Eight months after a fire destroyed the historic block on G Street in Arcata, Calif., "reducing Northtown Books to debris and ash," the bookshop reopened September 18 "to a crowd that stretched down the sidewalk, with community members eager to support the locally owned independent bookstore," the Times-Standard reported, adding that for owner Dante DiGenova, the moment was less about celebration than the marking of the end of a long, grinding rebuild and the beginning of a new chapter he wasn't sure he would ever see.
"It didn't really sink in when it was happening," he said. "Honestly, I was watching the fire from the plaza and just not even really accepting that it was happening. It wasn't until I walked away from it that I realized, you know, what was actually lost. It was after I ran into a couple of people, you know, who offered support, and I just thought, yeah, it really was gone, and that is when it hit me. That's when I started crying. But as I was watching it, I was almost just kind of numb, like not believing it was happening."
DiGenova spent months reconstructing inventory from a flash-drive backup, reestablishing institutional accounts, replacing computer systems, negotiating with publishers, and ordering thousands of titles to restock the shelves. All of the store's infrastructure had to be rebuilt from scratch.
"It feels like it's been in the works for so long, but you know realistically, we didn't really start rebuilding until pretty much mid-June; it's just been a lot of work," he added, noting that the community's response was the driving force behind reopening. "All the people who wrote in when they were donating to just tell a little story about what the store meant to them. It was very moving. It was really inspirational as far as wanting to reopen. That was really the driving factor--just how much people wanted the store back. It meant a lot to me, and it was, it was incredible."
Observing that he is happy with the way the rebuilt store has turned out, DiGenova said, "You know, we had shelves custom built by a local person, and I think he did a really beautiful job... and I've had a lot of help. You know, all the employees who were at the store when it burned down have come in and helped put it together. A couple of good friends have come in and done a lot of work. My sisters just came up this past weekend to help with getting the opening party together. So that's perfect. Yeah, it's been a great experience considering what a horrible experience it was in January."
The reopening celebration crowd "stayed steady with a constant flow of visitors entering the bookstore. People browsed, chatted, and compared notes on favorite sections. Several said they planned to buy something before leaving, even if they hadn't decided what yet," the Times-Standard wrote. " 'See how many people miss their books,' one attendee said as they stood in line at the register, while customers quickly paid for their items and shared gratitude and joy that the store had emerged from the ashes of the fire."