bowl haircut.  

Before I even walked in, I noticed all of the books that lined the street leading into Midtown Scholar. It felt like the store was taking these books and thrusting them at the people walking by as if to say, “Come! Read our books! Gain some knowledge!” Walking in, I was hit with the smell of coffee and pastries and greeted with a massive space filled with more books than anyone could read in a lifetime. To my right was the counter where you order your café items and check out your books, prints, or merchandise. The decision to combine both lines was a smart move by Midtown Scholar, as while you’re checking out, why not order a coffee or tea to go?  

The space in front of me was occupied by tables full of books facing up, so that the customer could see the covers of the book. To my left were bookshelves that formed enclaves, which was very interesting and a good way to utilize space. Along the right wall was a stage. I traveled to the bookstore during the Harrisburg Book Festival, so the staff were running around like busy bees setting up chairs in front of the stage for a reading done by an author. Along the stage, they had a table themed with thrillers and horror stories for the Halloween season. Next to the stage and above the café checkout area was a staircase that went to the fiction section upstairs. Towards the back of the store was another, bigger staircase that led upstairs to the veranda and two smaller staircases on either side of it that led downstairs.  

Up the stairs were columns upon columns of art history in the mediums of both books and prints. This is also where they had the majority of their wearable merchandise like shirts, zip-up hoodies, and hats. The books had varying sections from actual art history like biographies of artists and their pieces of works, to theater history dating back to Greek comedies and tragedies. While I personally was not interested in art history, just the sheer size of the collection was impressive on its own.

Image of the main floor, photo courtesy of Jess Branche

To the left of the stairs was a catwalk-like structure that had a bunch of tables to sit at and observe the store below. On the wall was a bookshelf that featured famous authors. It was a mix of traditional bookshelf with the books facing in and upright and books facing out. A lot of the books facing out were very popular writers and their most famous books, like Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and J.D. Sallinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. This space with the tables next to the bookshelves reminded me of our reading Bookshelf by Lydia Pyne. While the tables and the shelves are separated by a walkway, it made me think about how libraries used to chain books to the shelf so that a reader could only read the book in that spot. I thought about how far bookstores and libraries have come since then. In a store that big and bustling with people, someone could nick a book off the shelf, bring it over to the table to read, and then just put it in their bag and walk out of the store. However, the freedom to be able to read a book at those tables was a touch that was not available in my buttoned-up hometown bookstore, and I appreciated that.  

At the end of the walkway was a section for literary criticism. I also was super interested in it, but my groupmate was. I was more interested in the section next to it, the fiction section. They had almost every book imaginable in those rows. Along the railing was also another section, science fiction. The best part of the upstairs part of the store was the fact that every book there was used. Most of them, especially the fiction books, looked brand new. Benjamin wrote in Unpacking My Library, “I am not exaggerating when I say that to a true collector the acquisition of an old book is its rebirth.” Midtown Scholar is a collector’s heaven. Some of the books were older than my parents, and their parent’s parents. It was fascinating and if I ever develop a collection of antique books, Midtown Scholar will be my first stop. 

Going down the stairs from the main level to go to the basement area, the room is rows of American history. This was impressive alone until My friend and I turned around to see yet another staircase that led even lower, with sections of world history. I loved the layout of the world history section; it was divided into different parts of the world. I was browsing through when I saw a section labeled “British history” and then furiously looked down the long aisle to make sure that Irish history was separate, (it was) because it often is lumped in with British literature, which I, as a person with Irish descent, hates. This goes to show how thorough Midtown Scholar is with their categorization and care. You can tell that the owners care about the precise details of their books and customers like me, or they wouldn’t have so meticulously put these books into the order they are.  

Midtown Scholar is a place that I was already excited to visit, but I never expected to like the experience that much. It was very welcoming and inviting, the opposite of what I am used to. They use the massive space in a way that is so efficient for both the customer and the staff. The sense of place is so strong at Midtown Scholar. They know who they are and who they will always be. They will always be passionate about bookkeeping, history, and keeping both of those arts alive. Harrisburg is lucky to have such a rich environment where all are welcome.  

Citations

Benjamin, Walter. Unpacking My Library. Shocken Books, 1931.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016.

Photo Citations

Branche, Jessica. Main Floor. 20 Oct. 2023. Harrisburg.

Branche, Jessica. Midtown Scholar Sign, 20 Oct. 2023. Harrisburg

Café con Libros: A Small Space With A Big Personality

Café con Libros: A Small Space With A Big Personality

Imagine you are walking the streets of Brooklyn, New York on a crisp autumn day. The wind is stinging your cheeks, and you look around for a safe haven from the cold weather. You take a right turn onto Prospect Place. Immediately there is a 99Rogers, but just beyond the restaurant, you catch a glimpse of windows painted a robin’s egg blue.

As you get closer to the windows, you see a colorful array of books looking out at you! In the window to the left, you see titles such as The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Vagabonds! by Eloghosa Osunde, and many more propped on minimalist wooden shelves. In the window to the right, books intended for a younger audience are displayed. Beyond the displays you can see glimpses of more shelves and a small café.

You look up at the awning above the front door, green plants almost obscuring the words BLACK, FEMINIST & BOOKISH in white letters are stark against a black background. You remember seeing this bookstore on an online article when you were planning your trip to the city. It’s Café con Libros! The Black, intersectional, feminist bookstore owned by Kalima DeSuze and her husband, Ryan Cameron. 

Floor plan originally drawn by Janelle Cass, then modified and redrawn by Jennifer Martin, via Procreate and ThingLink.

You open the front door, stepping assuredly into the bookstore. It is smaller than you thought it would be, but the natural light spilling in from the front windows brightens the space. Everywhere you look there are books, Café con Libros merchandise, and funny, but affirming signs. To your left the bookstore’s main collection is displayed in white floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, while to your right a section of children’s literature sits on shelves built between two slabs of exposed red brick. Directly in front of you an employee welcomes you into the bookstore from behind a glossy coffee bar.

Thinking that a hot coffee will rid the chill from your bones, you order from the coffee bar. Near the bookstore’s ceiling, two rows of white shelves are stocked with everything from mugs, books, and speakers with soft music emanating from them. The shelves wrap around three walls of the store, starting at the bookshelves on the left wall, going behind the coffee bar, and stopping when it hits the exposed brick bookshelf. The average book buyer would overlook the shelves, but to you it feels like the bookstore has enveloped you in a warm hug, urging you to browse its selection of feminist literature.

Bringing your attention back to the coffee bar, you see that halfway down the counter is a small, black shelf, full of leisure reading magazines and children’s books. The perfect height for a curious young mind to pick up a book while waiting for their parental figure to order their daily dose of caffeine. The covers face toward you, the shelf too small to shelve them spine out. With another glance at the bookstore, you notice that many of the books are customer-facing, making it easy to read the titles. You remember reading an article about the Wild Geese Bookshop that “[…] did away with ‘normal’ store shelf design and made a point to create bright, customer-facing shelves,” to prioritize a calm space, instead of overwhelming the customer with overflowing shelves (Manusos).  

Seeing the strategic shelving in action, you can only agree with Wild Geese’s ideals. The outward facing books brightened the space, making it less stressful to browse the bookstore’s carefully selected collection.

After receiving your coffee from the employee, you turn to look at two tables displaying the bookstore’s highlighted titles. One table, situated in the children’s section, is dedicated to highlighted children’s books, while the other, situated near the main book collection, focuses on mature titles. On the children’s literature table you see Stacey’s Remarkable Books by Stacey Abram’s and How We Say I Love You by Nicole Chen. On the other table, you see titles such as: Neruda On The Park by Cleyvis Natera, In Every Mirror She’s Black by Lola Akinmade Åkerström, and More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say) by Elaine Welteroth.

Moving on from the displays, you browse the floor to ceiling wall of books. An array of feminist literature is homed within white, cubby-like shelves. Unlike the shelves you’ve seen so far in the bookstore, most of the books are facing spine out. The majority are placed vertically while others are stacked horizontally on top of one another, a front facing book propped on top of them. As Lydia Pyne detailed in her book, Bookshelf, “Bookshelves do more than catalog books; bookshelves put those books on display” (38). You can see the truth in this as you read the titles of the customer-facing books. Some of the more noticeable ones are: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, The Affairs of the Falcons by Melissa Rivero, and Becoming by Michelle Obama. Though the shelves are stocked full with a range of different titles, the minimalist shelves and open space around you makes browsing the books all the more comfortable.

When you look closer you see small white papers with a handwriting-like font typed onto them. The books are not categorized the way you are used to. When you expect to see different genre names, you see that they are categorized by identity and relation to intersectionality. You see “Modern Black Feminism”, “LGBTQIA+”, “Asia Diaspora”, and many more. Café con Libros holds over two hundred books and each one is handpicked by Kalima DeSuze herself (Best of Brooklyn). You can see the love and dedication that she puts into the bookstore’s organization from the categorical tags alone. They display a deeper understanding of the books displayed on the shelves. To know what themes the books encounter, Kalima would of had to read them first, or at least take the time to conduct a deep Google search. It makes you appreciate the collection more—knowing that she takes the time to curate it.

In an online article published by Black-Owned Brooklyn, Kalima DeSuze talks about how exactly she chooses the books that she displays in her bookstore. She says that Black feminism—specifically the works of bell hooks, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde and Zora Neale Hurston—helped her grow and she came of age (Cafe Con Libros).

“They gave me a vision of myself. They gave me roots. They affirmed me. So I’m trying to center stories by women, about women, for women, particularly women across the diaspora and women of color who we don’t typically hear from in the mainstream.”

– Kalima DeSuze in interview with Black-Owned Brooklyn

Along with the carefully curated collection of books, you see signs and Café con Libros merchandise sitting on the shelves or hanging on the walls. One sign reads “WHEN I THINK ABOUT BOOKS I TOUCH MY SHELF” and other reads, “it’s a girl’s world.” The signs are meant to empower the customers. To make them feel seen and at home in the small space. To bring in Pyne’s Bookshelf again, she explains that “Putting not-books on a shelf in addition to actual books is a way of declaring one’s identity and individuality” (39-40). The signs on the bookshelves and walls demonstrate this perfectly, but instead of declaring a person’s personality, it gives one to the whole of Café con Libros. 

You’ve loved the bookstore thus far, why not support them by purchasing some merch? Tote bags are hung on the wall all throughout the bookstore, and you decide to look at some of them. With black lettering on a plain white background, the tote bags have affirming mantras, such as: “BLACK, FEMINIST & BOOKISH”, “queer. feminist. Bookish.”, “feminist. bookish. unapologetic.”, another simply sports the Café con Libros logo. Along with the signs on the bookshelves these mantras add to the warm and welcoming feeling of Café con Libros. You choose to purchase one, taking the empowering feeling of Café con Libros with you wherever you go.

Kalima DeSuze created Café con Libros to serve as a safe space for the community, and though the space is small, it is full of warmth, love, and personality. It is prevalent that every aspect of the bookstore—from the books chosen, to the strategy of categorizing—was carefully thought out. Instead of having isles of books, the shelves are situated along the walls. This minimalistic floor plan makes it so customers are not overwhelmed, and makes a great space for the bookstore’s book club.

The natural light from the window displays make the small space feel light and airy, almost tricking the customer into believing that the space is bigger. The smell of brewing coffee and the soft lighting combined make for a peaceful book browsing experience. The categorization of the books themselves elevates the browsing experience. Since Café con Libros has such a niche selection of books, labeling them with what framework or intersection they fit into helps the customers find their particular book easier. The bookstore layout makes the shelves fun to read, and the space easy to maneuver.

Works Cited

“Best of Brooklyn: Cafe Con Libros.” News12, 21 Jan. 2018, brooklyn.news12.com/best-of-brooklyn-cafe-con-libros-37314893.  

“Cafe Con Libros.” Black-Owned Brooklyn, 1 Mar. 2018, www.blackownedbrooklyn.com/stories/cafe-con-libros.  

Manusos, Lyndsie. “The Science and Recent History of Bookstore Design.” BOOK RIOT, 23 Feb. 2022, bookriot.com/the-science-and-recent-history-of-bookstore-design/.  

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2016. 

Images Used

“Cafe Con Libros.” Poets & Writers, www.pw.org/literary_places/cafe_con_libros. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

“Cafeconlibros_bk.” Instagram, www.instagram.com/cafeconlibros_bk/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

“Interview with a Bookstore: Café Con Libros.” Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2018, lithub.com/interview-with-a-bookstore-cafe-con-libros/.

Neophytou, Nadia. “Cafe Con Libros Serves Up Coffee and Community in Crown Heights.” Brownstoner, 19 Nov. 2021, www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/crown-heights-bookstore-cafe-con-libros-724-prospect-place-feminist-bookclub-kalima-desuze/.

Young, Michelle. “Cafe Con Libros Is Feminist Coffee Shop & Bookstore in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.” Untapped New York, untappedcities.com/2018/01/25/cafe-con-libros-is-feminist-coffee-shop-bookstore-in-crown-heights-brooklyn/. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Harriett’s Bookshop: A Temple for Black Women

Harriett’s Bookshop: A Temple for Black Women

Stepping into Harriett’s Bookshop is to step into a book itself. You will not enter a simple store, you will take a carefully curated journey through Black Women’s literature, culture, and art in the past, present, and future. You will be transported. You will be moved. Most importantly, you will pay homage of the power, merit, and artistic value of Black Women’s Litaerature.

https://www.thinglink.com/view/scene/1776330879015059942

You arrive at Harriett’s Bookshop. First, you will be presented with its cover. There’s the title, the bold lettering of Harriett’s logo on the front eave. The store window is a mosaic of book covers, spaced evenly in square cubicles like little stages (Buzbee, 121). Immediately you know that this is a place that values the book to a degree higher than simple stories, this is a place that presents each cover as art, that carries weight, that buries messages in every corner, just look at that rifle hidden in the store’s very name.

When you open the door, you open to a sea of pages. The walls are paper white, every surface illustrated with thin black lines, creating the illusion of a hand-inked drawing. Everything is outlined in perfect detail, from the chairs and tables to the doors, to the framed illustration of the shop’s namesake—Harriett Tubman– who sits proudly behind the desk counter as if she owns the place herself. Here books are presented as if they are gallery pieces, laid as brilliant spots of color in a blank, white slate of space that gives the books all the attention, all the praise, the dignity and appreciation of classic paintings. You take a deeper look at the honored books in this space, noticing thier placement in the store, noticing thier arrangments. You should instantly recognise the emphasis of Black Women authors, thier names in bright, bold lettering, thier faces on bookcovers and framed on the walls. If bookstores are places that attempt to define the culture understanding of “literature,” then Harriett’s makes a bold statement about the worth and value of Black Women within that definition. Harriett’s is a place where Black Women’s literature is given the full floor plan of the store. It challenges and scorns the idea that “the ‘beauty’ of much Non-Western ‘art’ is a recent discovery,” (Clifford, 227) and calls these marginalized works of past and present into the foreground of the defintions of literature and culture. It is important to keep in mind the social and cultural weight of centering these voices as you move through the rest of the store. The collection of books within Harriett’s “seems to be seeing through them into their distant past as though inspired” (Buzbee, 61) by the compelling history of marginalization of Black Women, drawing these histories out of the objects themselves by thier careful placements and orderings. You will notice in many authors’ biographies that they are local writers of color, local women, dedicated to the preservation of their identities in the literary sphere. You will also inevitably come across the works of Harreitt’s self-described “founding fore-mothers” of Black Literature: Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, Alice Walker, and Toni Morrison.

Below: The same shelf across several months. Notice that the displays are only for 2-5 different books, repeated again and again

Books in Harriett’s are spotlit, given space in the way you would expect to see in a museum space. Quotes from famous Black women and men are literally framed on the walls, as if to say “here, you will take these words as the art that they are.” You’ll find quotations from Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes, and Nikole Hannah-Jones. All of these greats meet you at the start of the store, and stay with you as you browse. The shevling will be different every time you visit. The space is designed to be multipurpose. The openness of the floorplan, and the shops constant physical rotations means it is often home to readings, musical events, book signings, book club meetings, dances, even mimosa nights. Harriett’s welcoming aura created by their frequent hosting negates the traditional stuffiness of a museum space, simulatenously honoring literature and humbling literature, offering literature to everyone. The light, white cubes and tables change in location, number, and size based on which book is currently “on exhibit.” Owner and curator, Jeanine Cook, creates intricate displays of literature that rotate frequently, completely changing the layout of the interior shelves to spotlight certain novels. An excellent example of just such an exhibit is the recent promotion of The 1619 Project, a long-form journalitic book written by Nikole Hannah-Jones. Jones visited the shop many times during the promotion of her book, forming a relationshp with owner Jeanine Cook, a “sisterhood.”

When books like 1619 project are featured, they consume the store, showing up in repitions or taking up enture cubicle walls as if to chant the title of the book again and again. This contrasts to the classic “books in piles on the floor” aesthetic that you expect from a indie bookstore, replacing it with deep reverance, a sort of holy space for book to be appreciated, worshipped, inacted. Harriett’s creates here “the most profound enchantment for the collector…the locking of individual items within a magic circle in which they are fixed,” (Buzbee, 60) as the books are repeated and repeated again, held up as pieces of a mosaic tiled artpiece, each book coming together to tell a great story.

In the back of the first floor, there are two permanent and beloved fixtures: the children’s section and the Reading Garden. The children’s section of Harriett’s is given a large, roomy area with low chairs and a schoolhouse theming painted onto the walls. Unlike the other, rotating shelves, this area is consistant, always featuring children’s books about women, black women, and black children. Where the main body of the store feels like a gallery, this space feels warm, small, more cluttered, like a children’s playspace. Mantras are repeated on the walls and titles of the books: Black is beautiful, the world is yours, Black girl magic. This area is made to welcome children, provide for them a place full of literature designed for them.

Between the reading garden and the children’s section, there is a door leading to the basement of the store, what Cook calls The Underground.

In the Underground, the lights are low and patrons are encouraged to use candles to traverse the book shelves with, paying homage to those Black readers of the past who had to hide to read. In yet another contrast, the basement feels like a dark club, something Harriett’s plays off of with thier fun and funky Book “Clubs” hosted in the basement’s moody neon lighting, paired with music and lightly boozy refreshments. At the bottom of the stairs is a shrine dedicated to Harriett, affirmations in neon light, candles lit and unlit.

Along the walls are highly specified, unlabeled categories of gently used books. Books are grouped by sections as specific as: Black magical realism, memoirs about being Black and Queer, books about the underground railroad, Star Trek, slice-of-life fiction set post Civil War, the Harlem Renaissance, women in politics, and more. Refusing to lavel these niches, referencing the underground railroad in the name of the space, the shrines, all of these things pay subtle homage to Black culture. They offer themselves to patrons with a wink and a nod, a IYKYK mentality that Harriett’s seems to thrive with.

Harriett’s Bookshop is a space to give honor, artistic worth, and deep reverence to the works of women of color. Whether it be an art gallery, a smoky club, or a cozy schoolroom, Harriett’s embodies the envirornments that Black Women are marginalized in, and uplifts them, centers them. Jeanine Cook has made this honoring of Black art her life’s work. Harriett’s carries on its back the intense history of a movement towards Black Literature’s respect and value. Harriett’s demonstrates the idea that “inheritance is the soundest way of acquiring a collection,” (Benjamin, 66) as it attmepts to collect the long and star-studded history of the cultures it honors. Cook’s highly developed curation within Harriett’s displays that “the most distinguished trait of a collection will always be its transmissibility,” (Benjamin, 66) it’s ability to continue on with a momentum that transends the simple structure of the bookshop it inhabits.

Citations:

Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations : Essays and Reflections. Boston ; New York, Mariner Books, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019.

Buzbee, Lewis. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. ReadHowYouWant.com, 19 Oct. 2010.

Clifford, James. The Predicament of Culture : Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press, 1988.

Molly’s Books and Records: The Essence of a Home in a Store

Molly’s Books and Records: The Essence of a Home in a Store

Nestled in the heart of Little Italy, Philadelphia, Molly’s Books and Records blurs the line between business and home. When a customer steps inside Molly’s Books and Records, they are made to feel as though they are stepping into the living room of someone else’s home—in this case, Molly Russakoff and her family’s home. So, how does Molly’s Books and Records create a relationship with its customers guests that transcends standard customer experience and standard business transactions? The answer to this question is weaved in the subtle details of the store’s home’s floor plan, interior design, and book and non-book item displays. 


Click here to view the accessible version of this interactive content
Note: Superscript numbers in text correspond to numbers on map.

To the left is the floor plan of Molly’s Books and Records, courtesy of Molly Russakoff. Notably, this floor plan is not limited to the 600 square feet of space provided within the four walls of this building. In fact, Molly’s Books and Records extends its home outward onto the sidewalk with a hand-painted green, wooden shelf that displays a variety of bargain books and records1. These bargain books and records—organized in their respective cedar shelving and colorful bins—create a first impression that is vital to understanding the essence of Molly’s Books and Records. Like the text explains in Lydia Pyne’s Bookshelf, “‘…[a] display of books must at all times convey its message and be inviting’” (33). Similar to the function of an entryway, this display of bargain books and records is a quiet welcome and an invitation for potential guests. Considering the weathered condition of the shelf and the worn quality of the bargain books and records, the message this display sends becomes quite clear: Molly’s Books and Records is a home for used loved products, and these treasures have been salvaged for the chance to be re-homed and loved again.

This metaphorical entryway continues into the building, where guests are promptly greeted by Molly Russakoff, her husband and co-business owner Joe Ankenbrand, and her son and store-manager Johnny Russakoff. At a glance, guests may notice several hand-painted signs2 hanging from the ceiling that signal the different sections in the space, such as Art & Sciences, Local Interests, and Cookbooks just to name a few. Additionally, they may take notice of the lighting, which is a bright fluorescence that emits from a variety of overhead lights, like LED strip-lights and paper-shade pendant lights. While bright fluorescence can potentially make environments feel cold and unnatural, the variety of lights and shades in the space helps create dimension where mood lighting is absent. Also, the colorful flooring contributes to a more positive atmosphere in the store; it also neutralizes the coolness of the bright fluorescent lighting. 

Taking a few steps inside of the space, guests brush-up against a wall that displays three different media: CDs, records, and poetry books. Again, consider one of Pyne’s fundamentals for book displays, in which displays must convey meaning (33). According to Molly Russakoff, CDs and records are displayed towards the front of the store because customers are most interested in them. Still, why include poetry in this mix? What kind of message does Russakoff convey with this display? In my interpretation, these poetry books belong with these CDs and records. Why? For the simple fact that poetry is considered the intersection of music and books, and this store is also an intersection of ideas and different media. Thus, this display of CDs, records, and poetry books helps shape the intersectional identity of Molly’s Books and Records.

Walking further past the entryway, guests step into a metaphorical living room, in which records fill the center space3 and fiction books line the wall4 furthest from the entrance. For many households, the core of a home is the living room, as it often is a place for sharing conversation and space. Similarly, this metaphorical living room where fiction books and records face one another creates a sense of shared conversation and space. Nevertheless, I cannot claim that the core of Molly’s Books and Records is this metaphorical living room, as the heart of this home is reserved elsewhere within these four walls. In between this living room and the heart of this home, Russakoff dedicates an alcove to local and non-fiction books, as well as art, philosophy, and religious books. Here, Molly’s Books and Records connects with its guests and builds community through books related to human experiences and diverse perspectives. 

Past this alcove, guests step into the heart of this home, which is a room dedicated to gastronomy like kitchens5. To understand why this room is the heart of Molly’s Books and Records, it is important to acknowledge the Italian roots of this home’s location in Little Italy, Philadelphia. According to Pamela Forsythe in the Broad Street Review’s “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas” article, gastronomy was the core for Italian-immigrant culture and identity. Even decades later, the significance of foodways in Italian culture and identity perseveres today, as Little Italy is one of the most cherished outdoor-marketplaces in Philadelphia. Inspired by this location’s relationship with foodways, Russakoff began collecting cookbooks and food writings. Currently, as Abigail Weils notes in “There’s No Place in Philly Quite Like Molly’s Books and Records,” this collection is dense and vast, and the books on the shelves seem to almost overflow in their untidy condition. This abundance of books loudly echoes the history and gastronomic-identity of the neighborhood.

Photography by Natalie Piserchio details untidy books crammed in the shelving of the Cookbook and global culinary section of the store. This demonstrates the informality of the store and the abundant cookbook collection it has.

When a guest feels satisfied with their stay and they begin to retreat back towards the front door, they may once more encounter Molly Russakoff, Joe Ankenbrand, and Johnny Russakoff at the check-out booth6. Here, one might notice that the special-edition books are placed out-of-reach on tall shelves behind the counter. This accessibility distinction between general books and valuable books is comparable to fine China often displayed in exclusive, out-of-reach storage. Additionally, guests may observe that there are several non-book items displayed, such as community-news flyers, superstitious or religious decorations, and store merchandise. Although these books and non-books may appear unrelated, Peter Miller in “How Objects Speak” reminds us to view “things and practices as exquisite bearers of identity, not simply as tools or products; not ‘outputs’ but as essences” (11).

This blog post represents Miller’s metaphysical philosophy, in which objects become active participants in the essence of concepts, such as business and home. For example, we examined how displays and organizations contributed to the perceived identity of Molly’s Books and Records; specifically, one that is an intersection of different media. Moreover, interpreting the store’s floor plan as rooms in a home allows us to analyze how consumers experience and interact with the space around them. With this newfound insight, we can now understand how Molly’s Books and Records blurs the threshold between a business and a home.

Works Cited

C., Bri. Yelp, 31 July 2022, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=_hDaBMI9RDKwfe0JXcbr9A. 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=tLDlhJZg8WT6iadnvXTxBw. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

 C., Marietta. Yelp, 9 Dec. 2018, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=zTBHSMZ-7Vieey3kxUYwgQ. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Forsythe, Pamela J. “The Italian Legacy in Philadelphia: History, Culture, People, and Ideas.” 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 8 Oct. 2023.

Miller, Peter N. “How Objects Speak.” The Chronicle Review. Accessed 11 Aug. 2014.

Molly’s Books and Records, FaceBook, 1 June 2017, https://www.facebook.com/mollysbooksandrecords/photos/pb.100066605814222.-2207520000/1489619537762206/?type=3. 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.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury, 2016.

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

V., Linda, Yelp, 4 June 2019, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/mollys-books-and-records-philadelphia?select=RXR6vhdIZTh75M-ASHMPFA. Accessed 1 Nov. 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 8 Oct. 2023.

The Essence of Molly’s Books and Records

The Essence of Molly’s Books and Records

In the heart of the Italian Market, tucked away in a cozy corner, lies Molly’s Bookstore and Records—a little haven of literature and music. Right outside, stretches of discount books and records line the sidewalk, as well as a number of featured items. Through the window, one can get just a glimpse of the magic inside. And when you step through the threshold of Molly’s, you enter a world meticulously curated by Molly Rusakoff and her family. 

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Molly’s is the logical and neat organization that prevails despite its tight space. The reasoning behind this organization is clear and pragmatic. Every inch of space has been utilized to its fullest potential, making the store as accessible as possible. The books and records are carefully arranged, so you can effortlessly find what you’re looking for. 

At the front of the store, you’ll find Molly’s Bookstore and Records merchandise, a warm welcome that instantly connects you with the spirit of the place. Mugs and trinkets adorned with beloved store motifs are thoughtfully placed, serving as a reminder that this is more than just a business; it’s a labor of love. Even more, scattered around are notecards featuring art from children’s books, a reminder that this is a space where the young and old come together to explore the magic of literature.

Molly’s Bookstore and Records is more than just a business; it’s a way of life for Molly and her family. She lives right above her store, and she considers this a distinct advantage. In her view, if more people lived above their businesses, it could be a solution for many of our economic and societal problems. In Lewis Buzbee’s book, outlining the aspects of today’s bookstore, he recognizes the unique financial trouble of running a store made up of books: “Most booksellers go into the business because they love books, and they have a natural leaning toward the mercantile life. Books are inexpensive, with a markup over wholesale that’s as low as the laws of economics will traffic. Books are heavy and take up lots of space, and because each title is unique there are so many titles a well-stocked bookstore requires, inventory and stocking create a high payroll, so most booksellers don’t get paid much over minimum wage” (Buzbee). 

Molly gets around this conundrum by keeping her priority on sustaining what’s already working instead of attempting to make a profit for the sake of growth. This ideology keeps the prices in her store reasonable. Foot traffic from the surrounding Italian Market makes it so that Molly’s doesn’t have to put anything online, and still makes a plethora of sales. It’s her commitment to affordability and accessibility that keeps her inventory entirely used. 

There’s a certain method to the madness in Molly’s store. She doesn’t carry genre fiction, and the recent publications she holds are limited, underscoring her commitment to modern classics and used books. The shelves are laden with a diverse selection of fiction classics and nonfiction. The diversity of these sections is outlined in the map below. Molly’s curated selection of fiction is a testament to her own literary preferences, featuring titles by renowned authors like Atwood, Hemingway and Faulkner, among many others. Molly’s wish is to share what she loves, whilst still having something for everyone who comes in. The cookbook section is another example of this same idea. It is comprehensive and filled with great variety. Molly has curated titles from a plethora of ethnic backgrounds, and it’s an intentional choice. She believes in offering a broad range of perspectives and voices to her customers, creating a space that celebrates the world’s culinary diversity. Beyond the books, Molly’s store becomes a hub for sharing recipes and discussing the art and literature of food. Joe Ankenbrand, Molly’s Husband, manages the music section of the store. His ideals mirror his wife’s.

Molly’s passion for literature transcends the pages of the books on her shelves. She knows that navigating the literary landscape can be daunting, and that’s why she’s meticulously crafted hand-painted signs for each section. These signs, made with her own hands, guide customers through the literary genres and authors, ensuring they can easily find their next great read. In a world of convenience and digital distractions, Molly’s store offers the tactile, sensory experience of discovering literature anew.

The lighting in the store is another testament to Molly’s dedication to accessibility. The fluorescent lights are chosen not for their brightness, allowing customers to easily read the titles on the shelves. However, Molly ensures that the lighting is not harsh; it’s bright enough to facilitate browsing but soft enough to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere. In this subtle way, she makes the space accessible, not just physically but also aesthetically.

It should also be noted that Mrs. Stevenson, the store cat, will often choose a customer to walk alongside—to shop with during their visit.

The music that fills the air in Molly’s Bookstore and Records is as varied as the literature it houses. There is no fixed playlist; it depends entirely on the day. Sometimes it’s the sweet sound of silence, allowing the books to speak for themselves, while on other occasions, it’s a combination of personal favorites. Records are displayed prominently at the front of the store, inviting customers to explore the treasures of the music world. Usually, the records visible through the window get more traffic into the place, and then more eyes on the books in the back. The crew is always “putting their best foot forward,” as Molly aptly puts it.

Due to the limited space, Molly cannot display much face outward. Her store is, in her words, “stocked to the gills.” Yet, rare books are given a special place near the top of the bookshelves, facing outward, as a testament to their value. Molly has a deep passion for rare books, and she understands the intricacies of pricing, displaying, and handling them. Her quest for knowledge led her to attend a recent seminar about this topic. She is now working to set up workshops with the library and fellow booksellers to share what she’s learned, ensuring that rare books are valued appropriately. Molly’s devotion to accessibility goes beyond the confines of her bookstore. 

When you step into Molly’s Books and Records, it’s evident that this is not just a business; it’s a way of preserving history and beauty. The Italian Market, with its rich cultural heritage, is a place where history is cherished, and Molly’s Bookstore and Records is a significant part of this cultural tapestry. In the previously mentioned work by Lewis Buzbee, he writes that, “A bookseller is, first and last, the custodian of a wonderful space, a groundskeeper concerned with the order and care and stock of the space” (Buzbee). In Molly’s case, this could not be a truer sentiment. Any visitor can feel Molly’s love and care just by looking around.

SOURCES

Buzbee, Lewis. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop. Graywolf Press, 2006.

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

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

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

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

IMAGES

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

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