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Just Keep Reading Bookstores, even if their doors are closed, are still here for you BY ERICA THOITS
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s this issue was just about to go to press, Gov. Sununu announced the Stay-at-Home 2.0 order, which included guidelines for reopening retail shops beginning May 11. The protection requirements — for both employees and customers — are strict and detailed, and while some shops may decide they are feasible, others are planning to keep their doors closed. Fortunately, places we consider essential (especially when we all have much, much more forced free time on our hands) — bookstores — have been supplying both reading material and recommendations since the first stay-at-home order in March. While there’s no replacing the joys of browsing through a bookstore, rather than turning to impersonal Amazon and its mysterious book-choosing algorithms, you can still rely on a local bookseller for excellent recommendations. Happily, many independent bookstores are offering curbside pickup, shipping and, in some cases, home delivery. No, it’s not the same as walking among the shelves, but it keeps you reading and helps support local independent bookstores. A real win-win. We’ve asked a few store owners to let us know what they’re reading, and to share how they were serving their customers at this time. As the governor’s 2.0 plan continues, it’s best to check with your local shop to see what’s potentially changed since this issue was published.
Katharine Nevins
MainStreet BookEnds
“We closed the bookstore off to the public on March 17, and have worked hard to switch into full-throttle curbside delivery, taking orders online, through email and on the phone, and doing a tremendous amount of shipping. We receive daily requests to gather things for a birthday or graduation, 18
nhmagazine.com | June 2020
holiday or anniversary, and as I am the only person in the store now, I often will FaceTime with customers to help them make selections. I never doubted that independent bookstores are an ‘essential service,’ and our community has responded with so much enthusiasm to keep us going. Bookstores have always been places to find solace and to counsel each other, and I feel our mission is stronger now more than ever.
What am I currently reading? ‘The Resisters,’ by Gish Jen and totally loving it. My favorite quote right now comes from Dave Hollis of Over Grow the System: ‘In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.’ Will we allow this pandemic and worldwide crisis to move us closer to authoritarianism, or open us up to the possibilities of healing the earth and our
