Finch & Fern Book Co., an independent, woman-owned bookstore, opened last month with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5641 Main St. in Sylvania, Ohio. Toledo City Paper reported that the bookstore, selling new and used books, is named after To Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus Finch.
"I want to make sure that I'm available for people to come in after work and just chill for a little bit," said owner Katie Gilliland. "If somebody wants a quiet place to just hang out and surround themselves with good books, this is it, right here."
A long-time member of the Toledo bookstore community, Gilliland worked at Barnes & Noble for more than four years before leaving to work for the University of Toledo bookstore. She wanted to create a bookstore that is a reflection of the community and its needs, something her work experience provided insight into.
"I think what makes Finch & Fern different is the environment that I'm trying to cultivate here and the involvement with the community," she said. "I'm not just here to sell books; I want to cultivate relationships with the customers and the community as a whole."
Gilliland plans to host local author signings and showcase local photographers, along with serving as a gathering spot for book clubs and kids' story times.
"I'm going to find as many ways to involve people in the community as I possibly can," she said. "Anybody who wants to promote local literary work or art, I want to be available to those people."
The 1,500-square-foot space is designed to provide a "homey and cozy" place to read and has a "cool old vibe," Gilliland noted. "I want it to be warm and inviting. I strive to be that way as a person, and so I want the space I'm creating to feel that way too,"
She added: "It took me until like a year ago to realize that what I like doing is selling books--sharing my love of books with people. I love talking about books with people. I like seeing the world through all these different lenses and experiencing new cultures through reading and I feel like the world could use more of that.... The idea of being able to share this obsession with literature that I have makes me really excited."