Kate Snyder plans to open Plaid Elephant Books, a children's bookstore, in downtown Danville, Ky., next fall. The Advocate-Messenger reported that Snyder had thought about starting a bookstore six or seven years ago, but the logistics were problematic and her children were still quite young. During the pandemic, however, "she had some time for introspection on what she wanted to do with her life, and the idea came up again" because she was missing community spaces and wanted to find a way to contribute.
Last fall, she participated in the CentreWorks LIFTOFF program, which teaches participants about entrepreneurship. "For me, that was really the catalyst for taking this idea from dream to plan," she said. "So, from all of that, I really developed this idea that a children's bookstore specifically might be a good fit for Danville.... And I think kids need space that is theirs. So not just one corner of the bookstore that has kids' books, but a space that is really entirely designed and focused and intended for children. There's something really powerful about that for kids, to know that they have space that is theirs."
Although she hasn't signed a lease yet, Snyder wants the space to be downtown, in the heart of the city: "I really wanted to be within that because that's part of the ethos of an independent bookstore, is that it's really woven into the fabric of the community, and so for me, downtown really felt like the place that this idea fit."
Noting that there had been a big learning curve because she has a communications background and only a little retail experience, Snyder told the Advocate-Messenger that because independent bookstores are a close-knit community, she was able to connect with bookstore owners throughout the country to help learn more about the business.