TULSA, Okla. — Many independent bookstores across the country are changing the way they do business during the pandemic.
"You know we'd always said we never wanted an online store because we're a bricks and mortar bookstore. We were kind of resistant to that, but times change and we needed to change that," says Jeff Martin, the executive director of Magic City Books.
The shop at the corner of Archer and Detroit has transitioned its model to online in order to follow social distancing guidelines and avoid crowds of 10 or more.
Its doors were shut down to the public on St. Patrick's Day and moved to doing curbside pickup, until it eventually moved to online only.
"If we open and people don’t feel like coming here because they’re not comfortable or they don’t feel like we’re making the right decisions or taking the right steps, then that’s not going to work," explains Martin.
He says it's taken some adjustment to the everyday foot-traffic and interacting with customers in person; however, they've been having success in the initiatives they've implemented.
They started offering literary care packages for $50. Each box has a hand-picked selection of books based on your preferences.
"I think we’ve sent these care packages to at least 30 plus states around the country," says Martin.
In addition, the bookstore offers poetry packs for $20 that are mailed to the customer and a book-a-month program for new release fiction books.
Magic City Books is also hosting virtual author chats via Zoom every Monday and Thursday night.
"It’s gonna be different every time, something for everybody. Hopefully if you’re interested in one specific thing, there might be one or two things over the next couple of months that you might be into," says Martin.
Last week, they had a chat with American best-selling author John Grisham about his new book "Camino Winds."
"I’m very methodical. I plot the story out, outline it, and when I start, I know where I’m going," says Grisham during the live video.
These virtual weekly chats are ways to stay connected to readers, and they plan on doing it for the next few months.
Another way you can support this independent bookstore is by shopping through its online catalog. Martin says they'll also resume curbside pickup on May 11 and bring back its solo shopping experience on May 14.
"People can book an hour and have the whole store to themselves," adds Martin, "And just shop on their own."
The book shop's indoor cafe will remain closed until further notice. The tentative date to open to the public is June 1, and it'll start with limited capacity.
While it might take weeks or even months to get back into a normal routine, Martin says they are very grateful for the community's ongoing support.
If you would like more information on services offered by Magic City Books and how to support the bookstore, check out their website. You can also follow them on Facebook.
This is one of several local small businesses we've highlighted in our "We're Open Green Country" series. Visit our website, for a full list of businesses
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