 |
|
On January 1, Jill Lang, owner of Samizdat Bookstore & Teahouse in Los Alamos, N.Mex., shared a long message in the shop's e-newsletter and on social media, announcing that she might be closing the business in February despite having had "a phenomenal year."
"I tried a moonshot and I failed. It's that simple," Lang wrote. "We have no struggles with the county and our landlord is great.... We occupy a unicorn space in this town, and it's why it was worth that moonshot in this specific location. There is no other location in this entire county even remotely appropriate.
"The bookstore is failing because the business model is bad.... A business is a continuous and evolving partnership between the owner, employees, and customers. You formed this business as much or more than anyone else, and I am both profoundly grateful for your participation and deeply sad that I was unable to hold up my end of the bargain. But it's important to deal with reality, and if this chapter is to close I would like to do it as cleanly and transparently as possible (what I am saying is, bring in your gift cards)."
Within days of the message going out, however, something has happened that may help change the decision. The Reporter featured a letter signed by the city's Commerce & Development Corporation executive director, Lauren Mcdaniel; Jacquelyn Connolly of the Los Alamos MainStreet & Creative District; and Sandy Jones of the city's Chamber of Commerce.
They wrote that the "community has shown an outpouring of support.... not only through words of encouragement but also through active consumer spending, hasn't gone unnoticed by the owner. Please, keep this momentum going through this weekend and January.
"Paired with recent discussions and connections with LACDC staff, and the strong uptick in consumer spending at Samizdat in January--traditionally at levels only seen during pre-holiday shopping--there is cautious optimism from the owner about keeping our local independent bookstore alive."
"LACDC, the Chamber and MainStreet staff are working closely with Samizdat to ensure it can continue with its mission, and focus on strengthening its business potential.... We're deeply grateful to the local patrons who have shown up this January, and we encourage the community to keep showing up this weekend and through the month to help ensure Samizdat remains a vibrant part of the Los Alamos community for years to come."