By-the-Dam Books: Croton's Local Bookstore

Hello!

My name is Andy DeRado and I'm opening By-the-Dam Books in Croton-on-Hudson, New York. Located inside of the local and much beloved coffee shop, the Black Cow, my mission is to bring the community of Croton and Westchester a place to read.

My mission there is threefold: One: Be a resource for books of all types, including new releases, Fiction, Non-fiction, Mystery, Sci-Fi, a children's section with books, toys and games; the list goes on. Two: Bring events such as Book Clubs, Art time for kids, Writing Workshops, Readings and much more to the heart of Croton. Three: Make a space where an already creative artistic community like Croton to flourish.

I've worked in beloved New York City bookstores for ten years, including Book Culture on Broadway and Shakespeare & Company. I know well enough by now that a Bookstore is only as good as it can be to the community in which it lives. I want to be great for this community.

I also know it's impossible to compete with Amazon. Shopping at a small, local independent Bookstore is a concession on your part to supporting someone local. I may not be able to carry every book you're looking for, but I'm making it my mission to get any Special Order to you as soon as possible.

My wife and I moved here in February of 2020, to her hometown no less(I'm from central New York originally), from the Bronx. Soon after, our daughter was born. After that, the pandemic came. I couldn't help notice that everyone was stuck at home looking for something good to read. Amazon shopping carts were full but without direction. When customers came back to the store, staff picks sold faster than anything else. That time made me realize how much people need a friendly neighborhood bookseller. There I was, a bookseller in a new friendly neighborhood. All I needed was a bookstore.

I've loved seeing what an amazing community and place to live Croton is. I want nothing more than to contribute to and help grow that feeling for everyone here. I'm looking forward to meeting new faces and learning just what people in this town love to read, to join, to gift to their friends. I want to be an extension of Croton and, in a way, an extension of the Black Cow, a place to gather, read, talk and learn.

I'm asking for some money to get off the ground. Funds donated through the GoFundMe page will go towards a computer, POS system, and other little things a new business struggles with allocating the funds for.

Whatever you can give will go towards growing a new piece of the Croton community; to helping a local neighbor get his dream bookstore off the ground and create a new place that we all will grow to love.

Thank you for donating, for being a customer, and hopefully soon, a friend.