In an article in The New York Times on December 28th, it was announced that bookstore chain Book World, based in Wisconsin and with 45 stores, is liquidating. The Times used this opportunity to bemoan the fate of brick & mortar bookstores and to predict their demise in the face of online retailing.
We beg to differ!
Hands-on evidence at Open Book Bookstore indicates that the independent bookstore is alive and well, and I know if you asked any of my local fellow bookstore owners in Southeast PA, they’d all agree.
Things are buzzing at Open Book Bookstore, and we had our best holiday season ever (thank you, customers!). Here’s 
why. We have a model that works: it’s small, it’s locally-based, it’s friendly, and it’s knowledgable. We offer great service by booksellers who know what they’re talking about and also who get to know the tastes and interests of their customers. We offer a comfortable, homey, environment which we share with two other retailers, The Frame House and the Cheltenham Center for the Arts Gift Shop. We have a range of events, from terrific readings and presentations from a full roster of authors to book discussion classes and writing workshops taught by expert writers, as well as many off-site events such as Reader and Writer Retreats. And, possibly most important of all, we are always happy to see the people who come in and to participate in literary conversation with them.
Now, I have just engaged in what my mother would call “tooting my own horn” but Mom, in this case, I think it’s justified, because Evan and I want to shout it to the rooftops: THE INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE IS ALIVE AND WELL!
So come join us in 2018 for some bookish fun! (Our first few events of the year are listed HERE.)