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Hello! I’m Bethany, store manager at Reading in Public Bookstore + Cafe, coming soon to Historic Valley Juction.
Reading in Public Bookstore + Cafe (RinP) is not simply a bookstore. It is a place to come home to. A place where you’re always welcome, where voices are amplified, and where we aim to facilitate the sharing of as many stories as possible to help cultivate a better and more just world. When you step into Reading in Public, we want you to feel like you’re walking into a warm embrace. A lot of thought and heart is going into every detail of our store to create a cozy and comforting space to wander, gather, and read in public.
We are SO CLOSE to getting this store open. However, opening a small business is not a fast process, and anyone who has worked with lenders knows how complicated and drawn out the process can be. While we are waiting for our lender to come through for us, we need a bit of help to get through the next few months, particularly to cover rent for our space, which is in a very high-demand area and comes with a high demand price tag. We promise that your act of generosity, no matter how small, will be poured back into this community through the efforts of our dedicated team, who cannot wait to share our love of books, language, and literature with Valley Junction and West Des Moines.
With so much bookish love and gratitude,
Bethany
MISSION:
- A people-centric independent bookstore that celebrates the love of reading + the human experience, with a strong focus on mental health + social advocacy.
- Life is composed of stories; sharing them can foster empathy and community. Through Reading in Public’s (RinP) many channels (e.g., storefront, events, online, mental health/social advocacy initiatives), we aim to share as many stories as possible to help cultivate a better and more just world.
GOALS:
- Be an active and valuable part of the community, sharing and spreading the love of reading wherever we go.
- Offer unique opportunities for learning + gathering through programming and community/nonprofit outreach.
- Create a warm, engaging space for others that encourages wandering, exploration, discovery, and of course, reading.
- Collaborate with other local indie bookstores to establish a collaborative indie bookstore culture in Central Iowa + beyond.
CORE BELIEFS:
- Books can change lives. Anyone who has encountered the right book at just the right time knows the magic that books can possess. Being human can feel like a lonely experience at times. When one sees themselves reflected in a book, it can have a lasting and/or transformational impact on the reader.
- Literacy is a gift and a privilege; it should not be taken for granted. Thus, we believe in raising awareness about illiteracy in America and actively supporting organizations committed to teaching the community to read.
- Justice for all. It is essential to amplify the silenced voices to create a better, more empathetic, and just world for everyone. We are all human; we all have stories to tell.
- Mental health matters. We live in a chaotic world that we are evolutionarily ill-equipped to handle. Therefore, making gentleness, empathy, and meaningful connection a priority is paramount. We are committed to being mental health advocates and serve as a safe, judgment-free, and validating space for others; we, as humans, are not alone.
- The planet needs to be honored and protected. We recognize the bulk of our wares are paper-based. As a bookstore, this cannot be helped. However, in all other store areas, we set out to lower our carbon footprint and be ethical global/local citizens in our sourcing practices.
- Gratitude in all things. It is a privilege to live out the dream of working with books + the community. We are endlessly grateful for those who help make Reading in Public possible (staff, customers, the larger book community).
Follow along with Reading in Public’s progress on Instagram @readinginpublicbooks + @abookishendeavor
