On the eve of its 30th anniversary next month, Prairie Lights Bookstore, Iowa City, Iowa, is changing ownership. Founder and sole owner James Harris is taking on two equal partners, both of whom are poetry graduates of the Iowa Writers Workshop: Jan Weissmiller, who started working at the store in 1979 and is a book buyer, and Jane Mead, an author and poet-in-residence at Wake Forest University for many years who lately has managed her family's ranch in Northern California.
The new arrangement was "a year in the making," Prairie Lights said, and is designed "to ensure the continued vitality and independence of a local institution that prides itself on an unusually stable, dedicated and knowledgeable staff, broad selection and loyal customer base."
The new owners said in a statement that they will "be brainstorming and developing new ideas for the business while maintaining the essential character of the store, including its traditions of customer service, wide selection of both classic and new titles, and strong community links."
Prairie Lights has a staff of about 30, more than a dozen of whom have worked at the store for more than 10 years, and stocks some 80,000 titles.
On Sunday, May 4, Prairie Lights celebrates its 30th anniversary with a community celebration at Iowa City’s Englert Theater. Michael Chabon and Vivian Stringer will read; a reception follows.