The other day while heading to a bookstore event in Libby, Montana, we stopped by a place in Eureka, Montana to grab a bite. When we came out to get in the bookstore afterwards, there was a very cool looking car parked next to us. The question was raised, Which would you rather have? A traveling bookstore with a lot of miles on the old girl or this sporty looking beauty? And of course, the answer for me was I'd take the bookstore even with a bit of rust and a dent on the left rear fender.
As one thought led to another, there was talk why traveling bookstores which are awesome in countless ways, still remain rather unique. No other ones exist in the US at this time that I know of. There are some bookstores in vans and converted buses, but most of those I know stay in one general location like Cincinnati or New Orleans. I think of these as mobile bookstores compared to St. Rita's Amazing Traveling Bookstore which covers all sorts of distances.
If you've read other posts here, you're likely aware of the wonders one can experience with a traveling bookstore like setting up at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and then taking the bookstore on a ferry to Seattle. Or experiencing Smiths Grove, KY which despite being a very small town was great for book sales plus getting to enjoy Miss Betty's Diner. There was having the bookstore at the Brooklyn Book Festival (NY) and at the wondrous Mission Pie in San Francisco. I thoroughly enjoyed setting up on campus at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and at Fiction Beer in Denver, CO. It has set up at public libraries in Port Orford, OR, White Sulphur Springs, MT and Lincoln, AR. With this bookstore going into its tenth year, it has put on a lot of miles, and been to many interesting places across the US, which lead to a plethora of conversations with all sorts of folks. So just perhaps this has you starting to think about your very own traveling bookstore?
While discussing the choice between the flashy convertible and the workhorse of a bookstore, I realized not only do I hope others start a traveling bookstore to experience this fascinating lifestyle, but because it would be lovely to have a cohort to learn from. Doing this business/vocation, I've garnered much along the way, but I know if there were other traveling bookstores, I could easily learn even more from them. We could share experiences, compare techniques and routes, suggest new places to set up. And let's face it. One traveling bookstore can only get to so many places in a year. If there were more, think of the increased joy spreading books across the country to tiny crossroads and big cities. Give it some thought.
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