“She’s only been [running the store] for 37 years,” Book People Store Manager David Shuman says, chuckling, about owner Ruth Erb, who is retiring from the business. Noting her passion for the written word and running the independent bookstore, he says Erb is finally ready to step back as owner. “It’s reached the point where she really needs to stop being here seven days a week,” he says.
Book People employees Alex Huneke, David Shuman and Mary Lou Sheridan (Photo courtesy Book People)
Now in her 80s, Erb actually dabbled with the idea of retirement in 2011, but Shuman says her heart wasn’t in it to sell the store at that time.
So what does that mean for the future of the West End bookstore at 536 Granite Ave.?
The employees of the store, including Shuman, along with Stacie Dowdy, Alex Huneke, Merrily Johnstone and Mary Lou Sheridan, teamed up with several devoted customers to launch an online Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign not only to keep the store from closing, but also to renovate the building and make overdue repairs.
The campaign goal is $50,000, and those interested in backing the campaign have until Jan. 4 to contribute. There’s also the opportunity to earn exclusive rewards depending on the amount contributed, including digital bookmarks, book lights, T-shirts and even a dedicated bookshelf featuring a brass plaque adorned with the backer’s name.
If the campaign goal goes unmet, Shuman says the store would most likely have to shut down. However, it depends on how close they come to the full amount to determine what the next steps will be. He says in 37 years, Erb hadn’t changed much in the store, so the funding would assist in resurfacing floors, adding new light fixtures, making plumbing repairs, upgrading shelving units, painting and adding a sales counter, among other improvements.
Book People not only sells new and used books, including rare finds, but they also host regular community events including author signings and monthly games of German Scrabble. “A lot of the [German Scrabble] regulars have made it quite plain to me to continue carrying that on,” Shuman says. He adds that not only will they continue to host their regular events, there’s the potential to add even more as they convert a back storeroom to a gathering space.
And Erb isn’t going anywhere. Although she would no longer be owner, Shuman says she still has no plans to stop frequenting the store. In a release Erb said, “When I opened Book People back in 1980, I wasn’t starting a business — I was starting a passion [and] … I’m happy to pass my shop on to a team that shares my passion for books.”
Perhaps the video posted on Book People’s Indiegogo page, quoting the author R. D. Cumming, sums up the mission of the campaign best: “A good book has no ending.”
To learn more or to contribute to the campaign, visit igg.me/at/Save-Book-People.
