In our three years of operations so far, we feel Curio Room has largely succeeded in our mission to be an indie bookstore and multi-use creative space that focuses on underrepresented voices.
We’ve hosted music and art shows, poetry readings, and author events that reflect a good cross-section of the community in Mount Kisco. We found a small but dedicated audience with the way in which we curate independent and alternative creators, and we hope we have added to the cultural diversity of the town by providing a quirky alternative to the big box stores.
Though we are proud of what we have accomplished, we still have more work on the horizon. The margins for booksellers are vanishingly small, and with Barnes & Noble now in town, we need an extra boost to further differentiate ourselves and to bring the store up to a level where it is sustainable (we all currently have second and third jobs to make ends meet). This means we’re looking at a major overhaul in our operations. We plan to expand shelving and storage as well as refining, focusing, and refreshing our inventory. We need more staffing for the store, and we want to be able to pay our current staff more. If anyone local is up for it, we could use administrative and accounting help, as well as assistance maintaining our website and social media accounts. This will allow us to have more flexibility to focus on programming.
This is an extremely tall order, we know. But if you like having us in town, we hope you can find it in your hearts to aid the cause! Any amount is helpful, and even just sharing this link can go a long way.
Here’s a breakdown of where the money will go if you donate:
New shelving and minor remodeling: $3,000
Staffing needs: $10,000
Updated and overhauled inventory: $4,000
Cash register, accounting tools: $2,500
Signage and ads: $500
Thank you for your time and support!
-Frog and Ray
Photos from:
1. Author Event for "The Heart of an Advocate" by Dr. Vilma Luz Caban @theheartofanadvocate
2. Book Signing for "Sword of a Fallen Hero," with author Mike Soldano @thewritingmage82
3. Clae Lu's live musical performance with guzheng @clayruh
4. Reading books in the kids' section
5. Book review for "On Tyranny" by Timothy Snyder
6. View of some Fiction shelves