Faced as many of us were, with the spring shutdown, the question loomed, “What would happen to little shops?” For any small, independent business, the three-month shutdown earlier in 2020 was a real challenge.
It was even more intimidating for a fledgling store in a niche industry. Inklings Bookshop and Gallery in Rushland, a tiny independent used book store – the type that is already threatened into near extinction by giant corporations and electronic book sellers.
But Inklings has something that makes it stand out – antique and vintage books. And rather than purveying mostly New York Times best sellers, it’s focus is on classic literature, biography, history, art, nature and wonderful children’s books, Inklings has what the owner Karena Green calls a “curated collection.”
In addition to books, the store is a charming presentation of other passions such as vintage hats, jewelry, and records. And being in Bucks County it offers local art, local puzzles, local music, even local handmade soaps.
Prior to the current pandemic, Inklings Bookshop and Gallery was sustained by a loyal base of customers. Each had discovered the store in the tiny historic town. Though picturesque, it was an unusual choice of location for such an enterprise. “Rushland is just a slowdown at the turn of the railroad tracks with no shopping district – unless you’re headed to Davis Feed Mill,” says Karena.
“I have done some selling of books online, but the interpersonal rapport with and support of customers is the core of our shop vision,” Karena says. “Because Inklings has no official employees, just family helpers, it was not eligible for small business or government loans during the COVID-19 shutdown. So Karena applied for several grants in the arts and book community, including one from the Book Industry Charitable Foundation.
She heard of BINCS via its campaign: #SaveIndieBookstores. Established in 1996, the program provides financial assistance to booksellers and comic retailers who have a need arising from severe hardship or emergency circumstances. Since its inception, the organization has granted over $9 million to support more than 9,000 individuals and their families.
While waiting for a reply from BINCS and with the doors shut, Karena enhanced the collection and opened a new section of the store. New areas with parent edifying resources, including what was becoming a reality for many – home schooling. Creating artwork was a pleasant diversion as well as she anxiously waited to hear back from her grant letters. And she was delighted to receive a positive response from BINCS.
The award helped her to pay rent for the brick and mortar shop but above all, the grant “was a beautiful affirmation of the importance and value of Inklings,” says Karena. “It has been a personal dream to open, and the award validated what I was aspiring to give the community, a real resource for budding artistic ideas.”
Since the green light for reopening in June, the store has been thriving, even more so than before the shutdown. “Our small collection of customers has been bringing in their friends and families. Now we get new customers almost every day, most of whom rave about the atmosphere, the sensibilities and the diversity of what we offer here.”
Inklings Bookshop and Gallery is open noon to 6 p.m. It is located at 1070 Swamp Road, Rushland.
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