White Square Fine Books & Art, Easthampton, Mass., has been put up for sale, the Daily Hampshire Gazette reported, adding that the decision is a bittersweet one for owner Eileen Corbeil "as the eighth anniversary approaches for the bookstore that has become her passion of love. She is hoping to find the right match to take over the reins of the bookstore in the near future, a decision she did not arrive at lightly."
"There is literally blood, sweat and tears going into picking every book because every book has to earn its place," she said. "It can always use improvement and fine tuning. It took a long time to get to where I'm happy with what's here.... I'm looking for someone or some group that can bring something new. This store deserves to have energy, enthusiasm and some imagination. If I'm not doing it justice, then it's time for me to do something different and move on. It's going to be hard."
Describing White Square as a "sanctuary," Andrew Hebert, the building's current owner, said he would "love to have this stay a bookstore" and wanted to let potential future proprietors know he is committed to keeping the rent reasonable to allow the bookstore to remain.
"Easthampton is a pretty happening spot right now but it just seems like Easthampton without a bookstore is like a missing tooth--it leaves a big gap--and it would be really nice to keep it here,” he said. "The culture that's in place here now can certainly support that and, I think, one contributes to the other."
Hebert plans to actively pursue the idea of setting up a co-operative ownership of the bookstore to help continue White Square's legacy. "It wouldn't take a lot of people or a lot of money for that to happen,” Hebert said. “Enough people with commitment and vision for that to happen, the whole business could be rethought and expanded upon."