After speaking about healthcare at the University of Iowa
recently, President Obama made a surprise visit to a small,
independent bookstore in Iowa City called Prairie Lights.
By Katie Niekerk
After speaking about healthcare at the University of Iowa recently, President Obama made a surprise visit to a small, independent bookstore in Iowa City called Prairie Lights. There, he bought books for his daughters and his press secretary, telling reporters that once upon a time, that bookstore was his favorite place to peruse reading material. After purchasing the books, Obama told a handful of customers that they have a “wonderful bookstore,” then made his way out.
While reading this story on The Washington Post’s website, I was reminded of how special independent bookstores really are. And I mean “special” in the dictionary definition sense of the word: “readily distinguishable from others of the same category.”
Step inside an independent and you immediately feel charmed, as if you’ve set foot in a place that genuinely wants you there, that invites you to linger for hours, pull up a chair and eventually meander out with a treasure in your hands.
The first weekend I spent in Gilroy, after I’d moved there from Denver in August 2004, temperatures soared above 100 degrees. I wondered, what have I gotten myself into? I drove along Monterey Road to downtown Morgan Hill’s main drag, seeking relief from my unair-conditioned apartment, when I stumbled upon BookSmart. Who knew such a small town could house such an excellent bookstore?
Inside, a vast array of books, gifts and a cafe – that served ice cream, I should add – greeted me. From that day on, whenever I craved rejuvenation, I’d head to BookSmart.
I can’t deny that I’ve patronized the larger chain bookstores (and we all know who I’m talking about …). I go there solely for convenience’s sake – when, for example, I need a quick gift for a forgotten birthday and there’s not an independent bookstore in sight. But when I have the luxury to spend a couple of hours unearthing my next literary gem, when I want to feel at once anonymous and like I’m part of a club, I seek out the independent.
Many would tell you that the independent bookstore is becoming – or perhaps has already become – a thing of the past. We’ve all heard the story: e-books, e-readers and the broader digitization of literature are bad, bad, bad news for those who sell physical books in a physical space, particularly if competing with mammoth national entities. But the appeal for many others in the industry is great – books are made more accessible to a wider net, and they’re also made cheaper.
Who wants to exert the effort to go out and purchase a book for more than they can get it in their slippers while in bed?
It’s not a rhetorical question, so I’ll go ahead and answer – me! I’m one of the (dwindling?) few who delights in holding a book in my hands, flipping through the pages, running my fingers over the jacket before I choose to buy it. That sensation – the cool, crisp, unspoiled covers, the scent of the black ink wafting out as I fan the pages – is visceral. I’d gladly pay a few extra bucks to achieve that experience, an experience I miss sorely when awaiting the FedEx delivery guy to toss my precious book on the front doorstep like a sack of potatoes.
Born and raised in Denver, I often accompanied my father and sister to the locally famous Tattered Cover Book Store, housed in a two-story red brick building and furnished with worn chairs, antique lighting fixtures, and a fireplace.
My sister and I would lose ourselves amid the endless rows of shelves towering above us. She’d head straight for Ann M. Martin’s “The Baby-Sitters Club” series, while I gravitated toward “Choose Your Own Adventure” novels. We’d almost always leave with a book, our bookshelves at home about to get that much tighter on space.
Now, living in San Francisco, I’m lucky enough to have a sweet, quaint independent bookstore right down the street, Christopher’s Books. Wooden floors, low shelves, an edited selection of books and a street corner location. It’s beautiful.
I don’t know where my next move will take me. But it’s my sincere hope that wherever I end up, the independent bookstore will meet me there.
Katie Niekerk is a former South Valley Newspaper editor and reporter, now living in the big city.
