Congratulations to Dragonfly Books, Decorah, Iowa, which celebrated its 15th anniversary last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, 15% discounts through Saturday--and a toast to founder Kate Rattenborg Scott's 50th birthday, her retirement, and the passing of ownership to daughters Sarah Krammen and Rachel Rattenborg.
The store noted that "Sarah has been a familiar face at Dragonfly Books for most of the past 15 years and currently manages inventory, marketing, and events. Rachel has lived all over the country, always looking for a place to call home before realizing that northeastern Iowa was it. She has a strong history of customer service and retail experience in almost every kind of business, and manages accounting, staffing, and customer experience at Dragonfly Books."
Kate Rattenborg Scott said "It has been an honor to carry on my family's legacy in Decorah through Dragonfly Books. I have felt grounded and anchored through the small business community throughout the past 15 years. I am excited and proud to be passing the torch to the next generation. A big thank you to our customers and community for making my dream a reality!"
She was president of the Midwest Independent Booksellers Association from 2019-2022, as well as the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce, Oneota Valley Community Orchestra, and the Vesterheim Museum. She plans to remain an active board president of the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation, and will retain ownership of the Silver Birch, a Christian book and gift shop located four doors down from Dragonfly Books, which she purchased in 2019. She said she is most excited to spend more time with her husband, Paul, and travel, attend community events, build LEGO, work on jigsaw puzzles, and finally read a book for fun.
Dragonfly Books carries 15,000 individual books as well as gifts and educational items for customers of all ages and backgrounds, specializing in Scandinavian fiction in translation and regional nonfiction. The store also highlights authors from Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, many of whom have visited Decorah for book readings and signings.
In 2022, the store helped created the Oneota Valley Literary Foundation which supports Dragonfly Books' event series which included more than 80 author and community events last year. By partnering with regional schools, museums, public libraries, and other nonprofits, the foundation has given more than 9,500 books to the community since its inception.