A Hidden Treasure at Risk

More than a decade ago, I inherited a one-of-a-kind literary trove: the lifetime collection of Jeanette Kamen—known across St. Paul as “The Book Bag Lady.” Jeanette spent her life gathering over 300,000 books, carefully shelving them throughout her three homes.

Since her passing 11 years ago, my family and I have invested over $140,000—and countless hours—boxing, moving, and storing this extraordinary collection. We even opened a small bookstore, The Book Lady’s Library, in partnership with a local café, to start bringing these books back to the community.

But the monthly storage bills and upkeep now threaten to undo everything. Despite pop-up sales and selling thousands of books, we’ve recouped less than 3% of the costs it took to get us this far. Without help, much of this irreplaceable archive could be forced to the recycling center or landfill.

Our Goal

We need to raise $120,000 to:

*Cover one year of storage and operating costs

*Continue cataloging and making books available to readers

*Open a second small bookstore to share Jeanette’s legacy more widely and get more of these books back out in the public

Every dollar helps protect these rare and vintage volumes and keeps Jeanette’s passion for literature alive.

Join us in saving The Book Lady’s Library.

Your donation ensures this remarkable collection inspires generations to come.

Visit our website to read about the whole story or shop for additional books not found in the store www.thebookladyslibrary.com