So, our local bookstore took a hit this week when during the Great Freeze of January 14th broken waterpipes in an unused room overhead (owned by the bookstore's landlord) caused flooding. Anyone who's seen how books and water don't mix can appreciate the mess that ensued.
They've been a good neighbor in the community, hosting events like 'Nerdcon'. Fortunately they have already announced plans to re-open --in the space about three blocks away until recently occupied by downtown Kent's game store, Game Kastle. Which was the first I heard about the game store's having closed.
For those who wd like to help out as Page Turner works to get back on their feet again, they've opened up a GoFundMe page -- at first set with a goal of $10,000, since bumped up to $20,000.
So, here's hoping that this uses up their year's supply of drama all in one go.
--John R.
P.S. For the sake of full disclosure, this is where I've been taking boxes of my books as I sort through them and send them out the door in the ongoing downsizing.* So I feel a bit sad that books I thought were going to a safe home, not all of whom made it. And I'll have to come up with a good place for the four boxfuls I'm gathered up and set aside for the next time.
*the latest lot is mainly made up of Robertson Davies and Joseph Conrad
That's unfortunate to the point of tragedy.
ReplyDeleteWater-damaged books can be saved, but it's very labor-intensive, and it's really only worthwhile for irreplaceable library books: they'd still look damaged so they wouldn't be saleable, so it's not a useful undertaking for a bookstore. Pity.
David B. commented
ReplyDelete"That's unfortunate to the point of tragedy."
--I agree. And there's the disruption caused when this sort of thing happens to a private scholar. Richard West had water damage from a neighbor decades ago and I don't think he ever did get his working library fully functional again. I think he ultimately essentially abandoned all his pre-flood project and carried on by focusing on new projects that came along. That last at least was fortunate for us all.
--John R