A new chapter is unfolding in Evanston’s literary landscape with the opening of Middles Used Books, a pop-up shop specializing in used stories. The venture is an expansion of the independent bookstore, Bookends & Beginnings.
The new store will soft launch Wednesday at 1630 Orrington Ave.
A playful suggestion from one of founder Nina Barrett’s (Medill ’87) sons sparked the new store’s name. Capitalizing on the “bookends” theme, her son asked her, “You already have Bookends & Beginnings, why don’t you call it Middles?”
Several factors drove the decision to open Middles. The used book room in Bookends & Beginnings was consistently overflowing, with a surplus of donations from customers.
“There are a lot of people who are downsizing or emptying out a parent’s house and don’t want to throw out their books,” Barrett said. “They want their books to go on and have another life.”
The pressure didn’t stop there. Barrett said some customers were only interested in the used book room. It became evident that the demand for used books extended beyond what the current space could offer.
There was also a clear demand for a wider selection of used books in Evanston, particularly after Market Fresh Books closed before the pandemic, Barrett said.
“People felt that was a loss,” she said.
Barrett founded Bookends & Beginnings in 2014 after the closure of Bookman’s Alley, an antiquarian bookstore that once occupied the same alleyway location.
She had written about Bookman’s Alley during her time at the Medill School of Journalism and felt a deep connection to the space, she said. After Bookman’s closed, Barrett saw an opportunity to fill a void in the Evanston book scene. Her vision was to create a space offering a wide selection of new and old books alike that catered to the diverse interests of the community.
“I always felt that Evanston should have a college town bookstore,” said Barrett.
The name “Bookends & Beginnings” came to Barrett in a flash of inspiration — part pun, part representation of her belief that “every book is a new beginning.”
Over the past 10 years, Bookends & Beginnings has become not just a bookstore, but a gathering place for book lovers and “a vital presence in the community,” according to Kate Spector, a frequent customer of Bookends since its opening.
According to Barrett, the store has a newsletter membership of 23,000 and has weathered several challenges, including the proposed development of the Northlight Theatre tower in late 2017, which would have spelled doom for Bookends and its neighbors. COVID-19 and the more recent rent increase forced the store to move to its current home at 1620 Orrington Ave. last year.
The opening of Middles Used Books, just a short distance from the original store, is a testament to Bookends’ enduring success and its responsiveness to community needs, Barrett said.
“Bookstores like Bookends are a great place to have the community come together,” said Alaska Fu, a hotel reviewer visiting from Chicago.
Barrett acknowledged that shops like Squeezebox on Main Street and Amaranth on Davis Street do “a great job” in their respective fields, but she said she sees a space for more contemporary books rather than the rare and old volumes those stores specialize in. The final push for Middles came when Barrett realized that the designated space at Bookends & Beginnings didn’t provide the experience that a used bookstore should.
“In a used bookstore, you should be able to wander around a little bit and really spend some time browsing,” said Barrett.
According to Barrett, the anticipation surrounding Middles’ opening is palpable.
“People are literally banging the door down there,” she said.
Many people have dropped off their old books to Middles, providing a collection for future customers to enjoy. After delivering two bags full of her used books on Monday, Spector said she’s excited for the new store to open.
“When you come here, you’re getting a really pretty book that doesn’t cost a thousand dollars,” she said.
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