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| Village Books' Dee Robinson rehearsing for retirement. | |
Dee Robinson, longtime co-owner of Village Books, Bellingham, Wash., is retiring at the end of the week. On Facebook, she wrote, "It's been a great job for 34 years. On to whatever awaits, starting with a pile of books!" Chuck Robinson, her husband and co-owner, who has no plans to retire soon, said that Dee had intended to retire more than three years ago, but stepped in to buy gift items when the longtime manager of Village Books' Paper Dreams store decided to retire. Now, he said, Dee "wants to eat bon bons and read all of those books she's been stacking up."
Originally involved in special education in the Midwest, the Robinsons moved to Bellingham and founded Village Books in 1980. Together they built it into one of the country's great independent bookstores, one that's been a leader in showing how indies can be creative and thrive. For example, Village Books has an extensive author events program, an Espresso Book Machine, a self-publishing program, its own publishing program, its own radio variety show, used and bargain books, a gift store, a café with beer and wine and a strong digital books presence. We wish Dee a fun, well-deserved retirement and hope she tags along with Chuck to many bookselling conferences and events!