Two weeks ago, the Book Buddies, sponsored by Bookazine and the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association, headed to Scranton, Pa., for their latest bookstore visit. The group of bookstore owners, employees and other book industry folks went to Anthology, a two-year-old new and used bookstore run by Andrea Talarico.
Anthology, with just under 3,000 square feet, is located on the second floor of a building that was the laundry facility for the Hotel Casey--in its day, a famous hotel in the Northeast. The building, in disrepair after years of non-use, was bought from the city and renovated by the owner, who later began renting it to Talarico (and her partner in an LLC who owns the downstairs business, a jewelry store and café).
"I just went to them with my business plan and said, 'You need a bookstore. Here's what I can do,'" Andrea told the group. Scranton, under the watchful eye of a three-term mayor who has been dedicated to rebuilding the city and who is very supportive of small businesses, lent Andrea the start-up money for her business after she presented what she envisioned for the store.
Talarico had worked for chain bookstores in the area for eight years, which inspired her to open her own bookstore. "There was no common space for people to gather, and I wanted to change that," she said. She did research, contacted the ABA, went to Paz & Associates' bookselling school and attended the Winter Institute before diving into the creation of the store. Now Anthology offers many events--improv nights, story hours, lectures on local history and, of course, author signings.
Most of the Book Buddies were surprised by what sells and what doesn't at Anthology. Talarico took out the political science, business and animal sections after she noticed few people were shopping them, but noted that poetry and philosophy are two of her strongest sections. Students, who love the selection of used books (and the ample seating in the store that complements the café downstairs), are a core part of Anthology's customer base. Local college students "come in and buy used philosophy books by the armload," she said. The other main group her store currently serves is young professionals, particularly women in their late 20s and early 30s.
The current mix of books at Anthology is approximately 85% used, 15% new. Talarico does not buy used books from customers, finding them instead primarily in bulk lots through events like estate sales. And though the selection of used books is outstanding--Jason Rice of Bookazine noted that "you can find some real gems here"--Talarico said she plans to keep the current selection while adjusting the ratio of new to used to 50-50. Her other two goals for the store are bigger signage, to make the placement of the store more evident, and acquiring and using an inventory system, which will be especially important as more new books come into the store.
Right now, Anthology's immediate focus is Scranton's first-ever book festival, which Talarico organized. The Pages & Places Book Fest will be held Saturday, October 3, and will host 30 authors and nine panels.
"Scranton has a forward-moving energy," Talarico told us, and it's clear that she, Anthology, and the book festival are all crucial parts of a town that is sprouting new businesses left and right. To keep an eye on this up-and-coming bookstore, become a fan on Facebook or follow it on Twitter. Or you can just visit them the old-fashioned way, in their beautiful store and see why the Book Buddies were so impressed by Anthology.--Stephanie Anderson
