A year ago, we didn’t foresee that everything was about to change. We were facing the shadow of an incipient epidemic, resulting in lives lost and much suffering. It is exactly one year to the day—March 23, 2020—when Gramercy Books had to close our physical doors to you. So, today is a day of reflection and looking forward.
Today, I want to share our deep appreciation to you, our community, for embracing Gramercy Books through this pandemic. You have been here for us and we will be here for you.
Many in the community have asked how we are doing at Gramercy Books, given the world in which we now find ourselves. Thanks to YOU, Gramercy Books is holding its own. We are so grateful that you, our community, continue to call, visit, purchase books and other fun items (puzzles are back in stock!), and participate in our live streamed programming.
Overseeing a business, organization, or even a household during a pandemic—with its uncertainty as new information unfolds daily—is like driving a vehicle down a mountain through a deep fog. As Gramercy Books looks toward reopening our store later in May, I believe there is a silver lining to this challenging environment.
What follows is a diary of how COVID-19 has affected one locally owned, independent bookstore located just outside Columbus, Ohio. I started keeping a diary, just to keep track of day-to-day adjustments to this unfolding crisis. It now seems like a useful guide, revealing what one small business is doing to adapt to a pandemic.
Effective March 24 through April 6, Gramercy Books will be closed to walk-in traffic, in compliance with Ohio Governor DeWine’s stay at home order. Booksellers will continue to process your online orders from the safety of their homes. We’ll continue to offer free shipping on orders of $25 or more. And we will continue to engage with you every day.
We now have the gift of time: to read to each other, to read for ourselves. Gramercy Books is keeping our doors open to offer refuge when you need a change of scenery. We also have free shipping for purchases over $25 and curbside pickup. We’re here to take your calls, questions, and orders for books, games, puzzles, and more.
During a month that celebrates the impact of women on our world and the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society, I couldn’t help but consider the theme of Janice Kaplan’s recently published book, The Genius of Women. The former Parade editor-in-chief explores why the accomplishments of so many women have been overlooked.
Harvard Business School professor Ryan Rafaelli spoke to booksellers in Baltimore in late January about how industries, organizations, and business leaders reinvent themselves in the face of radical technological change. After years of research of independent bookstores, he concluded that the indie seller provides a story of hope for community-led businesses through the three C’s.
To kick off the new year, Gramercy Books will host a panel of serious readers—an author, library associate, and book critic moderated by yours truly—talking about their favorite book(s) of 2019, and those titles they’re most looking forward to this year. Here are my 2019 favorites and those books I am most excited about in early 2020.
