The Reading Room CLE Moves In

We’ve been operating this nonprofit bookstore out of our houses for five years, and we’re finally moving into retail space! We offer great books at a great price, exciting events, and an affordable, accessible creative coworking space. 

We need to move, sort, shelve and price about sixty thousand books, plus the shelving they live on, plus a whole bunch of miscellaneous Stuff and Supplies. We are asking for volunteer help, and also for money: although this project is extremely thrifty, we do need to put gas in our volunteers’ cars, buy occasional supplies, and pay for software and our small but mighty team’s labor. 

We are hosting occasional staffed open shop days throughout the summer while we move in, and we hope to open fully for self-serve browsing, events and coworking by September 1.

1 ) Transport books and equipment to the Brownhoist: starting spring 2024.

2 ) Sort and shelve books; train volunteer shelvers: April 2024.

3 ) Set up checkout system and free book giveaways: by April 15, 2024.

4 ) Sneak peek of shop: April 27, Independent Bookstore Day.

5 ) Fully stock all shelves, recruit remaining volunteers, and set up regular hours: throughout summer 2024. 

We offer good books at a good price, plus a third-space gathering place for the community. The funds we raise support literary and literacy programs, improving our community’s access to opportunity and information. Our programs and events are offered with accessible pricing so everyone can attend.

We believe that when everyone does better, everyone does better, so we’re here to read books and end segregation.

We are one city and we will have one future, together: let’s make it a good one.