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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. 


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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.

A Home in the Heart of Philadelphia: Molly’s Books & Records

A Home in the Heart of Philadelphia: Molly’s Books & Records

By Lexie Kauffman

When walking down South Ninth Street in Philadelphia, so many things will engulf your senses, whether it be the smell of different cuisines cooking in their food stalls or the sounds of the city streets with vendors calling out orders and items.

The hand-painted sandwich board that sits outside Molly’s Books & Records // Photo credit: Abigail Weil

Out of the corner of your eye, a metal awning and a unique mosaic storefront catch your attention. You can’t help but be drawn towards it. Under the awning sits boxes of “bargain books,” and you rifle around as you take in the small building. A hand-painted sandwich board sits alongside the curb proclaiming “Discover the Joy of Cookbooks; Browse Our Back Room 100s of titles! Out-Of-Print; Antiquarian; Food Ephemera.”

It feels inviting, like you’re arriving home. You’ve found Molly’s Book & Records, a little oasis in the Philadelphia Italian Marketplace. In the words of the owner, Molly Russakoff, the store is the “best kept secret” of the area. The store relies on the foot traffic from the Italian Marketplace, and when customers walk into her store, Russakoff wants them to feel welcome.

“It’s our home,” Russakoff said when asked about the atmosphere of her store. “We like to keep that feeling, where you’re coming into our home. [It’s] bright [and] organized. We like things to be easy to find and we like to be helpful and friendly.”

You feel drawn inside, so you open the door and step into 600 square feet of paradise. Your eyes immediately find the hand-painted section signs that hang proudly from the ceiling and the colorful tile that covers the floor. Different CD’s and records line the wall to your right with the poetry section right next to it. You’ve entered the home of Molly Russakoff and Joe Ankenbrand, a poet and a musician.

You’re immediately greeted by a member of the bookstore family. The check-out counter is directly to your left, and it’s usually staffed by Russakoff’s son, Johnny, or Russakoff and Ankenbrand themselves. They are so excited to welcome you, and you smile back. You then feel a feather-light touch to your calf and look down to find a tricolor tabby staring up at you. The store cat, Mrs. Stevenson, loves to choose a lucky customer a couple of times a day. Once you’re chosen, she will follow you for the entirety of your time in Molly’s Books & Records.

With your new shopping partner by your side, you continue into their home. Bins of records for sale sit around the front of the store. According to Russakoff, the current popularity of vinyl records creates the perfect opportunity to “put their best foot forward” and display the sought-after materials front and center. The poetry section also sits towards the front of the store. You can’t help but notice how the main features of the first space reflect the passions of the owners; this store is a piece of them.

Light wooden shelves fill the walls at Molly’s Books & Records // Photo Credit: Siobhán

As you move through the home, you stand before the shelves of books that amass the space, from floor to ceiling. The lighter wood – oak, maybe pine, you think – feels inviting and approachable. This is an affordable wood that makes a bookshelf that doesn’t judge its customers. It’s not fancy; it’s simple, like it’s there for everyone to enjoy. Lydia Pyne, a historian and writer, hypothesizes that bookshelves control how we interact with a space. She states, “Bookshelves serve as powerful symbols because they have a particularly powerful cultural cachet that connotes specific expectations for how we ‘ought’”’ to interact with them as objects. Bookshelves immediately cue us to how we ought to interact with a room and how much importance or power we assign it” (Pyne 49). In this moment, you agree with Pyne. Molly’s bookshelves welcome you into the store and keep the space warm and homey. There is no prejudice or hierarchy in the light wooden shelves that overflow with books.

Leaning into this feeling of at home, you dare to run your finger along the spines of the books, an action incredibly intimate that you might not be comfortable doing at a Barnes & Noble. The books are all arranged spine out, alphabetical by author’s last name. According to Russakoff, they wish they could have “face outs” – the term she uses to describe books displayed with their cover facing customers – but they just don’t have the space in their store. But you like the ambiance that’s created by the full shelves. It creates a full and happy atmosphere, but also a little bit of a hunt. These shelves full of spines invite you to stay awhile and make yourself comfortable while you browse. The inventory is updated, relevant, and organized. Russakoff claims to keep a steady inventory of classics and modern classics and you can clearly see this reflected on her shelves. For example, Russakoff says that the store must always have a copy of Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale because there is a consistent demand for it and Molly’s always provides for their customers.

Every item in the inventory is handpicked, like you’re pulling a book from their personal shelf. If you search through their politics or religion section, you will find books that represent Russakoff and Ankenbrand’s beliefs because they choose not to stock things that they do not specialize in or enhoy. For example, there is no genre fiction in the store, just like there is none in their apartment upstairs. Russakoff will happily point customers to other bookstores in the area to find genre fiction, but they do not carry it themselves. Despite the lack of genre fiction, they still carry an extensive fiction collection, filling the entire left side of the entryway.

A comprehensive floor plan of Molly’s Books & Records, originally drawn by Molly Russakoff. Please note that this is not drawn fully to scale.

As you move through the home, you recognize three distinct areas within the small space: the entryway, the living area, and the kitchen. The “living area” is the center room: the area with smaller, specialized sections. Nonfiction, books by local authors, philosophy, religion, and art books all populate these shelves.

Molly Russakoff standing in the Cookbook Room, under a hand-painted sign that marks the entrance to the room. // Photo Credit: Natalie Piserchio

When you move towards the final room in the store, the kitchen if you will, you enter the heart of the home: the cookbook room. Above the narrow wooden entrance sits a white and blue hand-painted sign. Within the room, floor to ceiling wooden shelves overflow with cookbooks from endless cuisines. About seven years ago, Russakoff decided to bring her love of food and cooking into the bookstore via an extensive collection, and cookbooks surround you, filling all four walls. You can find anything from general everyday cookbooks to special edition books signed by famous chefs. This section is diverse and flexible because Molly’s Books & Records defines “food writing” broadly. The section can include “biographies and memoirs, essay collections by writers like MFK Fisher, and reference works” as long as food remains the central theme.

Handmade greeting cards made by Molly Russakoff // Photo credit: Abigail Weil

Books and records are not the only items that call Molly’s their home. Like many bookstores, Molly’s Books & Records also has “not-books” around the store. According to Pyne, “Putting not-books on a shelf in addition to actual books is a way of declaring one’s identity and individuality” (Pyne 25). Molly’s Books & Records has store merch, like mugs, as well as merch from The Philadelphia Bookstore Map, a project that Russakoff was a collaborator on. Additionally, Russakoff recycles old, illustrated children’s books by making them into notecards. She’s been making these cards for the past couple of years and the community loves the handmade and sustainable aspect of them. Pyne establishes that “not-books” declare one’s identity and Molly’s truly embodies that idea. The handmade nature of their not-books and the homey-feel of the mugs all point towards the larger theme of Molly’s Books & Records: home.

Whether it be the welcoming staff, the bright lights, the handmade signs, or the easy-to-understand organization, this place feels like home. You smile to yourself and reach down to pet Mrs. Stevenson again as you take in the warmth and love that radiates from the shelves around you.

Works Cited

DeMuro, Catherine. “Italian Market Q and A: Joe Ankenbrand, Co-Owner of Molly’s Books and Records on 9th Street.” The 9th Street Beat, 3 Mar. 2015, 9thstreetbeat.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/italian-market-q-a-joe-ankenbrand-co-owner-of-mollys-books-and-records-on-9th-street/. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Pyne, Lydia. “Bookshelves as Signs and Symbols.” Bookshelf, London, Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.

—. “The Things That Go on a Bookshelf.” Bookshelf, London, Bloomsbury Academic, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing, 2020.

Russakoff, Molly. Personal interview. 25 Oct. 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.

Images Used

Kauffman, Lexie. “Molly’s Books and Records.” 30 Oct. 2023, www.thinglink.com/scene/1775744508353315302. Map.

Piserchio, Natalie. Molly Russakoff. Eater Philadelphia, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Records for Sale. Map Quest, www.mapquest.com/us/pennsylvania/mollys-books-and-records-2345352. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Sandwich Board. Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

Siobhán. Molly’s. Foursquare City Guide, 9 Dec. 2018, foursquare.com/v/mollys-books–records/4b98037df964a520142635e3. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Storefront. Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 15 Sept. 2023.

TK. Molly’s Fiction Wall. Foursquare City Guide, 5 Sept. 2016, foursquare.com/v/mollys-books–records/4b98037df964a520142635e3?openPhotoId=57cdc4a4498e532c6a207b36. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Weil, Abigail. Cookbooks. Eater Philadelphia, 13 Dec. 2021, philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks. Accessed 8 Oct. 2023.

Magic Mirror, Magic Window: How a Feminist Bookstore in Brooklyn Both Reflects and Challenges its Gentrified Neighborhood  

Magic Mirror, Magic Window: How a Feminist Bookstore in Brooklyn Both Reflects and Challenges its Gentrified Neighborhood  

The interior of Cafe Con Libros. Image from @cafeconlibros_bk

Cafe Con Libros is a charming one-room bookstore and coffee shop at the heart of North Crown Heights. Upon entering, readers will find a small space illuminated by natural light and filled with clean white shelves piled high with black, queer, feminist, and classic literature. Trendy cream-colored tote bags decorate exposed brick walls, and the air is rich with notes of nutty espresso and the sounds of coffeehouse chatter. 

The store feels modern, yet historic. Young, yet timeless. To circle the quaint place feels like an invitation to travel both forwards and backward in time, to touch and listen to literary objects as they speak their stories, to find the intersection between books penned by and for women of all different bodies, beliefs, and backgrounds, and to bridge a connection between the turbulent past and relentlessly hopeful present of the surrounding neighborhood.

After all, the unassuming turquoise storefront stands on the frontlines of an uphill battle to unify the gentrified borough of Brooklyn. From the bloody Crown Heights riots that erupted in the 90s to the families of color that are being bought out of their homes today, the shop faces a street with half a century’s worth of racial violence and gentrification bubbling beneath its surface. Yet this conflict never deterred its owner, Kalima DeSuze, from opening her shop. In fact, the neighborhood was why she decided to open Cafe Con Libros. 

Prospect Place, the street Cafe Con Libros calls home. Image taken by Chris Setter.

A North Crown Heights native, DeSuze grew up a six-minute walk from the front door of the building that would become her shop. She considers herself interlocked with the culture and history of the neighborhood, reminiscent of a North Crown Heights crowded with old community convenience stores and African hair-braiding spots (Rebecca). “I aim to bring the folks together who would normally not feel comfortable with one another,” she explains (Fernández). DeSuze works hard as an avid reader to disprove the misconception she heard from her Afro-Latina community when she announced her feminist bookstore: “Oh, that’s for white folk, that’s not for us” (Fernández). Her efforts to do so are not left unnoticed. The left-hand window boasts Sally Rooney’s Beautiful World, Where Are You? and Lovely War by Julie Berry, but also features The Crunk Feminist Collection and The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae. 

The collection quickly reveals DeSuze’s multifaceted desire to challenge her Afro-Latinx community’s views on feminism while mirroring their experiences and giving them a reason to feel a part of the store’s narrative. As her community grows and changes, she doesn’t want her store to be limiting or divisive. She wants it to be intersectional and unifying.

A floor plan of Cafe Con Libros, made by Ellie Pasquale using ThingLink.

Stepping inside, the light from the almost floor-to-ceiling windows brightens the hardwood and makes the white shelves glow. A small circular table sits to the immediate right of the door, highlighting books from local writers in a “customer-facing” design that BookRiot calls modern, eye-stopping, and customer-first (Manusos). Small shelves by the window display staff-picked books for another anchoring touch of community. A bundle of tote bags hang on a rustic rail beside it. 

The remainder of the right wall is an impressively large bookcase that displays Cafe Con Libros’ main collection. Tiny tags with elegant, cursive script denote the shelves with hyper-specific genres and age categories. From left to right, the inventory covers cookbooks, spirituality, and healing before moving into fiction like “LGBTQIA+ literature,” “Queer Romance,” “Asian Diaspora,” “Indigenous Writing,” “Young Adult,” “Latina Reads,” “Science Fiction and Fantasy,” “Graphic Novels,” and “Young Adult,” just to name a few. There are even non-book items like little embroidered signs and metal figurines that make the shelves feel more personal and homey, just as the writer Lydia Pyne describes in BookShelf (Pyne).


The right wall of Cafe Con Libros, featuring the store’s main collection. Image above taken by Susan De Vries. Image to the right is from Kelsey F. on Yelp.

As the academic Daphne Spain argues in her study of Feminist Bookstores, women visit feminist bookstores specifically “to see themselves in the books, and the ways books were displayed simplified their search. It was important to stock books by and about African American and Latina women, and equally important to make those collections visible” (Spain). According to Cafe Con Libros website, the shop aims to “offer feminist texts for all personalities, political affiliations, temperaments, and tastes.” Their selection means to “represent as many identities as possible.” The abundance of hyper-specific genres captures this intention. 

Of course, the black feminist classics are front and center. Kalima DeSuze’s favorite book, Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye, is always faced out to customers (Abi). Shelf tags like “Modern Black Feminism” and “Black Feminist Classics” have the largest collections, and establish the store as a landmark location for black feminist book-lovers.

The entire top shelf of the bookcase, miscellaneously marked “Feminist Novels,” continues off the right wall and onto the back wall as well, right above the coffee bar, which takes up the entire back right-hand corner of the store. 

Their tiny cafe has a rustic yet simultaneously hip and minimalist aesthetic. Mugs hang from the walls, dark umber wood coats the countertop, and a small iPad sits in the place of a traditional register. Coffee is cheap, their largest latte only costing $4, but being criminally delicious. A row of children’s books about civil rights and Black hair line the bottom of the cafe counter, serving as a reminder of a truth DeSuze is passionate about preaching: a coffee shop shouldn’t signal gentrification, because coffee doesn’t belong to the rich and the White. The shop’s name, which is a play on the Spanish phrase for “Cafe Con Leche” — meaning “Coffee With Milk” — translates instead to “Coffee with Books.” Coffee is the fruit of the global south, as she hammers in the interview below with On the Block. The very name of her shop helps her fight the gentrification of coffee and books, and so does the literary display in her miniature cafe.

Continuing through the store clockwise, customers travel from womanhood to girlhood. A sign reading “It’s a girl’s world” to the right of the bar marks the threshold of this new portion of the store: the children’s section, or the place Cafe Con Libros affectionately reserves for their “baby, budding feminists” (“Cafe Con Libros”). 

Two regulars of Cafe Con Libros. Image taken by @cafeconlibros_bk.

This expanse of wall carries colorful toys, puzzles, and stuffies, as well as an entire bookcase of picture and board books. The tags in this section vary from age categories like “Baby” to genre-specific ones like “LGBTQIA+” and “Civil Rights.” There’s a round table at the end of this wall, symmetrical to the other half of the shop, that features children’s books penned by local authors.  

These books for young readers trickle out into the window display. Picture books and toys take up the entire right-hand side of the display, welcoming all the young families local to the area. 

And just like that, before you even know it, Cafe Con Libros has circled you back out onto Prospect Street. The seating is permanently outdoors, all year round, feeding customers directly back into the community. On an average day, the storefront on Prospect Street has a sneakered dog walker resting on the bench by its window display, two friends chatting over lattes at the patio table, and a mother and child paging through a crisp new picture book under a striped umbrella. A visiting author may even sit at a small desk on the street corner, signing books for customers and starting conversations with couples walking down the street. 

Unlike objects in a museum that often require plaques for historical context and meaning, the objects of a bookstore speak for themselves. They carry their own narrative. But DeSuze shapes a narrative out of this collection of books, builds an inclusive chronotope, as the academic Clifford might say (Clifford). She doesn’t insist that all women are the same, and instead builds a library of all the ways they are different and makes reason to celebrate it — identifying them as various hyper specific categories, but also putting them all together onto the same bookcase in the same small store. She resists the sort of other-ing and separatism that first poisoned her neighborhood. 

DeSuze is ultimately a community builder. All women are invited to spend an afternoon in the cramped space of Cafe Con Libros, bumping elbows at book clubs while sipping their warm mugs of coffee, cracking open their new paperbacks. She designed Cafe Con Libros to not only be a mirror for her community, but also a window to see into the lives of others.

The turnout for Cafe Con Libros’ 2018 book club meeting for Lab Girl by Hope Jahren, when the store’s inventory was still building up. Image taken by Chris Setter.
Text Citation

Abi. “Cafe Con Libros, A Groundbreaking Book Store in Brooklyn.” YouTube, 19. May 2021 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-_RHSS-ttg&t=145s

Clifford, James. The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Harvard University Press, 2002. 

Fernandez, Stacey. “This Afro-Latina’s Feminist Bookstore Is Building Community in Gentrifying Crown Heights.” Remezcla, 10 Mar. 2018, remezcla.com/features/culture/this-afro-latinas-feminist-bookstore-is-building-community-in-gentrifying-crown-heights/.

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/. 

“Menu: Cafe Con Libros.” Cafe Con Libros, www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/menu. Accessed 1 Nov. 2023.

Pyne, Lydia. Bookshelf. Bloomsbury Academic, 2019. 

Rebecca. “Badass Women: Kalima Desuze, Founder of Feminist Bookstore, Cafe Con Libros.” Medium, Coconuts, 28 June 2018, medium.com/coconuts/badass-women-kalima-desuze-founder-of-feminist-bookstore-cafe-con-libros-c64e0f8ed358#:~:text=%E2%80%9CI%20have%20a%20deep%20affinity,wants%20to%20continually%20invest%20in.

Spain, Daphne. “Feminist Bookstores: Building Identity.” Constructive Feminism: Women’s Spaces and Women’s Rights in the American City, 1st ed., Cornell University Press, 2016, pp. 84–110. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt18kr5mx.8. Accessed 7 Oct. 2023.

Image Citations

Cafe con Libros. @cafeconlibros_bk. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/cafeconlibros_bk/

F., Kelsey. Yelp. https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=nL8Ub9QbzrSqWY0LlJMxpA. Accessed 1 Nov. 2020

De Vries, Susan. “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/. 

“Portraits by Chris Setter.” NYC Photographer Chris Setter, www.chrissetter.com/. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Video Citations

Aboveboard Media. “On the Block | Cafe Con Libros.” YouTube, 5 Mar. 2021, https://youtu.be/oGQtWRjdmLE. Accessed 7 Oct. 2023.

Resources

Digging Deep 

Bookstores are kind of like people. When we meet a person for the first time, our intitial response to them is determined by the way they look, but at our grown age, we know that a person holds so much more in their inner world that we have to engage with to explore. People know bookstores sell books. That’s there surface level purpose. When someone walks into a bookstore for the first time, especially into an independent bookstore, they are greeted with the intricately thought out interior of the store that holds much more information about the environment the booksellers tried to create. I’ve discussed in previous blog posts how the location and community the bookstore exists in plays a major role in what book community they want to create within that neighborhood.  

Café Con Libros of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, New York is a small female afro-latinx owned intersectional feminist bookstore that has a clear mission as for their book community. Kamila Desuze, the owner of Café Con Libros, is determined to establish an accessible and diverse book community in Crown Heights. Desuze believes education should be an accessible priority for every child, and makes a point to sell books at lower prices, so that children can enjoy reading. She prides herself on her creation of her Feminist Book club and Womxn of Color Book Club that meet once a month. There’s clearly a theme in terms of culture and involvement in activism within this bookstore. Their marketing is direct, because their message is clear. Miller says, “The technique of branding tries to distill the most important aspects of a product into a few easily remembered themes or slogans,” (188). Feminsim and the representation of People of Color in literature are repetive themes in Café Con Libros’ branding, and in turn, their book community can grow and gather quickly. The inside of this bookstroe refelcts their mission and is set up in a rather cozy way considering the small size of the actual storefront. In a way, Café Con Libros looks like a hole in a wall, but a nice comfortable one, one that a mouse would make its shelter. There are large windows on the storefront letting in ample amounts of natural light that flood over the highlighted titles tables at the front of the store. They are small circle tables that display the highlighted titles of the time that are selected by the bookseller. There are shelves by the windows that carry various titles and genres. On the right hand side of the shop there is the children’s section and merch displayed. On the left side you’ll find the main collection that includes books of all genres, including books aimed to spread the message of representation that the store wants to spread. At the back of the store is where the Café in Café Con Libros comes in. There’s an espresso bar and counter top set up in a way that looks welcoming and unlike a Starbucks, for example. The backroom is left of the coffee bar.  

The whole store is made up of only those parts. When you walk in, it feels like you are walking into somebody’s home or personal collection. The shevles are not overcrowded, so customers can see all of the titles and covers before selecting a book. The small space of the bookstore resembles someone’s living room and feels especially welcoming and is like a close community when you’re being offered a cappuccino upon entering. The book clubs are held in the store. They grab miscellaneous chairs and circle up to discuss the book of the month. It feels very much like a group of close friends, and I’m sure that most of them become just that. Book store owners like Kalima Desuze are “inspired by the location around the bookstore and the traditions of each respective community,” (Miller 192). Upon looking at the article by McLaughlin, “The 9 Most Beautiful Bookstores in The World” I decided that Café Con Libros probably wouldn’t be included. Café Con Libros is missing the grandure most of the bookstores present to customers. Those bookstires had archeticutual elements that would be odd to find in Crown Heights Brooklyn and doesn’t speak much about the community there. Café Con libros looks very much like every other storefront in New York City, but the energy fostered behind those doors is what counts. The work put into discussing what books they should carry, where to place those books in such a confined place, finding the balance between running and bookshop and small coffee shop all affect the customer’s experience without them necessarily knowing. Café Con Libros isn’t located on a beautiful selcuded moutain top, or have a futuristic mirrored ceiling, but they have a close-knit community that is accurately depicted by the choices made in terms of interior design. The close quarters of this bookstore remind me of the message of inclusion and love that Café Con Libros is determined to spread around Brooklyn. The bookstore is far too small to create a specific and ideal traffic pattern for customers, but Café Con Libros makes a point of setting up their bookshelves and espresso machine in a way where you can see everything at once. The whole store is at your fingertips, which may attract a number of customers.  

One thing I find interesting about this bookstore in particular is the lack of seating. Every other element of the space feels so cozy, but without chairs customers are quickly reminded that Café Con Libros is more store than hangout space, which is fine because it is a business and businesses need paying costomers more than friendly passersby. Café Con Libros executed a leisurely shopping experience, but not a place to loiter, which is the best option in terms of business. They created a comforting atmosphere in the midst of monetary exchanges.  

Avid readers in particular, understand how to explore interiority and how to appreciate all of what’s hidden. Booksellers have a love for books that is expressed in the way they present their stores. The outside world, meaning neighborhood of the store, and its frequentors are only a part of the bookstore as a whole. The way booksellers choose to display their books on the shelves they chose where to place in the stores layout, are all important to the bookstore environment. What makes Café Con Libros stand out as an independent bookstore is its ability to hold such a vast community within the confined space of the city’s bookstore. The inside of Café Con Libros refelcts the community of Crown Heights on the outside in the most positive way. That strong connection between inner and outer worlds makes a bookstore into its own.  

Below is a floor layout of Café Con Libros:

https://www.thinglink.com/card/1775975790219887269

Work Cited 

Thinglink. “Create Unique Experiences with Interactive Images, Videos & 360° Media.” ThingLink, www.thinglink.com/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2023. 

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

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

“Literary Hub.” Literary Hub, lithub.com/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2023. 

SACMedia, sac.media/. Accessed 31 Oct. 2023. 

A Bookstore, a Boutique, a Gallery, a Monument: Harriett’s as a Place of Modern Black History

A Bookstore, a Boutique, a Gallery, a Monument: Harriett’s as a Place of Modern Black History

Every reader knows what I’d call “the draw of the indie bookshop” — that feeling they get when they pass an indie’s storefront, book covers facing the street, like somehow the books are calling out to them. A storefront may radiate a welcoming sense of comfort, strength among the pages of history, or a unique artistic aesthetic. Walking into Harriett’s Bookshop in Fishtown, Philadelphia, the enraptured reader somehow experiences all three. And these feelings are all linked by the desire to foster community, historical dialogue, and acts of Black resistance.

In owner Jeannine Cook’s words, Harriett’s can be called “a bookshop meets an art gallery meets a monument.” To the right of the door is the store window display, cubic white shelves showing off those books readers can see from the street. But “when you walk in, you’re literally inside of a book,” Cook explains in one interview, adding a group of artists came together to create the illustrations on the walls and floors. Quotes by Black writers and drawings of Black figures surround the space. A quote next to the entrance is cited from Langston Hughes’s poem “American Heartbreak: 1619.” Another simply says “Lifting my voice” from Sonia Sanchez, and another “I rise” from Maya Angelou. A portrait of Harriett Tubman overlooks the checkout desk. Antique mirrors hang on the walls with ornate bronze and gold frames — these contrast, but also somehow complement, the modern “pop art” of the black-and-white illustrations. This serves to enhance the timeless sense of history, community, and family Black readers can feel right as they enter the shop. The video below, posted on the bookshop’s X (formerly Twitter), gives a great view of Harriett’s interior.

The small, cubic shelves appear in this first room next to the front desk, by the store window display, and in a corner with furniture. Non-book items accompany the books on their shelves, such as pink flowers in vases, porcelain dishes and teacups, framed vintage photographs, bronze decorative pieces, oil sprays, and even a black-and-white guitar. It is as if these “objects are somehow the past they narrate, and thus bring both the object and the narrative of the past much closer to the beholder’s eye” (Miller 3). The antique décor thus creates a warm, historical aesthetic — paying homage to Black ancestors.

All the shelves are fairly low to the ground and non-overwhelming, making the space accessible. Books are stacked horizontally, with approximately four or five set spine-out, and then one displayed upright on top with the cover facing out. Some shelves have only two or three books, and others are singularly placed in their cube upright. Interestingly, all the shelves are slightly different in size and shape. Not all of them appear like traditional “bookshelves”, either: some look more like coffee tables, tea trays, chairs, or stepladders. Bookshelves in any sense “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). At Harriett’s, the shelves cue both a welcoming (low, uncrowded, bright) but also antiquarian (ornate, flowery, porcelain) feel.

Note that the stock itself isn’t constant. Each month, Cook works with a local artist to exhibit their work; but along with it, she asks them what books may pair best with their work or have been important in the artist’s life. The artist’s chosen books are then set out for readers to purchase. Still, while there are many styles, genres, and rotations of books at Harriett’s, the “foundational texts” will always be those of Zora Neale Hurston, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, and Alice Walker. These authors’ works can be found in the shop no matter the monthly theme. Other constants include the children’s, cookbook, and self-care sections.

Cook says in an interview that patrons call her store a “literary sanctuary”, although the space is meant to encourage discussion alongside reading. Guided visits and contemplation help accomplish this goal.

In one literary podcast, Cook says of Harriett’s and its sister bookshop, Ida’s, “I think the shops kind of adapt to the personality of the person they’re named for.” Harriett’s, then, is more “classy and soft and attentive.” So not only does Cook work to pay homage to Tubman’s historical achievements in the abolition movement, but also to her legacy as a person: as a human being with a heart for other human beings. Nowhere could that be more evident than in this bookshop, where history meets homeliness in the life-size pages of a book. Cook adds, “the furniture is nimble and everything’s always moving… Harriett was a small but mighty woman… and I think this shop is definitely that.” A map of the floor plan of Harriett’s is below.

Traveling into the room beyond the main area, there are two children’s shelves to the right. The children’s shelves especially focus on cover display of picture books; and because of Cook’s emphasis on Black writers, most feature children of color. Unlike the other shelves, the bottom of the children’s shelf has books lined up in the traditional vertical way, likely to be more accessible and friendly to little hands that might grab them. Furniture in the center of the room also displays books.

To the left, we see the bathroom and storage area, but that’s not nearly as exciting as the door that leads out to the reading garden. This niche outdoor space features white cast-iron chairs and tables, inviting people to relax and read. The walls are painted over in a colorful mural from a local artist, giving the space a more modern aesthetic — and one that carries over to Harriett’s underground.

Head down a wooden staircase, and the shop is entirely transformed into something more dark, artistic, and profound. The “underground” — the name Cook uses for her basement — is bathed in purple, blue, and pink light, with LEDs lining the bookshelves along one wall. The goal of the space is to pay homage to those ancestors who had to read in secret. The books are once again shelved horizontally and with only a few to a stack; except down here, they are gently used and priced at just five dollars apiece. Categories of books include post civil-war fiction, the Harlem Renaissance, and women politicians.

More art is displayed down here along with the lights, spelling out “Harriett’s” or “Light the Way” in bright neon pink. The underground experience is more oriented towards modern Black arts and culture rather than the antique, historical feel of the upstairs; and yet, its darkness still holds a degree of ancestral respect. Harriett’s, therefore, encompasses different facets of Black community throughout time.

The underground is also not just for book-buying. It’s a space for Black artists and musicians, for book clubs to meet, and for community discussion and engagement. Visitors to the shop will notice the large area of the underground dedicated to performers from DJs to drummers. “I recognize that our artists and musicians weren’t making any money,” Cook explained on the literary podcast mentioned above. She wanted the shop to “make sure that we’re a space for them.”

Harriett’s places emphasis, then, on community for Black artists, authors, musicians, poets, and historical figures — and does this in ways that are simultaneously modern, historical, and timeless.

Sources

Texts

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

Poitevein, Jessica. “This Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy With Literature, Art, and Activism.” Travel + Leisure, Fact checked by Jillian Dara, 20 Oct. 2022. Dotdash meredith, https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/harrietts-bookshop-philadelphia.

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

Miller, Peter N. “How Objects Speak.” The Chronicle Review, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 11 Aug. 2014, https://susqu.instructure.com/courses/4398/files/457849/download?download_frd=1.

Rebolini, Anna. “Harriett’s Bookshop Owner Jeannine Cook Says Connection Is at the Root of Everything.” Oprah Daily, 28 Feb. 2022, Oprah Daily LLC, https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/books/a39186848/jeannine-cook-harrietts-bookshop/.

Images and Videos

“A look at Harriett’s Bookshop in the heart of Fishtown.” Speculation Time: A Forever Home for Harriett’s Bookshop, OCF Realty, 16 June 2023, https://www.ocfrealty.com/naked-philly/fishtown/speculation-time-a-forever-home-for-harrietts-bookshop/.

A., Vanessa. “Photos for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 14 July 2022, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=D7ZXf8zfzPTDLjML6pp7hA.

“Harriett’s Bookshop, 258 E Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, Book Stores — MapQuest.” https://www.mapquest.com/us/pennsylvania/harriett-s-bookshop-426513502.

Harriett’s Bookshop (@harriettsbookshop) Instagram photos and videos. [Underground]. https://www.instagram.com/harrietts_bookshop/.

Harriett’s Bookshop. “Not trying to alarm, y’all. We aren’t throwing our hands up screaming “help.” We are no where near ever giving up. Just saying, we can’t do it without you. And with less than 3% of businesses in Philly being owned by Blk women. Far less than that making it to the 5 year mark. We ask that you stop by Harriett’s today between 12-6 pm or online at http://harriettsbookshop.com to keep the magic of what we’ve built together as a community alive.” X, 21 Oct. 2023, https://twitter.com/harriettsbooks/status/1715729157508751701.

Harriett’s Bookshop. “We’ve redone the bookshop — again. It’s giving art gallery meets book boutique. Pop thru today from 12-6pm.” X, 19 March 2022, https://twitter.com/harriettsbooks/status/1505170778110705664/photo/1.

Harriett’s — Our Sister Bookshops. [Front window display]. https://www.oursisterbookshops.com/harrietts.

“Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy With Deliveries On Horseback.” The Kelly Clarkson Show, YouTube, 5 April 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esnh6OJyxrQ.

R., Anastasia. “Photo’s for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 26 March 2023, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=ce9CmdJnlVFGhPO_WRS2PA.

R., Anastasia. “Photo’s for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 26 March 2023, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=qg7WKvnYe_iKcd39SY8uTg.

R., Anastasia. “Photos for Harriett’s Bookshop.” Yelp, 26 March 2023, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/harriett-s-bookshop-philadelphia?select=v-Vle8hY1mt8llAc_ELkwA.

W., Rita. “Harriett’s Bookshop – North Philadelphia – 258 E Girard Avenue.” FourSquare City Guide, 3 Sept. 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52?openPhotoId=6313b54cac1af96c13e38908.

W., Rita. “Harriett’s Bookshop – North Philadelphia – 258 E Girard Avenue.” FourSquare City Guide, 3 Sept. 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52?openPhotoId=6313b54d171bf42e594c303f.

W., Rita. “Harriett’s Bookshop – North Philadelphia – 258 E Girard Avenue.” FourSquare City Guide, 3 Sept. 2022, https://foursquare.com/v/harrietts-bookshop/5e35b8a132cdc20008ddbb52?openPhotoId=6313b0ec9ac58d506954bfc4.

Library Express: Roots in the Community

Library Express: Roots in the Community

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

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

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

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

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

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

Julia Grocki Book Signing

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

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

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

Citations

Texts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audio

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

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

Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Timeline

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