Comments on: Florida's Only Feminist Bookstore! http://blog.wildirisbooks.com/wild-iris-books/floridas-only-feminist-bookstore/ A New Age Feminist Bookstore Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:14:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jessica http://blog.wildirisbooks.com/wild-iris-books/floridas-only-feminist-bookstore/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Jessica Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:15:00 +0000 http://wildirisbooks.com/blog/?p=35#comment-5 It surprises me that one of those visitors was from Chicago. We have a popular feminist bookstore here - Women & Children First - that it doing quite well. There always seems to be at least a half dozen customers in the store when I'm there (at all times of the day) and usually 3 employees. They have a lot of events there, and the downturn in the market doesn't seem to be hurting that store. I'm in the process of launching a queer book review website, and one of the features on the site is a map and search function to find gay-friendly bookstores. In my quest to compile information on these stores I have come across dozens of independent, feminist, and gay-friendly book retailers who have closed their doors recently - many in the last 12 months. Most of them had blogs that allowed me to read back and see the fund-raising efforts they had undergone in the last year to try and stay open. I even came across stores that had survived for 50 years, 80 years, that had to close. It makes me sad and makes me want to try even harder to encourage people to support independent bookstores. It's a difficult task in this economy, and I am guilty of shopping at the big chains as well. I usually only buy from my local independent when I go there for events. It helps that they offer a yearly membership with a 10% discount, but with less money to spend on books these days, and outrageous sales tax (11.5%!) in Chicago, sometimes I just can't pass up the 40% off at Amazon. However, I will always buy the authors' books when Women & Children First has readings and signings. :) Good luck to all the alternative bookstores out there. I hope you can weather the storm. It surprises me that one of those visitors was from Chicago. We have a popular feminist bookstore here – Women & Children First – that it doing quite well. There always seems to be at least a half dozen customers in the store when I’m there (at all times of the day) and usually 3 employees. They have a lot of events there, and the downturn in the market doesn’t seem to be hurting that store.

I’m in the process of launching a queer book review website, and one of the features on the site is a map and search function to find gay-friendly bookstores. In my quest to compile information on these stores I have come across dozens of independent, feminist, and gay-friendly book retailers who have closed their doors recently – many in the last 12 months. Most of them had blogs that allowed me to read back and see the fund-raising efforts they had undergone in the last year to try and stay open. I even came across stores that had survived for 50 years, 80 years, that had to close. It makes me sad and makes me want to try even harder to encourage people to support independent bookstores.

It’s a difficult task in this economy, and I am guilty of shopping at the big chains as well. I usually only buy from my local independent when I go there for events. It helps that they offer a yearly membership with a 10% discount, but with less money to spend on books these days, and outrageous sales tax (11.5%!) in Chicago, sometimes I just can’t pass up the 40% off at Amazon. However, I will always buy the authors’ books when Women & Children First has readings and signings. :)

Good luck to all the alternative bookstores out there. I hope you can weather the storm.

]]> By: Cheryl http://blog.wildirisbooks.com/wild-iris-books/floridas-only-feminist-bookstore/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Cheryl Mon, 15 Dec 2008 12:23:47 +0000 http://wildirisbooks.com/blog/?p=35#comment-4 Here is a message that was just sent to me about "In Other Words" a sister feminist bookstore in Portland, Oregon. As you can see the current economy is hard on all of us. It is very important during these times that we work together to preserve the things that are important to us. I always consider my dollars as votes. If I spend a dollar on something I am voting for that thing. Please help out and step forward to support the local businesses and organization you value. Vote wisely and place your purchases and contributions where they will make the most impact on our society. Dear friends, In Other Words, like so many of our fellow bookstores, has fallen upon incredibly hard financial times. With the decline in our current economy, we have experienced severely decreased revenue. If we are unable to raise $11,000 by the end of December, In Other Words will have to close its doors. We desperately need your help. We are confident that if everyone who cares about In Other Words makes a contribution, large or small, we will meet our goal. Please give as generously as you can to save the last remaining non-profit, feminist bookstore in the country: the place where so many Portland artists, activists, organizers, readers, writers, political thinkers, musicians and poets find their voice, their power, their community, and their political home. Our community cannot afford to lose In Other Words, please help us save her! You can make your tax-deductible donations on the In Other Words secure website, or by stopping into the store (8 NE Killingsworth). Please forward this widely to your community, we need all the help we can get! Sincerely, The Board, Staff and Volunteers of In Other Words http://www.inotherwords.org/NASApp/store/IndexJsp -- Program Director, In Other Words katie@inotherwords.org 503.232.6003 Here is a message that was just sent to me about “In Other Words” a sister feminist bookstore in Portland, Oregon. As you can see the current economy is hard on all of us. It is very important during these times that we work together to preserve the things that are important to us. I always consider my dollars as votes. If I spend a dollar on something I am voting for that thing. Please help out and step forward to support the local businesses and organization you value. Vote wisely and place your purchases and contributions where they will make the most impact on our society.

Dear friends,

In Other Words, like so many of our fellow bookstores, has fallen upon incredibly hard financial times. With the decline in our current economy, we have experienced severely decreased revenue. If we are unable to raise $11,000 by the end of December, In Other Words will have to close its doors.

We desperately need your help. We are confident that if everyone who cares about In Other Words makes a contribution, large or small, we will meet our goal. Please give as generously as you can to save the last remaining non-profit, feminist bookstore in the country: the place where so many Portland artists, activists, organizers, readers, writers, political thinkers, musicians and poets find their voice, their power, their community, and their political home.

Our community cannot afford to lose In Other Words, please help us save her!

You can make your tax-deductible donations on the In Other Words secure website, or by stopping into the store (8 NE Killingsworth).

Please forward this widely to your community, we need all the help we can get!

Sincerely,
The Board, Staff and Volunteers of In Other Words
http://www.inotherwords.org/NASApp/store/IndexJsp
–
Program Director, In Other Words
katie@inotherwords.org
503.232.6003

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