Title Wave to Open Second Store in Anchorage

by Bridget Kinsella -- Publishers Weekly, 4/23/2007 3:09:00 PM

Title Wave Books, which has operated a 33,000-sq.-ft. new and used bookstore in midtown Anchorage since 1991, is racing to open a smaller, second store in the downtown area of the city by Memorial Day.

Co-owners Julie Drake and Steve Lloyd said they were contacted by the landlord about opening the bookstore after the Cook Inlet Book Company closed in that same 6,000-sq.-ft. location last month. Lynn Dixon, who opened Cook Inlet in 1993 with her husband Ron, is known throughout the Alaska bookselling community as the daughter of Doris and Russ Reimann, who owned The Book Cache chain, which had 19 stores throughout the state before the family sold it.

Dixon could not be reached for comment, but Drake said that Title Wave did not buy the business and had nothing to do with it closing. "It was a surprise opportunity for us," said Drake.

Drake said the staff at Title Wave was selecting what new and used inventory to stock in the second store, which is close to where tourist cruise ships dock Tourism, she said, is why it is imperative the store open before Memorial Day.

Title Wave plans to add five people to its staff of approximately 45 and plans to rotate them weekly between both locations. "We’re building the bookshelves right now and waiting for carpets," said Drake. "We’re pretty good at this; we’ve moved a couple of times before."