Yellow Bird Books has opened at 34 S. Stolp Ave. in downtown Aurora, Ill., in the historic Keystone Building, which "has undergone a recent renovation turning the one-time offices on the upper floors into apartments," the Beacon-News reported.
Owner Karen Nicholas, who worked as a teacher for 20 years, had harbored a secret dream to open a bookstore. "I never actually thought I would do it, but the circumstances were right," she said. "I've (lived) in Aurora for 15 years, and I always wanted to live in a town with an independent bookstore. It's important to try to create the community you want to live in.... Surprisingly, I get a lot of younger people. A lot of young people who live in the apartments down here."
Nicholas, who has long supported downtown merchants, added that her business has been brisk when the Paramount Theatre has shows, and on nights when downtown has events, including First Fridays and markets. Many families of students at the neighboring Paramount School of the Arts browse the store while waiting for their children, as do workers in the other stores downtown.
The store's inventory is curated "to reflect an emphasis on the arts, science, history, science fiction and fantasy, education and social issues," according to its website. The selection "also reflects the kind of diversity Aurora boasts, something that drew Nicholas, her husband, Karl, and their son to the city from Waukegan in 2009," the Beacon-News noted.
"One of the reasons we chose Aurora was the diversity," she said. "I want to reflect that in the store. And I always ask people, what would you like to see."
The storefront's large display window is another feature that Nicholas said makes the space a "super location. It's so much fun dreaming up ideas for it."