Indie-Bound: Four Tri-Valley Independent Books Stores Remain Popular

With the news that Borders is in financial strife, the closure of popular Cody’s in Berkeley and Amazon announcing that its kindle books outsold its paperbacks in 2010, it seems like the independent bookstore may become a thing of the past. 

Fortunately, there are still a few gems surviving in our neighborhoods. 

 Towne Center

Judy Wheeler, owner of , was fresh from a Washington D.C. trip when I spoke to her. She’d been attending the ABA (American Bookseller Association) Winter institute. 

Wheeler said with five hundred bookstore owners there, the event allowed for sellers to network, share ideas and attend workshops about ebooks and marketing. Wheeler explained booksellers are a very close community and supportive of each other.

While in D.C., Wheeler was part of a delegation of California booksellers who called on California State Senator, Barbara Boxer. They spoke to her aides about the issues of small business, sales tax, health care cost and capital.  They also spoke about Amazon. 

Amazon doesn’t pay sales tax, Wheeler said, which effects the state deficit and has a knock on effect on our schools and cities. There are states that have bills that do allow them to collect tax from Amazon. 

 Wheeler said, ‘It’s not a new tax, it’s just collecting it.”

 California Governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Gray Davis vetoed the tax. These independent bookstore owners are hoping Jerry Brown won’t do the same. 

On Jan. 29, Towne Center Books celebrated its 13th birthday with a party and several guest authors, including best selling book of the year for Towne Center, travel writers Nancy Rodrigue and Jacky Paulson, and children’s author and illustrator Bob Barner. 

When a previous owner told Wheeler the bookstore was for sale, she said, “I’ll buy it! I really felt there should be a bookstore here.”

Wheeler owns the bookstore with her husband Bob Ditter.

Towne Center Books host many events, including five book clubs, frequent author visits, adult and children’s classes and book launches such as the Harry Potter and Twilight parties. The store supplies books for eight local elementary school book clubs, and sells books at the library during author visits. 

Towne Center is also known for its ‘Read Them and Eat’ series, where customers can attend an author meet and greet over lunch – catered by Judy Wheeler herself. 

 To get national or internationally-known authors bookstores have to place bids to the publisher. Wheeler said, “Then we find our authors are charmed by our lovely customers and want to come back.” 

 Towne Center has a close relationship with local authors, Wheeler said, “We get to know them, we love for them to come in.”

When they have a new book out Wheeler can just call them and ask if they’d like to come and visit.

Events also provide an opportunity to serve customers. Wheeler said, it reminds them about why the store is important. 

The knowledgeable staff are always happy to offer recommendations.

Keeping an independent bookstore open, Wheeler said, “is up to the customers. If you want us to stay here you have to come shop here.”

Bay Books

 in San Ramon specializes in new, rare and used books. Owned by Rich and Diane Van Tassell, this mom and pop store has been going for 18 years.

Stretching 144 feet long, it is a maze of reading nooks and long shelves stocked high with everything from classic leather bound signed copies, to children’s picture books. New books are shelved alongside used ones. 

Rich Van Tassell said, “We buy hundreds of books a day, mostly from our customers, so stock is always changing.”

When customers finish with their books they sell them back in exchange for store credit. This keeps the store outlay down and encourages repeat customers, though as Rich Van Tassell notes, “We can’t pay the rent with store credit.”

Diane Van Tassell said it’s the personal touch that distinguishes a local bookstore from the big box stores, or web purchases. 

“People come in for recommendations. They can get reviews online at places like Amazon but they can’t get really good personalize suggestions,” she said 

Bay Books sell books at events like the horse show at Crow Canyon, and San Ramon library’s author presentations. Diane Van Tassell book talks to various local book clubs sharing about ten titles that she thinks the club members might enjoy.

Author events are popular too, though Diane Van Tassell said it’s tough to sell a $25 hardback in a store where people can buy a gently used hardback for much less.

Bay Books has started to sell e-books though it’s a tiny part of their businesses right now.

Rich Van Tassell said, “The playing field isn’t level.”

With Amazon not paying any sales tax or hiring any staff they can knock the prices right down. The city and state don’t get those taxes.

“For every $100 you spend in a local store $68 goes back to the community,” he said. 

Diane Van Tassell added that if all that’s left is Amazon, they’ll get to choose what people read

In August 2010, the Van Tassells had to close Bay Books in Concord. The say, people still call and ask what happened. 

Diane takes a quote from a dentist, “only floss the teeth you want to keep. If you don’t shop at your local mom and pop stores they won’t be around very long.”

Rakestraw Books

 in downtown Danville has been open since 1973. The current owner, Michael Barnard, has been there since 1995 and witnessed the changing world of the book business. 

Barnard said, Crowne Books came and the big box stores, Barnes and Noble in Walnut Creek and then Borders by 1999, and of course Amazon in the mid-nineties. 

The Community of Danville has grown since Barnard first moved there, but continues to be very supportive of the bookstore.

Barnard said, “Although we are not overly large there is a bigger choice of stock in store than people might expect.”

Over the next few weeks e-books will be added to the selection.

The highly experienced staff are always ready to offer good recommendations. Julie Barnard regularly meets with local book groups choosing 15 to 20 titles they might enjoy.

Rakestraw Books is known for their high-profile author visits. Barnard said,

“Writers are tremendously important. Local returning guests bring in readers, fans and their friends. Authors like Michael Chabon are known internationally but they feel like part of our local community,” she said. 

Local author Penny Warner is another regular guest. Barnard said, “She’s terrific, funny, smart and really supportive of other writers.”

Recent events included international author Colm Tóibín and children’s book author Alex Beard. Both popular events appealed to different sections of Rakestraw’s loyal customers.

Rakestraw Books is active in the community sponsoring two book clubs, teen advisory panels, donating books for fundraisers, and supporting Friends of the Danville Library at Christmas time. 

Barnard believes there will be big changes in the book business over the next couple of years, but he said  his store has a good loyal customer base.

"People in Danville support their local businesses and shop in the local stores,” he said. 

Read

 opened in November 2009 as part of Blackhawk Plaza’s redesign. It was sold to Larry and Patricia Cobabe, the owners of G.R.Dodddlebug, in December 2010. 

Genevieve Cobabe-Tupal manager of G.R. Doddlebugs, a toy, gift and decor shop, at Blackhawk, said, “Read is definitely staying as a bookstore and won’t be much different from how it is now, except we’re making a walk-through to Doodlebugs and extending the kids section.”

Sherry Ghanbari, staff member at Read said, “It makes sense. People always say let’s go to Doddlebugs as they’re leaving here.” 

Cobabe-Tupal said, “The staff are so knowledgeable, we’re so lucky to have them as this is all new to us.”

She believes by combining the skills of the staff with Doodlebugs own experience of gift selling, Read is in a good position to do well. 

Ghanbari, saying that the bookstore has had its ups and downs and while it is a tough market,said she is optimistic for the store.

Read plans to offer e-books as well as continuing the gift side of the business, which has been a key part of Read’s business plan from the beginning. 

“The original owners felt that the store needed more of a draw than just books to bring in customers.” Cobabe-Tupal said. The new combined store will continue with that.

Customers will be able to buy products from both stores and have them gift wrapped together.

Read hosts a popular children’s storytime every Tuesday morning and hopes to expand on its events.

Ghanbari said, “Rakestraw Books in Danville has great contacts so it’s a little bit of a struggle for us. But we’d love to line up more events especially with local authors.”