The Bookman, Grand Haven, Mich., has launched a GoFundMe campaign that has raised about $4,200 toward its goal of $40,000. Owner Alexa McGuinness noted that since the store's opening in 1974, it "has faced a number of obstacles: fire, big box stores, Amazon, and ownership change. Even with these setbacks, the Bookman has remained a trusted community resource.... And then came Covid-19. All our plans and projections went out the window as the pandemic redefined what is and is not essential. Like so many other businesses, the Bookman was forced to close.
"Without walk-in traffic from mid-March through the end of May, we were unable to cover the cost of rent, payroll, utilities and other expenses. The CARES Act and the Paycheck Protection Program provided some help; however, they don't compensate for sales losses during the shut down and won't cover sales lost due to the cancellation of Coast Guard Festival and other summer events. In fact, Covid-19 presents the biggest financial challenge in our 45-year history, and we need your help to recover from it." The Bookman was able to reopen recently for appointment-only shopping.
The bookstore's founder, Jim Dana, who went on to be the first executive director of the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association before retiring in 2010 to pursue other interests, posted a message of support on his Facebook page: "When I founded the Bookman nearly 46 years ago, one of my reasons was simply that I thought a bookstore was an essential community resource and Grand Haven did not have one. Now, the business closures forced as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic imperil the store's existence. The current (4th!) owner of store, Alexa McGuinness, makes the same point I did--that it's an essential community resource--as she creates this GoFundMe page to help it weather the loss in business caused by pandemic. I hope you'll join me and make a donation to help assure its future."