This will likely be the last holiday season that lovers of used books will be able to find what they’re looking for at a downtown Evanston institution.
83-year-old Roger Carlson tells CBS Chicago that, unless somebody steps forward to buy the place, he’s planning to close the Bookman’s Alley store he’s operated in an alley off Sherman Avenue since 1980 after this holiday season.
Bookman’s Alley
A real treasure, this little bookstore in downtown Evanston is. I know that time marches on and all, but we are rapidly losing the visceral pleasure of holding a book in our hands and reading it. Been in this store many times over the years and deeply lament its impending demise.
Bookman’s Alley
Let's just hope its demise isn't "impending." Surely someone with pockets deep enough will come forward to save this eclectic (or, wild and crazy?) gem. What would downtown Evanston be without it?
Community Co-Op
Maybe we don't need someone with deep pockets, maybe what we need is some community action.
See this example of a town in New York that collectively saved their local department store:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/13/business/a-town-in-new-york-creates-its-own-department-store.html?pagewanted=all
Go into the store, move from
Go into the store, move from section to section, soak up the atmosphere and memorize it. No one can take away our memories, and Bookman's Alley has provided many.
Bookman’s alley
Bookman's is a lot more than just a little bookstore. It's a veritable museum, Mr. Carlson being one of the central features, with his broad depth of knowledge of books and writers. The wonderful music that plays in the background, the decorations, the photographs, the various displays, the history – it's all most wonderful. One might imagine that the entire thing was an invention of Ray Bradbury. It's a sad day, indeed.