Community members have rallied around Iffy Books in Philadelphia, Pa., to help keep the bookstore open amid financial struggles, PhillyVoice reported.
Last week, store owner Steve McLaughlin posted an open letter discussing the bookstore's financial difficulties, writing that "the ice has been thin for a long time, and for me it's finally broken through."
Though the store was making enough to break even, McLaughlin explained, he was not getting paid and he had reached a point where he was "pretty much completely out of resources." He noted too that the store's lease ends in November and he would have to decide by August whether to renew.
He asked for customers and community members to donate to the store via Patreon or Venmo, and said "if enough people are willing to chip in, it may be possible for the shop to continue in its current form." Per PhillyVoice, more than 200 people chose to make recurring payments to the store's Patreon.
McLaughlin founded the bookstore, which focuses on hacking, free culture, gardening, and other related topics, about four years ago. The store hosts book clubs, writing nights, soldering classes, and tech workshops. It resides at 404 S. 20th St. in Philadelphia's Center City.