Bookstores

At the American Booksellers Association three-day virtual board meeting this month, Duende District Bookstore owner Angela María Spring was announced as co-vice president, sharing the title with Kelly Estep. Last year, the board allowed for two vice-presidents to “improve the pipeline to the presidency” as part of their equity and inclusion initiatives. In a session focused on “board education about an industry trend,” the board met with labor attorney Mark A. Konkel from the ABA general counsel’s office. Bookselling This Week reports that Konkel “represents owners but is pro-worker and knowledgeable about unions from the perspective of both employers and employees. He […]

Parthenon Books will open in downtown Syracuse, NY, becoming the city’s first independent bookstore in 30 years. The opening is planned for April 1, though Syracuse.com reports that “the exact date could vary depending on the availability of construction supplies.”

Philadelphia’s Joseph Fox Bookshop will close on January 29 after 70 years. The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that business has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The store was founded in 1951 by Joseph Fox, with Michael Fox and his wife Judi Fox taking over in 1998. Michael Fox, 69, told the Inquirer, “I’m old enough that I felt it was time to retire. I feel sad for my customers, I do. I feel sad for the city, that they’re losing a good bookstore.”

Originally expected in November 2021, on January 19 Barnes & Noble will open a new Cincinnati-area store at Deerfield Towne Center in Mason. It takes the place of a store two miles away in Waterstone Center [no irony] that closed last August.

The Barnes & Noble in Dayton Mall in Ohio is slated to close on February 13. The store wrote on its Facebook page that the landlord “is redeveloping this site and has opted not to renew [their] lease.” Barnes & Noble is “in active discussions” to find another Dayton location for a replacement store, according to Dayton.com, and are crowdsourcing suggestions from customers.