When Sheila Avelin opened the Big Blue Marble Bookstore in 2005 in Philadelphia's Mt. Airy neighborhood, she "literally made book on her convictions, her community and her mission," Chestnut Hill Local reported in its profile of the bookshop named after "the seminal photo of Earth, so named by members of the crew on the Apollo 17, in 2007; and the PBS children's television series, The Big Blue Marble, which aired from 1974 to 1983, and included stories about children around the world and encouraged inter-cultural communication."
"I wanted a name that had that sense of being globally conscious, environmental and playful," said Avelin, whose goal was "to meet a need for smart, thoughtfully chosen books that would appeal to a multicultural, multi ethnic, progressive neighborhood."
General manager Jennifer Woodfin added: "This is a place where you can just be. We are really happy to be here, and we survive because of the huge outpouring of support from our customers."
Chestnut Hill Local noted that "inside this little shop around the corner, the unchanging essence of what's truly at heart is neighbors, books and friends."
