On his BedlamFarm.com blog, author Jon Katz profiled Connie Brooks, owner of Battenkill Books, a "thriving and very beautiful independent bookstore right in the middle of my small town, Cambridge, N.Y."
Katz noted that one reason for the recent comeback of independent bookstores nationwide is people like Brooks, who "are a new kind of bookstore owner. They understand business as well as literature, they make good decisions and keep an eye on the cash flow as well as the bestsellers. They love books, but they also learned from Amazon: customer service is not just about having books in the store, it is about knowing customers, treating them well, making them feel safe and comfortable and giving them what they want....
"Connie's staff is gracious and helpful and patient. They are happy to talk with people. Community lives, so does the small and independent bookstore, even in the face of the great corporate tsunami sweeping America. Connie Brooks has helped to save them."