Lisa Schwartz will be the new owner of the Town Book Store, Westfield, N.J., effective April 1. Patch reported that after 17 years of owning the bookshop, Anne Woodward Laird is retiring and "entering a new chapter of her life." Schwartz becomes the eighth owner of the 90-year-old bookshop.
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| Anne Woodward Laird and Lisa Schwartz | |
"It's time to see what the next chapter holds," said Laird, adding that the decision has left her with "a mixed bag of emotions." She began working at the bookstore in 2000, when it was across the street from its current location. She took over from the previous owner in 2006 and moved the business to 270 E. Broad St.
"It's always been a labor of love," said Laird. "Everything was my decision. All the books in here are my choice. The way it is set up was my choice."
While the decision to walk away from her store is scary, she said leaving it with Schwartz, who began working at the Town Book Store in 2009, gives her peace. "She made it clear from the beginning that she wanted to open her own bookstore one day and ever since then she was my right-hand man," said Laird.
In a letter to customers, Laird wrote, in part: "TBS began as the brainchild of two brave and entrepreneurial women back in 1934, right in the middle of the Great Depression, and it has been chugging along for almost nine decades since, not a small feat in today's retail environment. Look around and you will see that there are very few retail stores left in downtown Westfield. Yet somehow TBS survived Amazon bursting on the scene, being surrounded by two Barnes & Nobles, and the arrival of e-reading thanks in large part to the amazing support from the residents of Westfield and the surrounding communities who felt that having an independent bookstore in their town, or close by, was important and they knew how to show it.
"Having someone who is excited about being the next steward of this beloved bookstore, and is as enthusiastic as Lisa is, has made my decision to sell a little bit easier for me.... One thing for sure, however, is that I will miss all of you and of course, working with the wonderful women that make up what we call 'Team TBS.' Interacting with our customers and developing friendships with not only so many of you, but also with my staff, has given me such joy and satisfaction. I hope you will continue to show Lisa the loving support and appreciation that I have overwhelmingly felt over these past 17 years. Long live the Town Book Store!"