Left on Read, a Black-owned bookstore in Wichita, Kan., has launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $90,000. Owner Latasha Eley Kelly, who founded the bookstore in 2024, plans to use that money to stabilize the bookstore's daily operations, address staffing needs, strengthen inventory, maintain programming, and support the long-term health of the bookstore.
Kelly told KSN that costs for operations and staffing have risen while the grant money she previously relied on ended unexpectedly this year. She is "shifting now to other ways to ensure we have longevity in the community."
Earlier this year, Left on Read moved from its original home at 612 E. Douglas Ave., Suite 200, to a new, larger space at 2721 E. Central Ave., Suite 121. The store's new home is part of Revolutsia, a shopping complex made from shipping containers. On the GoFundMe page, Kelly noted that the move to Revolutsia was "unexpected," and it "would not have happened without the generosity of Mike Ramsey of Bokeh Development."
Per KSN, Left on Read is the only Black-owned bookstore in the state of Kansas.