Steve Ashley, longtime owner of Valley Bookstore, Jackson Hole, Wyo., is selling the store to Wendy Dodson, who will close Valley Bookstore for the month of November, then reopen in a new location, according to the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
Dodson called Valley Bookstore "an incredible institution in our community" and Ashley "the beating heart of reading here in the valley, and I'm so grateful for his mentorship." She added that "a great bookstore is not just a place to buy a book, it should be part of the fabric of the community."
The owner of Valley Bookstore for 45 years, Ashley put the store up for sale a year ago. "Thoughts of slowing down were sped up when he developed heart problems," the paper wrote.
Dodson's most recent work in fundraising "took a big hit from Covid-19," which led her "to act on a longtime dream of being a bookseller." Her husband is Dave Dodson, an entrepreneur and faculty member of the Stanford Graduate School of Business who ran for U.S. Senate in the Republican primary in Wyoming in 2018.
Dodson aims to reopen Valley Bookstore in early December in a space of about 2,000 square feet, which is almost the same size as the bookstore's current location. She plans more emphasis on "local authors and regional books, and also an expanded kids' books offering, along with some toys and games," the newspaper wrote. "She hopes to bring in authors from outside the area for signings and other events."