Host: Lisa Uhrik
Participants: Lisa Uhrik, Jasmine Valandani, Gayle Wattawa, Shari Stauch
Notes:
Lisa – Franklin Fixtures: how to create spaces, organizational development and literacy (museums and bookstores)
Book – America Becoming by Lisa Uhrik
Japan – buy or borrow model – how to partner with libraries to create stores within a library
museum stores as extension of museums
Jasmine – Keplers Books, background in museums, interested in partnerships with local schools and libraries
Gayle – works at Heyday publishers in Berkeley-
Attracted to topic, relationships between pubs and Indies, how to create networks within the larger ecology/partnerships with
Desire to imagine more ways to strengthen these partnerships
What if the bookstore becomes more of a gathering space for college students – university as untapped resource
Expanding the footprint of indie bookstores w/o extending the footprint; libraries need more space to display books/generate interest; need foot traffic; library events generate interest
Universities have professors that might like to speak in the bookstore – how to team with a dean to generate interest , e.g. college of education, programs in children’s literature —
College stores are behind indies in creating synergy between book sales and community/author events
Becoming an extension of the university, bringing in community
How to be efficacious in partnerships re events –
Noticing indie bookstores streaming events, online programs (storytimes, bookclubs) – how more partners could benefit through this –
Bringing in more local color to programming
→ A Pattern Language (Christopher Alexander) – bringing the idea of pattern of successful living to this process : the pattern of local ownership
An independent bookstore thrives on the local
Store inside a library – space within a space – even developing an afterhours space to purchase the books
Indies can be mavericks more quickly than other entities (libraries, museum stores, universities) – innovate more quickly, make decisions more unilaterally
Partnership with a museum store & indies could be especially synergistic — also sharing merch – cross merchandising
Bookstores have the leadership to make this happen –
Museum events at bookstores / book events at museums
How do we look beyond the view of competition between these entities (eg competition between stores, from online shopping)
Good fences make good neighbors – your success=? What is it and how can I support it?
Defining end goals, having the right dialogue
When people come to a museum, they want a story
How can indie bookstores create a similar experience ?
Reimagining Bookstores 