Womrath Bookshop in Bronxville, N.Y., has launched a GoFundMe campaign looking to raise $100,000, Patch.com reported.
Owners Morin and Barbara Bishop purchased the bookstore, which first opened in 1938, just six months before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Raised funds would not only help the store recover from the financial difficulties of the pandemic but also go toward opening an in-store cafe, replacing the store's carpet, removing the old drop ceiling, putting in better lighting, and much more. The owners also plan to expand the bookstore's event offerings with more author talks, additional children's activities, book clubs, and introductions of new titles.
Earlier this year, Bronxville Mayor Mary Marvin issued a call for the community to support Womrath, which brought in about $50,000 for the store.
"As you can gather, I feel quite passionate about retaining our local character and ethos via the bookstore," she wrote in Patch.com. "As I said in a recent column, The Village has many stores, all part of the fabric of our unique small downtown, but some represent more than just a business, an edifice and represent what a community wants to be.
"Personally, I cannot imagine our special home without our bookstore. It says something about what we value and hold dear. Our bookstore at 85 years old is iconic, a wonderful throwback, but in so many ways so is our 1 square mile and perhaps why we treasure it so."