"I don't feel like bookstores are dying," Scott Raulsome, the new owner of Burton's Bookstore, Greenport, N.Y., told the Shelter Island Reporter. "Some aren't doing so well, but independent stores in the right location can thrive. The people in Greenport are happy to have a bookstore. They are proud of it."
Raulsome is now renovating the store, adding fresh paint, new carpet and a wider selection of books. "I want to make it a place where people can gather," he said. "Greenport has so many creative types like authors and artists. And outside of a library there are few forums for local authors to go and spread the word. After the renovations I hope to have signings and book clubs and lectures."
Peter Clarke, president of the Greenport Business Improvement District, said, "We think it is very important to keep the village full of local businesses that residents need day in and day out. We love what [Raulsome] has done. He has preserved something unique."
