Hearthfire Books of Evergreen is a bookstore with a mission – finding a new owner. Our absentee owner Lori Underwood (formerly of Evergreen, then London (UK), now Connecticut) is moving in new directions.
We have no intention of going out of business! We expect to pass on this wonderful bookstore to a new generation, particularly one who can upgrade our online presence. We are looking for a smart, savvy owner, one who is passionate about books and community, just as we’ve always been. A noted legal expert in small businesses has told us small businesses transfer ownership with some regularity – it’s a normal part of a business life cycle. We believe that, with our economy in flux, many people are in transition, anyway. Now might be the time to think about that lifelong dream of owning a bookstore, since so much is changing around us. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Lori herself bought the store from the prior owner.
Indies attract a special breed. Manager Janet Rhodes likens running an indie bookstore to becoming a wizard in Gryffindor House at Hogwarts. “We play Quidditch, chasing after the Golden Snitch of small business success. (Watch out for those Bludgers!) We have to learn the Care of Magical Creatures such as Blue-Ocean-Strategy and Inventory-Management, Potions & Charms to become (and stay) part of a local community, Hexes to protect our market niche. Indie stores fight Corporate Homogenization (They-Who-Must-Not-Be Named!). But it’s thrilling and ultimately rewarding in many ways beyond just dollars. “
Hearthfire Books is located in the foothills (really beautiful!) just west of Denver. It’s part of an educated, family-oriented, well-to-do community that values books and literacy. Hearthfire has been in business 12+ years, three of those in its current 1500 sq.ft. location. It has a loyal customer base, long-term employees, state-of-the-art inventory management, membership in national/regional trade associations, and strong community ties and school contacts.
If you’re thinking you’re ready for a change, want to have meaningful work and a place in our community – in short, if you want to learn to be a wizard, please contact us. www.hearthfirebooks.com or info@hearthfirebooks.com.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Why Shop Indie?
We had a maddening call the other day from someone who wanted to know if we had a book on our shelves. When we didn't (5 MILLION books in print!!) and offered to get it, the response was "oh, I can do that from Amazon." Grr! Fortunately, it doesn't happen too often (or we wouldn't still be here).
We don't have anything against Amazon -- people are free to shop where they like -- but this person didn't understand the value of a local, independent business. We can get books just as fast. Plus you get to touch, see and smell them -- a benefit to a true booklover. And see what we do besides:
1) When you shop at an independently owned business, our entire community benefits. Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in our community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and our community only sees $43.
2) Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
3) More taxes are reinvested in our community--where they belong.
Plus: shopping local is greener. Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint. Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify our community.
And even further: Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you. Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains. HearthFire Books has given away thousands of dollars - through donations, gift certificates, teacher and senior discounts - in just a few years to organizations and individuals throughout the foothills area. And we're a small store.
Finally, we keep hearing about diversity in our ecosystems, and how lack of diversity is a serious obstacle to staying healthy. Well, it's the same for a local economy. Do we want Evergreen to look like Anytown, USA? Don't think so . . .
So maybe next time that person (or someone like her) will choose to place an order with us -- and benefit us all.
More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.
We don't have anything against Amazon -- people are free to shop where they like -- but this person didn't understand the value of a local, independent business. We can get books just as fast. Plus you get to touch, see and smell them -- a benefit to a true booklover. And see what we do besides:
1) When you shop at an independently owned business, our entire community benefits. Spend $100 at a local and $68 of that stays in our community. Spend the same $100 at a national chain, and our community only sees $43.
2) Local businesses create higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.
3) More taxes are reinvested in our community--where they belong.
Plus: shopping local is greener. Buying local means less packaging, less transportation, and a smaller carbon footprint. Shopping in a local business district means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money to beautify our community.
And even further: Local retailers are your friends and neighbors—support them and they’ll support you. Local businesses donate to charities at more than twice the rate of national chains. HearthFire Books has given away thousands of dollars - through donations, gift certificates, teacher and senior discounts - in just a few years to organizations and individuals throughout the foothills area. And we're a small store.
Finally, we keep hearing about diversity in our ecosystems, and how lack of diversity is a serious obstacle to staying healthy. Well, it's the same for a local economy. Do we want Evergreen to look like Anytown, USA? Don't think so . . .
So maybe next time that person (or someone like her) will choose to place an order with us -- and benefit us all.
More independents means more choice, more diversity, and a truly unique community.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Bookfairs Rock!
I love doing bookfairs for schools. I love picking out the books -- so many books about all kinds of things; I love packing them up and thinking about how cool they are; I love delivering them and seeing the kids and teachers get all excited. I love how the kids get to choose their own books (which usually guarantees they'll actually get read). After days of administrivia, actually getting my hands on books -- and placing them where kids will get their hands on them, too -- is exhilarating.
"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings." (Robt. Louis Stevenson). There are books about robots, elves, dragons, bridges, dirt, pigs in slop, flying, princesses (in distress or not), rainforests, sharks, submarines, time travel, Antarctica, magic, the Chunnel, princes and paupers, butterflies. What a great way to find out about a "number of things!"
And apparently the kids at the middle school agree, since they were scouting out the books before the fair even opened. One boy methodically went through all the tables with his friend, commenting that this one was a good story, that one he'd read last year, he'd heard about a third one. Apparently all kids have *not* stopped reading, despite the gloom-and-doom predictions to that effect.
This is the joy of being a bookseller: sharing ideas, stories, imagination and reflections (in our case, in printed form) with like-minded people of any age.
"The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings." (Robt. Louis Stevenson). There are books about robots, elves, dragons, bridges, dirt, pigs in slop, flying, princesses (in distress or not), rainforests, sharks, submarines, time travel, Antarctica, magic, the Chunnel, princes and paupers, butterflies. What a great way to find out about a "number of things!"
And apparently the kids at the middle school agree, since they were scouting out the books before the fair even opened. One boy methodically went through all the tables with his friend, commenting that this one was a good story, that one he'd read last year, he'd heard about a third one. Apparently all kids have *not* stopped reading, despite the gloom-and-doom predictions to that effect.
This is the joy of being a bookseller: sharing ideas, stories, imagination and reflections (in our case, in printed form) with like-minded people of any age.
Friday, February 6, 2009
My Current Favorite Book
I've recently -- for the thousandth time -- decided that there are far too many books to read in the world; and as it is impossible for me to read them all, I'm not going to even pretend that I have. Even if I am a bookseller and therefore expected to read it all. Further, I'm only going to read the ones I'm really interested in. (More of that below.) Enough of this trying to keep up! I can't and therefore I won't.
Enough ranting. The subtitle of this blog acknowledges the blurry line between books and life. I picked up Alan Bennett's novella The Uncommon Reader and quickly was walking that fuzzy line. (Did I mention I fell in love with reading all over again?) The Uncommon Reader is short (a huge plus these hurried days), funny (who doesn't need a laugh?), wise and succinctly written. He gets so much into so few words.!
The uncommon reader of the title is the Queen of England, who, after her misbehaved and bratty corgi tears through the mobile library parked on the palace grounds, feels she must go inside to apologize for her dog's bad behavior. And, of course not to be rude (a queen is never rude), she feels she must check out a book -- something she's never, ever done. She doesn't even know what to pick out. After getting suggestions from the librarian and the kitchen boy who frequents the mobile library, she checks out a work by an author she vaguely remembers making a dame of the British Empire.
She finds it a bit dry and checks out another -- again out of politeness. And then another. And so begins a whole new piece of her life. She is so often reading that she -- horrors! -- becomes habitually late, throwing the tightly scheduled palace household into complete disarray. She finds herself so engrossed with her reading that she assumes others must be equally engrossed.She begins to ask others their opinion of their current book at state occasions -- only to find they are totally discomfited because, in fact, they don't read. They are used to discussing traffic cones, road construction, and weather!
You're probably wondering if I'm going to get to the books/life thing. For one thing, Alan Bennett so perfectly captures the ins-and-outs of the royal household that it's tempting to think the whole thing is true! More importantly, his --and the Queen's -- reflections on how extensive reading broadens one's view of life is perfect. We can experience another life, another place through books as if we were there. As the song from The Lion King goes "there is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done." For many of us, books are the gateway to see and do those things we'll probably never see or do in our own lives. The Queen certainly comes to realize that!
I won't spoil it for you -- after all, you can read it yourself in about 2 hours! Treat yourself to a fun story by a masterful writer. Be prepared to laugh -- and then go check out that next book . . .
-posted by Janet
Enough ranting. The subtitle of this blog acknowledges the blurry line between books and life. I picked up Alan Bennett's novella The Uncommon Reader and quickly was walking that fuzzy line. (Did I mention I fell in love with reading all over again?) The Uncommon Reader is short (a huge plus these hurried days), funny (who doesn't need a laugh?), wise and succinctly written. He gets so much into so few words.!
The uncommon reader of the title is the Queen of England, who, after her misbehaved and bratty corgi tears through the mobile library parked on the palace grounds, feels she must go inside to apologize for her dog's bad behavior. And, of course not to be rude (a queen is never rude), she feels she must check out a book -- something she's never, ever done. She doesn't even know what to pick out. After getting suggestions from the librarian and the kitchen boy who frequents the mobile library, she checks out a work by an author she vaguely remembers making a dame of the British Empire.
She finds it a bit dry and checks out another -- again out of politeness. And then another. And so begins a whole new piece of her life. She is so often reading that she -- horrors! -- becomes habitually late, throwing the tightly scheduled palace household into complete disarray. She finds herself so engrossed with her reading that she assumes others must be equally engrossed.She begins to ask others their opinion of their current book at state occasions -- only to find they are totally discomfited because, in fact, they don't read. They are used to discussing traffic cones, road construction, and weather!
You're probably wondering if I'm going to get to the books/life thing. For one thing, Alan Bennett so perfectly captures the ins-and-outs of the royal household that it's tempting to think the whole thing is true! More importantly, his --and the Queen's -- reflections on how extensive reading broadens one's view of life is perfect. We can experience another life, another place through books as if we were there. As the song from The Lion King goes "there is more to see than can ever be seen, more to do than can ever be done." For many of us, books are the gateway to see and do those things we'll probably never see or do in our own lives. The Queen certainly comes to realize that!
I won't spoil it for you -- after all, you can read it yourself in about 2 hours! Treat yourself to a fun story by a masterful writer. Be prepared to laugh -- and then go check out that next book . . .
-posted by Janet
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Well, We Did It!
....a bunch of technophobes who really love words and the printed page have gone digital! Follow the life of an indie bookstore in the posts that follow, including our current favorite reading, the joys and sorrows of being an indie bookstore, life in a small town in Colorado, and anything else we think of. Long live the book!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
