Tangible and Intangible Benefits: Booksellers on Patterson Gifts

Shelf Awareness

Children's Book World in Haverford, Pa., recently received a surprise bonanza: a check for $2,500. Unbeknownst to co-owner Heather Hebert, novelist and frequent guest Brian Selznick had recommended that the store be given a grant from James Patterson. An e-mail arrived last week with the good news about the windfall, part of Patterson's pledge to give away $1 million to independent bookstores.

Children's Book World is using the grant money to bring authors to underserved schools and purchase their books for students. "We take so many authors to area schools, and we see how it affects children," Hebert said. "We see how it inspires them and how it engages them in reading and the love of books. To be able to do that for schools that don't normally get such a chance has been something we've wanted to do for years but never had the extra cash flow."

Bookstores elsewhere are also putting Patterson's grants to good use. Phoenix Books in Essex, Vt., is focusing on community outreach to encourage reading among young people. Old Firehouse Books in Fort Collins, Colo., is launching a summer reading program that will end with participating children getting gift certificates. "We were aware that this would be a good fit for our more affluent customers, but we wanted to include the part of the population that does not regularly come to bookstores and buy books, hence the need for a grant," said co-owner Susie Wilmer.

In her grant proposal, Christie Olson Day, the owner of Gallery Bookshop & Bullwinkle's Children's Books in Mendocino, Calif., confessed that she tried to come up with a "creative and sexy" plan but ultimately decided to request funds for a practical necessity. "There is all the fun and exciting stuff we do publicly, and then there is the nuts-and-bolts, not-so-sexy part of keeping a business alive," she said. "What this business needs more than anything right now is a little capital infusion for the boring things." A $5,000 grant will go towards upgrading the store's computer network.

Patterson even reached out to independent bookstores in person. Suzanna Hermans, who co-owns Oblong Books and Music, in Rhinebeck and Millerton, N.Y., planned on applying for a grant but hadn't yet done so when Patterson stopped by the Millerton store. The author, who charmed the employees manning the shop, asked why the grant money hadn't yet been applied for, sent a follow-up e-mail with instructions, and later sent $7,500 designated for repairs to the store's roof.

Malaprop's Alsace Walentine (l.) and Linda Marie Barrett Photo: Denise Kiernan

Last summer, Patterson made an unannounced visit to Malaprop's Bookstore/Café in Asheville, N.C., and introduced himself to staffers. When he's back in town later this year to speak at the Literacy Council of Buncombe County's annual fundraiser, he might notice that the store looks spiffier. A $7,500 grant to Malaprop's is being used to restore parquet flooring and to replace carpeting in the children's section, making it more inviting for the kids and parents who often sit on the floor.
"That amount of money is going to make a tangible difference here," Linda Marie Barrett, general manager/senior buyer, said. "Getting a face lift in a big part of the store is so helpful, and not having to worry about scrimping in other ways to do it."

Aside from the practical benefits of Patterson's grant-giving program, there is a larger message Barrett hopes resonates with readers. "What I love about it, and the press it's getting, is that it reminds people that bookstores in their communities operate on a slim budget and we can always use their support." --Shannon McKenna Schmidt