The post pandemic survival of independent bookstores on Long Island
With the increase of online book sales by 5.6% in 2022 to $12.3 billion, Bookstat reports, independent bookstores are having an even more difficult time staying afloat.
On Long Island, Nassau County is home to only two independent bookstores selling new books, with more new and used independent bookstores in Suffolk County. While the entirety of the island has seven Barnes & Noble locations, with an eighth one coming to Bridgehampton this summer.
Revitalizing Long Island communities
Town revitalization efforts on Long Island have been increased in Suffolk County communities and are aiding the community support and dedication for independent bookstores. Earlier this year, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul’s announced that Huntington Station won a $10 million grant under the Downtown Revitalization Initiative, set on making the Huntington Station community one that is “safe, walkable and affordable downtown where residents can thrive,” said Gov. Hochul in a press release.
The hamlet of Hampton Bays in Southampton is also currently undergoing a downtown revitalization project, where they asked members of the community to complete a survey of what they’d like to see from the project. Newsday reported that “cafes, diners and sit-down restaurants topped the list of types of businesses people would prefer, followed by bookstores, gourmet food shops, a bakery and clothing and accessory shops.”
Current history of bookstores on LI
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, bookstores were greatly impacted with store closures but also by providing a space for people to get away.
“[During COVID] we’re attached to our phones, we’re working from home, we are in need of another place to go, and then books are just cool,” said Mallory Braun, owner of The Next Chapter bookstore in Huntington. “You go into a bookstore and can just grab anything off the shelf. It’s not like an algorithm is showing you what you should be looking at or what they think you would like, it’s something that you never knew you would be interested in. That’s how I found some of my favorite writers.”
The Next Chapter opened on New York Avenue in Huntington back in 2022, after their predecessor, Book Revue closed down after 44 years in 2021. Following the closure, a Kickstarter campaign was created to get The Next Chapter up and running, which raised over $250,000.
The store sells used, rare, remaindered and new books that they collect from the community and sort through to put on stands. At their new location, Braun has an extra 2,000 square feet in the store to house and sell used books.
“Right now it’s filled with many, many boxes of used books that we’ve been carting around over since Book Revue closed and we’ve been gaining more of them over the past like year and a half,” Braun said. “We’re sorting through those, pricing them and putting them out on the shelf, or pulling books that are just sitting, we honestly have more books than we can sell. Just because there are so many books in this world.”
In Nassau County, Theodore’s Books of Oyster Bay is an independent bookstore that sells new books, started and owned by former congressman Steve Israel. The store is named after Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States and is located near his family home, the historic landmark, Sagamore Hill.
Similar to The Next Chapter, Theodore’s Books is relatively new to the Long Island independent bookstore market, after opening up in November 2021, following the coronavirus pandemic.
“We are one of two independent bookstores left in Nassau County, which is pretty amazing for an area of the country that has 1.4 million people,” said Becky Schamis, general manager and book buyer for Theodore’s Books. “So we’re really proud to be here.”
The community of Oyster Bay’s revitalization that the LI Herald described as a “renaissance of sorts,” contributed to Rep. Israel’s idea of Theodore’s Books and gave him the perfect opportunity for opening.
“The community is seeing a lot more revitalization and also this interest in shopping local, supporting in your community and thinking about people who live in your town and how you want to support them,” Schamis said. “[Steve] saw that as an opportunity, signed the lease in September of 2021 and opened the store two months later.”
Interested in visiting The Next Chapter and Theodore’s Books? Follow them on social media to see what upcoming events they have @thenextchapterli and @theodoresbooks.
