Thirty-two-year-old BookCourt in Brooklyn, N.Y., is the latest bookstore to turn to Indiegogo for financing, but in its case to purchase an existing bookstore and turn it into a bookstore retreat in the Catskills, BookCourt North. The store is trying to raise $300,000 to purchase the Bibliobarn property in South Korthright, N.Y., which owners H.L. Wilson and Linda Wilson recently put up for sale, and turn it into what events/development head Zack Zook calls “the ultimate literary destination. It’s an escape to the wilderness with all the perks of urban literary community.” The campaign ends on July 1.
While it raises money and refines its plans for transforming the used and rare bookstore and surrounding land in the Catskills, BookCourt continues to move forward with changes at its Brooklyn store. Five years ago it added 2,000 sq. ft., giving it a large events space. Now it is planning to reopen its basement as a second events space for workshops and classes and to open a café/bar as well as a 2,000 sq. ft. Readers Garden. The store, which produces the literary journal Cousin Corinne’s Reminder will also extend that mission with a line of paperback originals tentatively slated to launch in 2015.
