Update 11/25/2012:  Check out our new location

Update 11/7/2102: Moving Sale, what’s new this week

Update 10/30/2012: Wild Iris is Moving and we’re having a huge sale

Wild Iris Books just turned 20 years old.  It’s been an amazing ride but we’re here to tell you that we’re not sure where the next year will take us.  We just received a massive increase in the rent and we can’t absorb the new costs without making some major changes. On our current path – we will not be able to support the space through 2013.

So we’re coming to all of you for help.  We’re asking for a donation of $20, from each and every one of you, to celebrate 20 years of feminist, independent, queer book selling.   We’re asking you to help give us a fighting chance – a springboard to re-fashion Wild Iris into a financially stable space.

The last several years have been tough.  We’ve all been battling this wretched economy and state changes in textbook policies have led to a loss of 1/3 of our yearly revenue. Corporate giants make online and main street seas hostile for the small business.  We’ve all watched not only bookstores but other local businesses turn off their lights for the last time.

It’s always been about more than books.  Wild Iris helps you question anything that feels wrong to your soul and introduces you to like-minded trouble makers who aren’t okay with the status quo.  We help you build a language to decipher and critically analyze the social structures pushing you into a non-authentic version of yourself.  In this space, gender identity and gender expression are as they should be – free and fluid.

Here’s the Not-So-Pretty Financial Details 

1. Our rent is being increased from $1,155.08 to 1,685.23 per month, a $530.12 per month increase and  this doesn’t even include the month to month bills that also come with the space.
2. Over the years the changes and investments we’ve made to the space (who remembers what the cafe area used to look like?) have accumulated  $20,000 of debt.
3. We haven’t been able to pay staff or owners’ wages in over three years (all staff are volunteers).

Some of Things We’re Doing to Survive

1. Starting in October we will be selling Kobo e-book readers under an agreement with the American Booksellers Association and IndieBound.  This is an incredible opportunity for us to come fully on board with one of the largest libraries of e-books available in over 190 countries world-wide.
2. We now have a full-service online bookstore, so let us be your Local Alternative to Amazon. Order on-line and receive your order in 3-5 business days or less.  We also ship anywhere in the U.S. or Canada.
3. Our team of interns, volunteers and board members are working hard to keep our event calendar filled  - October Feminist Open Mic will celebrate Banned Books Week, we’re co-hosting a presidential debate party with Gainesville NOW and more.

What Do We Need to Do to Make it Another 20 Years?

1. Generate enough income to carry and renovate the space or find a new location.
2. Reduce and eliminate our debt.
3. Recruit Volunteer Leaders who can commit to 6+ hours per week in the store.
4. Create a reserve  of funds to hire a  full time staff member at a living wage.
5. Build a  fresh and creative feminist vision, with input from all the members of our community.
6. Update and freshen our inventory to reflect the current wave of feminism, sustainability, and queer identity.
7. Strengthen the FoWI Board of Directors.

So here we are – without your support we will not survive 2012.  As long as you want us to stay – we  are here to keep fighting.   Join us in re-creating a space that is vibrant and relevant and embodies all the colors of this beautiful community.

We love you Gainesville and we’ll keep the lights on as long as we can.  

Here’s Five Things You Can Do RIGHT NOW to Help Wild Iris Books

1. Donate $20 or more to celebrate 20 years of Wild Iris Books standing proud and feminist.
2. Sign up for our volunteer team if you have some time in your schedule and can grab a weekly shift.
3. Forward our website to 5 people who shop for books and e-books on-line or locally.
4. Come by the store and shop – give us the first shot at textbooks, gifts, and local products.
5. Share your vision with us – when you close your eyes – what does Florida’s Only Feminist Bookstore look like to you?