Sower Books, an all-ages, general-interest bookstore with an emphasis on inclusivity, has opened in Lincoln, Neb., 1011 Now reported.
The bookstore, located at 914 N. 70th St., welcomed customers for the first time on Labor Day. Owner Tory Hall, who worked as a bookseller for approximately seven years before starting her own store, noted that while Sower Books welcomes all ages and interests, the store has a focus on marginalized voices, community building, and local creators.
"You can be dorky and enthusiastic here, and that's going to be okay, and you're going to be seen and loved," Hall told 1011 Now.
The store has been operating online since 2023, and though the bricks-and-mortar store officially opened only a few days ago, Hall has been hosting community activism gatherings there for a while. Hall's future event plans include book clubs, children's events, cat adoption events, and more.
She explained that the bookstore's name is a nod to both Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower and the statue of a sower that adorns the top of Nebraska's capitol building.