A free books project puts boxes of books in localities where people can help themselves to titles that are either redundant or suffering mildly from use. So far, four retails establishments distribute free books from Get Real. Check the website for information about this program.
Get Real Books will be celebrating World Book Night on April 23 by distributing a prescribed selection of new books to people who do not have ready access to reading material. It’s an annual worldwide event that was generated in the United Kingdom, to spread the love of reading person-to-person. World Book Night organizes the acquisition of 30 titles directly from the publishers who, along with the authors, agree to discounted profits. Specific libraries and bookstores are chosen to host the distribution to “givers,” who literally put the books into the hands of people who do not typically buy books.
This year, Get Real is proud to host the event and distribute boxes of new books. To learn more about World Book Night, see www.us.worldbooknight.org.
Get Real Books, 4627 Route 209, Accord; https://getrealbooks.com.
Storefronts that combine book sales, whether new or used, with music and media offerings, other gift items and a cup of coffee entice a broader clientele. Throw in an outdoor courtyard or a small stage and sound system for local musicians – or nationally known authors – to perform on, and your indie bookstore becomes a destination, a place that puts the community on the map.
The Spotty Dog
One such establishment is Spotty Dog Books & Ale in Hudson, where you can belly up to the bar for a pint of beer or glass of wine to enjoy as you peruse a book or two. It’s owned by Kelley Drahushuk – relative to the Evans family, whose name is connected to both the historical building (a one-time firehouse) and a brewing operation. Combining her passions in 2005 seemed like the perfect thing to do, resulting in a marriage between 10,000 books and a bevy of artisan beers. Karen Schoemer now manages the bookstore business. The Spotty Dog offers an esoteric selection of literature, art supplies, tee-shirts and some great pint glasses with embossed Dalmatian logo.
The Spotty Dog Books & Ale, 440 Warren Street, Hudson; www.thespottydog.com.
Village Square Bookstore & Literary Arts Center
Up the mountain in Hunter, Village Square Bookstore & Literary Arts Center is managed by Carolyn Bennett for the Catskill Mountain Foundation (CMF). When asked how the book business fares in a remote ski town, she reports, “We’re able to hang on because we’re a part of the larger arts organization. We do author events and workshops, and our audiences have been growing.” Village Square is housed in CMF, along with the Kaaterskill Fine Arts Gallery and the Fresh Harvest Café and Market, making for a great stop for anyone visiting the Catskills.
Village Square Bookstore & Literary Arts Center, Main Street/Route 23A, Hunter; (518) 263-2050, www.catskillmtn.org.
Pages Past
More specialized stores manage to survive on the rarefied air floating amidst the very books that they offer, namely: carefully used ones. In Kingston, Pages Past sits in a modest-but-stately building on a side street. Owned and operated by Tom Williams and Ann Stenson, the store was started in 1981 on a strictly part-time basis. In 2001 they went full-time, with this being their third location. “We focus on older material: 1960s and back,” says Williams, also adding that they specialize in vintage paperback editions of classics. They buy books “leaning towards pretty much anything that catches our interest,” as Stenson says, “but we do have areas of specialty.” These are: vintage children’s books, collectibles, even antique paper goods.
Experts in ascertaining the value of a book, they try to price their stock at the low end of comparables. “We’ve gotten much better over the years at being selective,” says Williams. Not your typical foot-traffic brick-and-mortar shop, they have phased over to Internet sales – a move that fits the used-and-rare-book clientele. “We always say: we’re here by chance or appointment.” So a visit to the quiet shop requires a phone call: one well-worth the effort.
Pages Past, 75 Pearl Street, Kingston; (845) 339-6484, https://pagespast.com.
