Look Around Books opened in Astoria, Ore., this spring, YourOregonNews.com reported. The all-ages, general-interest bookstore opened at 1413 Commercial St. on a limited basis on April 25, Independent Bookstore Day, before officially opening on May 1. In building the store's inventory, owner Ann Branson and her business partner Kate Wells have emphasized diversity and children's literacy.
"I have such formative memories of going to the bookstore with family and getting to explore and pick out something that interested me," Branson told YourOregonNews.com. "I felt Astoria needed a bookstore where the kids are prioritized."
A lifelong reader, Branson got her start in bookselling when she was in high school, working at Tenth Muse and Espresso in Seaside, Ore. After a stint in politics and a stretch of doing other jobs, she decided to pursue her dream of opening a bookstore. Wells, who owns her own pet supply business called RiverDog, helped guide Branson through the process of starting a business.
"This is definitely Ann's baby, just like RiverDog is my baby," Wells noted. "I'm here to support it because I love it so much."
So far, Branson said, the Astoria community has embraced her bookstore. "It has been amazing to feel all the love and the support the community has given us. Astoria is a really special town and I love that we value arts, physical media, and slower paces."