Another Haven For Book Culture

I was quite pleased when I heard that Labyrinth Books, the bookstore serving Columbia University and its surrounding neighborhood, was changing its name to Book Culture.

Regardless of the fact that it was motivated by a failed business relationship the point is they arrived at Book Culture.

I asked Chris Doeblin, former co-owner of Labyrinth Books and now sole owner of Book Culture I few questions on how they got there and were they are going:

Book Patrol: How did you get to the new name?

Chris Doeblin: I wanted to choose a name that defined what we were trying to offer in the largest sense rather than a name that had phonetic or mnemonic value. Book Culture is a term that has been in print recently too in ways that usually include “decline of” so what it seemed like a good name.

BP How do you define book culture?

CD Book culture is the life that books share with you. It is the opening of your intellect and your spirit and heart through reading. It is our lives when we bring books into them.

BP Will there be any changes to the shop and/or business model to reflect the new name? Will the shop focus on any other components of book culture beside new books?

CD As an established store that has had ten years of success, we don’t want to stray too far from what has brought us here. We have made a number of design and comfort changes, remodeling the store to make it more attractive and physically comfortable. Flooring, lighting, paint, artworks etc. We are adding mass market titles, more used books, travel guides and foreign language titles as well as magazines and journals.

We have had and will continue to enhance our readings and events in the store and outside at venues where books play a roll.

Here is an excerpt of the letter sent by Doeblin to his community supporters:

“The outward indications of this change will appear one by one in an effort to make a gradual transition. I and all the staff here are extremely proud and happy to be 100% local and 100% independent.

Our commitment to being a great academic bookstore is still paramount to our mission. We’re going to try even harder to be the most interesting, complete and valuable bookstore possible, while trying to be more of a neighborhood store as well, carrying more magazines, mass market titles, and travel guides; generally becoming a more attractive and comfortable place to browse and visit.

So much has changed in the 22 years I’ve been selling books in this neighborhood, in bookselling, in America, in all of us as we change as people and as a community. One change that’s relevant to us is the disappearance of local and small businesses, particularly bookstores. More than ever, stores like ours and the relationship that we have with each of you deserve support. Independent bookselling is essential for a healthy, developing, progressive community and of course Independent bookstores are essential to literature, writing and scholarship, which make you essential to us.”

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