Since Katie Capaldi became the owner of Between the Covers, Harbor Springs, Mich., earlier this year, some people have questioned her decision to purchase a bookstore. Capaldi was never worried: "In all honesty, the threat of e-books or big box stores never really crossed my mind. I don't have any fear that we're looking at the demise of the written word, not if you have people willing to go out of their way to support it."
For now, Between the Covers resides in an 850-square-foot basement beneath a toy store. Capaldi, 29, is eager to move the store to a larger location, which she plans to do within a year. In addition to some of the obvious benefits that more floor space can provide, Capaldi wants to "bulk up" a few sections of the inventory in particular, including YA and nonfiction.
"YA was really lacking," explained Capaldi, attributing the dearth of YA titles to both the traditional demographics of Harbor Springs, with a large retirement-age population, and a lack of interest in YA previously by Between the Covers staff. Now that the population of Harbor Springs is shifting toward families with younger children, Capaldi has seen increased demand for YA.
The store's previous owners also shied away from larger, more expensive coffee-table books and cookbooks. The population of Harbor Springs increases six-fold during the summer and, according to Capaldi, many of these part-time residents are eager for extravagant titles. "They can afford to have second or third homes here--they're looking for books to decorate and show off."
Capaldi also plans to cooperate and collaborate with other young business owners in Harbor Springs' downtown. Among the potential partners are a couple who own a nearby outdoors store and a writer at the local newspaper who recently signed a YA book deal. Capaldi has a very good relationship with the local library, and is able to use the "big, beautiful historic building" for events.
Harbor Springs hosts numerous music and arts festivals during the summer, and Capaldi, who has a background in dance, besides bookselling, envisions getting the store involved in the performing and visual arts. "I'd love to do some free community art events, even if they're not book related," she said. "It's more about making this the heart of the downtown."
Capaldi got her start in bookstores when she was 12, and is eager to bring those years of experience to her colleagues and co-workers. "The idea of being able to talk and share ideas and handsell books has been with me for a very long time. I don't remember specifically having to learn it." --Alex Mutter
