December 2022
Every year for Christmas, I peruse the two full-page ads in the Sneak Preview for Bloomsbury Books (290 E. Main Street) and mark off three or four books that I want. It takes the pressure off my family having to pick out ugly ties and sweaters, and it keeps me busy for months with my head in the books.
Next year Bloomsbury will be celebrating 43 years in business. The store opened in April 1980, and the original owners were Sheila Burns, Karen Chapman, Denise Harnley and Nancy Peterson. Denise moved to Seattle in 1983 and Nancy died in 1997, but Sheila and Karen are still there taking care of business and upholding the honor of independent bookstores (an endangered species these days).
“Bloomsbury is a full-service bookstore, selling new books, newspapers and magazines,” Sheila said. “We have a large, carefully curated selection, and we are fortunate to be close to the warehouse of the biggest book wholesaler in the country, Ingram, in Roseburg. That means we can get a special order to you in one-two days (usually faster than that unnamed giant) at no extra charge. We have also searched for products that complement the books: literary t-shirts, mugs, calendars, bags, beautiful and unusual greeting cards, and chocolate—because nothing is better than reading a novel and munching on chocolate.”
Karen agreed. “We believe you will find a courteous, well-informed staff, eager to answer your book questions about almost any genre,” she said. “Ask Susan about mystery, Skye about romance, Greg and Dom about fantasy, Zak about non-fiction, Anita about the children’s section, Mark about Science, Diana about almost anything (especially what’s good and new) and ask Christopher how he keeps coming up with those fabulous windows.”
Sheila moved to Ashland from New York City in 1973. She was born in San Francisco but was also raised in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from Northwestern University with a major in theater, then went to New York to pursue an acting career, very unsuccessfully.
Karen grew up in Laurel, Montana, and studied dance at the University of Utah before moving to Ashland in 1970. She had always dreamt of owning a bookstore, inspired by her love of books as a child.
“As is true of almost everyone who has ever worked at Bloomsbury, my love was literature,” Karen said. “Though none of the founders of the store had a background in retail, we all had a deep love and respect for the business of bookselling. Four partners might have seemed like a lot of hands in the pot, but it worked out well for us and our eight children, ages one year to 16. There were enough of them so that Nancy Peterson was able to enjoy her position as State Representative for a number of years.”
Customer service is the number one priority at Bloomsbury, also something you don’t receive from that online giant who will not be named.
“We do author readings, often local authors, every week,” Sheila said. “Please feel free to get on our email list and we’ll send you the monthly schedule, which is also posted in the store. Our dream in 1980, before Starbucks and the chains, was to have a bookstore/coffeehouse. We are so lucky to have Bloomsbury Blends right upstairs. They have added carefully selected wine in the evening and local musicians weekly.”
Sheila and Karen are both looking forward to the future.
“Like so many small businesses in Ashland and in the country, we did not know if we would survive during the Covid lockdown,” Karen said. “The generosity and support of this community saved us. We are so grateful to all of you.”
For more info, the phone number is 541-488-0029. You also see them at bloomsburyashland.com, and on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok.
