Books and Books Accused of Biblio-Bullying

Somebody hold their Lilly Pulitzer totes, Westhamptoners are about to throw down

Ah, to have the problem of two independent book stores around the corner from each other.

Our beloved Books and Books found itself the subject of a New York Times article Tuesday, and it wasn't to praise their David-esque success against Starbucks-slinging chain Goliaths in Miami.

On the contrary, the conflict takes place in Westhampton, New York, and in this case, its Books and Books who's the bully. At least that's what Terry Lucas, owner of Open Book, and several of the small town's locals say.

Lucas' bookstore has been open since 1999, but only recently moved into a space off Main Street, where Books and Books moved in a couple months ago.

Since then, "I heart The Open Book" t-shirts have been made, signs in other stores promoting Open Book have been posted and someone (no one's naming names) supposedly vandalized Books and Books books with chewing gum.

"I have a lot of clients who just will not shop in there," Erin Finley, the owner of catering company Sydney's, told the Times of Books & Books. "It's really hard with Barnes & Noble and Borders and everybody else. She didn't need competition right there on Main Street."

Some protesters even sent a letter of complaint to the American Booksellers Association, to which the association replied that they "don't regulate the openings of bookstores."

Jack McKeown, who owns the Westhampton Books and Books (the store is an independent franchise and not run by Books and Books founder Mitchell Kaplan), said he has been treated unfairly by a small number of people, but that business is good - busier than he expected. 

Sure, it's a small town, everyone's friendly, we get it. But selling books, like anything else, is a business. And in business (unless you're Google or a Socialist), there's competition. Westhampton should be happy that they have two independently owned establishments from which to buy books.

We book lovers in Miami wish we had to make t-shirts.


 

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