Judy Crosby, who founded Island Books, Middletown, R.I., in 1993, is selling the store to Laurie Sutherland, a native Rhode Islander who is retiring after 25 years as an executive at Comcast. Crosby, who owns the store with her husband, Gary, had put the store up for sale two years ago.
In an announcement about the sale, which should close later this month, Crosby wrote, "Books have always been a fundamental part of Laurie's life, and as a huge fan of independent bookstores, she has long dreamed of owning one someday. She was actually doing some research about how to go about it when she came upon Island Books; then she visited and fell in love."
Sutherland intends to keep the staff and "loves the bookstore as is, and though she will put her own personal (and impeccable!) stamp on things, she doesn't have any immediate changes planned so you can expect to continue to find books and gifts on the shelves that surprise and delight."
In an e-mail to Island Books customers, Sutherland said in part, "I wanted to take just a moment to say a quick hello... and to let you know how excited I am about this next chapter in my life. As Judy told you, I have always dreamed of owning a bookstore, so when I discovered Island Books was for sale, it was a true sign that the time was right.
"I'm very excited to meet each of you, so you'll begin to see me in the store more and more in these weeks leading up to the sale being final. Please introduce yourself!
"I have learned so much from Judy already about operations behind the scenes; I can't wait to get out front and talk books with you all!"
Crosby, who will continue to work in the store and behind the scenes in July and August to ensure a smooth transition, added, "I will truly miss my fellow booksellers and publishers' reps--you have all made these past 30 years a joy. Your generosity has been astounding. The 'we are in this together' attitude with the sharing of information and ideas between us all is unheard of in most other industries. Thank you all AND a big thanks to the New England Independent Booksellers Association and the American Booksellers Association for all they do. It has been an honor and a privilege to be among this incredible group of bookselling professionals."