HELP WEST SIDE BOOKS SURVIVE
Donation protected
HELP WEST SIDE BOOKS SURVIVE
Now in its forty-fifth year, the West Side Book Shop has sold used and rare books to the Ann Arbor community and beyond, in the same historic building where it began. From the early days--when my wife Marilyn Churchill and I were raising two sons and we had a shop dog, Arlo--to the present, the store has been our livelihood and our passion. We are grateful to have a dedicated staff that has been with us for decades. In addition to books, our associate Doug Price sells fine photography in the back of the store. While we have travelled to book fairs far and wide, the heart of our business, our raison d’etre, has always been the open shop, in downtown Ann Arbor. But now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, our doors are closed, with no clear opening date in sight. We urgently ask for your support at this time so that we may continue to serve you and the community.
All our usual book fairs have been canceled, including the Ann Arbor Book Fair, which I have organized for more than twenty-five years. The Fair, a very popular event, is a benefit for the University of Michigan’s Clements Library. Loss of shop sales and the cancellation of book fairs threaten our ability to pay rent, utilities, and payroll. While we sell a small number of books online, that does not make up for the loss of revenue from foot traffic. In addition, we have invested a large sum in buying collections of fine books that must wait indefinitely to be sold. Our goal is to raise enough funds to allow us to reopen when safe and remain a source of book treasures for years to come.
The West Side Book Shop wouldn’t have survived this long if it weren’t for our customers. Thank you for your support and patronage through the years.
Sincerely,
Jay Platt, Owner, Member of Antiquarian Booksellers Association
of America (ABAA)
113 W. Liberty Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Any size donation is welcome. For the first two hundred contributors of $50 or more, we offer a copy of Liberty, Equality, Consensus and All That Jazz at the Del Rio Bar, by Ernie Harburg. Please contact us so we may know where to send your copy.
Now in its forty-fifth year, the West Side Book Shop has sold used and rare books to the Ann Arbor community and beyond, in the same historic building where it began. From the early days--when my wife Marilyn Churchill and I were raising two sons and we had a shop dog, Arlo--to the present, the store has been our livelihood and our passion. We are grateful to have a dedicated staff that has been with us for decades. In addition to books, our associate Doug Price sells fine photography in the back of the store. While we have travelled to book fairs far and wide, the heart of our business, our raison d’etre, has always been the open shop, in downtown Ann Arbor. But now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, our doors are closed, with no clear opening date in sight. We urgently ask for your support at this time so that we may continue to serve you and the community.
All our usual book fairs have been canceled, including the Ann Arbor Book Fair, which I have organized for more than twenty-five years. The Fair, a very popular event, is a benefit for the University of Michigan’s Clements Library. Loss of shop sales and the cancellation of book fairs threaten our ability to pay rent, utilities, and payroll. While we sell a small number of books online, that does not make up for the loss of revenue from foot traffic. In addition, we have invested a large sum in buying collections of fine books that must wait indefinitely to be sold. Our goal is to raise enough funds to allow us to reopen when safe and remain a source of book treasures for years to come.
The West Side Book Shop wouldn’t have survived this long if it weren’t for our customers. Thank you for your support and patronage through the years.
Sincerely,
Jay Platt, Owner, Member of Antiquarian Booksellers Association
of America (ABAA)
113 W. Liberty Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Any size donation is welcome. For the first two hundred contributors of $50 or more, we offer a copy of Liberty, Equality, Consensus and All That Jazz at the Del Rio Bar, by Ernie Harburg. Please contact us so we may know where to send your copy.
Organizer
John Platt,
Organizer
Ann Arbor, MI