Heartleaf Books, a new and used bookstore that debuted as a pop-up shop last year, has signed a lease for a space in Providence, R.I., and will open a bricks-and-mortar storefront soon.
Co-owners Caroline Vericker and Mads Vericker, sisters and fellow librarians, announced the news last Friday. The bookstore, which they've chosen to run as a cooperative, will be located at 374 Atwells Ave., right next to St. John's Park.
While the bookstore sold predominantly used titles when it first opened at the Providence Flea market in July 2021, the Verickers plan for the physical store's inventory to be a mix of about 75% new titles and 25% new. There will be books for all ages, with a focus on books by people of color and by queer authors; in addition to fiction and literature there will be collections of metaphysical titles, astrology books and books about witchcraft. They also plan for houseplants to be a major part of the store's nonbook offerings.
The Verickers are busy getting the space ready and bringing in founder members for the co-op, which will be both a consumer co-op and a worker-owner co-op. Owner-members receive discounts on books, access to exclusive events and newsletters, voting rights on co-op matters and eligibility to run for the co-op's board.