Leelanau Books is a happy place
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT: LEELANAU BOOKS
Paula manages Leelanau Books – she is a registered dietician with no previous retail experience. She was invited to manage the bookstore when the current owners took over. In her previous career, she created a children’s craft line of fingerprint art called Printoons.
What brought you to Leelanau County and Leland? My family and I move here when we realized we wanted a smaller community to raise our family.
Why this business - Leelanau Books? The current owners (2017) are friends, and knew that I had the enthusiasm to run a successful bookstore.
What is the history of this building? The bookstore has had two previous owners. Prudy Meade was the initial owner in 1976. Prior to being a bookstore, it was a horse barn, for the home that is now Huntington Bank. Susan Cortez volunteers at the bookstore and her family owned the house.
What is the best thing about your business? My goal is to make Leelanau Books a “happy place” with a focus on kids and families. I enjoy providing the story tent, with costumed characters, including pirates, fairies, mermaids, and princesses and I do a themed story every day. I also provide opportunities for children to create crafts to take home as souvenirs of their time in Leland. I love that the bookstore has become a generational destination - parents bringing their children, remembering the bookstore from their own childhood. Grandparents bringing grandchildren. Local businesses supporting one another, community support, loyal customers.
What’s the hardest thing about your business? Finding employees - young people in the community used to be a resource - I’m not finding that [to be] true anymore. The busy season is also extending, so students return to school, and the need for employees is still there. And finding locals who want to work is hard. I wish retirees would step up - they have talents and interests that would be helpful. We establish community when we work in the community, and contribute to the community. Also, locals tend to view downtown Leland as tourist shops, although I feel that the bookstore is evolving to be seen as a local store.
How many people work for you? 7 summer employees, 4 in winter.
What’s great about working here (pay rate, benefits, etc.): None of my employees “need” to work, they work here because they loves books.
How do you select your merchandise/product? I do not buy books based on the New York Times bestseller list. Instead, I order books with high rating on GoodReads (a book review and social platform) - ratings of 3.7 or higher. I avoid political books, and I have history books, and books that are helpful and educational. I will special order books. The previous owner works with publishers, but I do not. I want my customers to not feel “assaulted” when they come in the door, only good feelings. I prefer to order books that will “live long,” for bibliophiles who are building their own libraries. I have a robust children’s section, and a big Native American section, and highlights local authors, local interests, and local artists cards. I also sell packaged costumes, building on the character events, and crafting materials.
Where can we find you online? I don’t have a heavy online presence. On our website (http://leelanaubooks.com/), I like to post people enjoying books.
Do you have events? How are they publicized? People by walk and see the events happening. With the popularity of character events, I need more space, and how I have a tent, and I do day-long events.
Thank you, Paula! Make sure to stop by Leelanau Books next time you are in Leland.
