As of May 1, the Willow Bookstore in Perham, Minn., is officially Big Pine Books, the Perham Focus reported.
Owner Greta Guck, who purchased the store in 2023, has a ribbon cutting planned for the renamed store today followed by a grand opening celebration on May 18. The festivities will include food, giveaways, and a drawing for a $200 gift card.
In addition to changing the name, Guck has added a sizable selection of used books to the back of the store, which now has its own entrance as well as new seating. She has also started a buying program for used books that offers store credit. Guck told the Focus she seeks "to offer a wide variety of books, at every price point."
Guck will continue to host the store's book club, and she has a handful of author events scheduled for the summer. She hopes to host more in the fall.
Prior to buying the store last year, Guck had been a librarian for 11 years. She took provisional ownership of the store in May 2023 and closed in June. Guck grew up on Perham's Big Pine Lake and changed the store's name to honor it.