As Bookends & Beginnings prepared for its grand re-opening Saturday morning, a line of customers began knocking at its door. Owner Nina Barrett straightened a few final books before swinging the doors open almost 10 minutes early.

In flowed a stream of familiar faces.

“This is a dream come true,” Barrett said, snapping pictures of the clamoring crowd. “I feel like I died and am in heaven.”

But Barrett’s dream started out more like a nightmare. After a developer acquired the store’s old Bookman’s Alley location, they more than doubled Barrett’s rent — a price staff said the business could not afford. Just days before Thanksgiving, the developer served an eviction notice to the beloved local bookstore, Ald. Clare Kelly (1st) said. Bookends left the old location in January, moving to 1620 Orrington Ave.

Customers at the new location are greeted by a Bookends & Beginnings very much unlike the old one. Gone are the hand-me-down shelves and slanted floors of Bookman’s Alley. Replacing them are big windows and a mural painted by Barrett’s two sons.

Jordi Kleiner, who described himself as a regular customer, said he’ll miss the creak of the floors in the old location as he walked through the poetry section.

Still, Kleiner said he’s excited by the new store, describing it as more modern and accessible. The smell, in particular, endeared the new location to him.

“Books have smells in a way that e-books just don’t,” he said, sniffing a copy of Colm Tóibín’s “The Magician.” 

Sitting in the main window is a horse named Stormy from Navy Pier’s old carousel. Orrington landlord Lynn Robinson said Bookends kept the building’s original trim from 1927. Barrett said she’s planning to eventually add a bar, envisioning customers stopping for a beer and a book after work.

Although Bookends survived the rent increase, Kelly said not every business can do so. While such a dramatic increase is unusual, she said rising rents are a problem in Evanston as developers buy more retail spaces.

Kelly and Barrett said they worry rents will continue forcing out small businesses that give downtown Evanston its character.

“The frustrating thing about (Bookends’) rent increase is it’s not just me,” Barrett said. “Small businesses are getting pushed out by developers who don’t understand the history of the community and frankly don’t care.”

Barrett said she’s lucky to have Robinson as her new landlord. Robinson, a fourth generation Evanston resident, said Bookends’ value extends beyond just rent: it’s an asset to the Evanston community.

To move to the Orrington location, Barrett raised more than $110,000 from Bookends’ supporters on GoFundMe. Evanston also provided $83,000 in funding to the store. 

“It was beautiful but not surprising,” Mayor Daniel Biss said of the crowdfunding. “It shows this community loves this bookstore, and this community is generous.”

But Kelly said community donations aren’t enough to address the larger problem. Instead, she said the city should help negotiate long-term leases between landlords and established businesses.

For employees of the store, community support hasn’t freed the transition from stress. After closing the Bookman’s Alley location on Jan. 28, the store had to move roughly 40,000 books to the new store, according to Barrett.

Brooke Williams, the children’s section manager, said that though the experience exhausted her, it was ultimately worth the effort.

“To open the doors and see our regulars come in — it was like, ‘Oh, yeah. That’s why we did this,’” she said.

Williams added that she feels like she’s grown up with some of the children who frequent the store, first recommending them kids’ books and now offering young adult novels. She said the new location will let Bookends grow.

The new look didn’t change much for Biss, who said he often brought his kids to the old Bookends.

“Ultimately, I’m attracted to the books and the people more than the address,” Biss said.

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Twitter: @charcole27

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