“New owner at King’s Books” |
| Posted: 23 Sep 2010 12:18 AM PDT King's Books is about to get a new owner, but if you know King's Books then you already know who he is. C.R. ROBERTS; Staff writer King's Books is about to get a new owner, but if you know King's Books then you already know who he is. The sale of the Stadium District independent bookseller – which has served Tacoma readers for the past 10 years – is nearly complete, according to veteran employee and prospective owner Sweetpea Flaherty, 36. He explained Wednesday morning that while there would be minor changes, some things will not change. Most important to many customers – resident cats Atticus and Miko will remain. There will be new outreach programs to South Sound schools, and the stock of new books will likely increase, Flaherty said. The store's commitment to community groups will remain intact as will a passion for the written, printed word. Flaherty did not share financial details concerning the deal, but did say it involves a payment plan to current owners Pat McDermott and John Schoppert. The store itself is known primarily for its collection of used books. A sampling of spines this week showed familiar names, from Twain to Bront and Shakespeare to Michener, but some titles waited for just the right buyer, from "Children's Illustrated Portuguese Dictionary" and "Slave Society in the Spanish West Indies" to "Ancient Costumes of Great Britain and Ireland," "Hopkins on Trademarks" and "Gangster Rap Coloring Book." Sections on shelves run the full scale from cookery, gardening and home repair to science, photography, Eastern religion and beyond. For those people who don't know you – who is Sweetpea Flaherty? I attended the University of Wisconsin at Steven's Point majoring in natural resources, international studies and women's studies. I was imported to Tacoma. I worked for one of the two current owners at a bookstore in Madison, Wis. I tend to move around a lot. Since you've been working here, have you found any traits that seem particular to local book buyers? In Madison, you could stereotype people. When they walked in the door, I could look and say, oh, let me show you to the science fiction. That doesn't work here. Also, in Tacoma, people are interested in their independence. It's a working-class city with a labor history. There's a spirit of independence and supporting independent businesses. There's a lot of talk in other cities about supporting independent businesses, but they don't. Are any genres particularly popular at King's? We have a hard time keeping Tacoma history in stock. Any book with regional focus – fiction works well. You also buy used books. Do you specialize? You never know what's going to walk through the door. Last week, I got seven books on weaving. Our collection ebbs and flows. A year ago we had the best railroad section – it was a lucky buy. You just never know. We also get books on Inuit footwear. The bookseller's trade has changed over the past decade. What's the role of an independent bookseller these days? As community centers, neighborhood gathering centers. I want this to be the intellectual hub of the community. Independent booksellers can never offer the discounts. It's the knowledge that we bring, introducing people to new ideas. That's what I try to do with events – crafts, poetry readings, permaculture. When the big box was gaining ground, people tried to compete. The bookstores that have survived have embraced their community. They've used their knowledge and an ability to find the right work for the right person. That's how independent bookstores can survive – not competing with discounts, but competing on the quality of stock we offer. What do you think it takes to make the work here worthwhile? You do book-selling for the passion of doing it. There's no one who's in it for the money. It's to match a person with a book they might not have heard of and to have them come back later and tell us what it means to them. That's the point. It's not about selling a product. Will customers see changes? I have a definite vision with everything we do already and more. We'll have more new books, more events, more nonbook items such as cards. We'll have programs: Books for Schools, with a featured school each month. It's a way to get books into schools. We'll have a business partnership program with some of their products in our store and things I think will sell in their stores. King's Books is still going to retain the flavor. There won't be radical changes. I do want to increase the selection. What's selling these days? Children's books and graphic novels. "Harry Potter" is on the wane. "Twilight" is on the wane. Now it's Stieg Larsson. Is there any one title you're telling people about? "The Complete Essex County" by Jeff Lemire. Can you share any details of the ownership deal? There will be a payment plan. Obviously, I'm not independently wealthy. It's going to be a process. The contract is being drafted. We'll do some creative fundraising. How long have you been thinking about all of this? It's something that's been on my mind for a long time, to have my own bookstore. I just want to do it my own way. C.R. Roberts: 253-597-8535 c.r.roberts@thenewstribune.com This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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