Nestled on Larchmere Boulevard, just 11 minutes away from John Carroll University’s campus, is Loganberry Books. Harriet Logan, a book enthusiast, specifically for those that are rare and collectible, founded her bookstore in 1994. In the 30 years since its opening, the store has grown to include more than 150,000 books (60-70% of which are used), has become a medium to highlight local authors and has established itself as a place focused on community.
One of the most interesting aspects of Loganberry Books is its vast collections of rare/collectible and used books. There is something for everyone, from fiction to visual arts to children’s books to plays. However, their selection is unique because the used and new books from each section are mixed together and marked on the inside according to their condition. The exception is the “Sanctuary,” a nod to their beginnings, which houses all of the rare and collectible books. This section is set apart from the shop in the back of the store and decorated with the owner’s collection of vintage typewriters.
Another large piece of Loganberry Book’s identity lies in their community presence. Elisabeth Plumlee-Watson, the events and space manager, shared that “the most key day to day goal is being what the community needs us to be.”
”Both having books that people are going to want to read and find that they come looking for and equally, it not more so, having books that they don’t yet know that they want to find.” As she explained, this is an ongoing process of analyzing the community and adapting to what it best needs.
Plumlee-Watson shared that a key aspect of Loganberry Book’s community mission is to ensure that “everyone who lives locally here can come in and find a part of their lives or their history or their experience represented and reflected in the books that they can find here.”
One signature event that the store hosts as a way to engage with the community is called “Author Alley.” For the last 15 summers, the event has been an opportunity to spotlight local authors in front of the beautiful mural outside their building.
Loganberry Books also hosts “Holiday Stroll,” which takes place during Thanksgiving weekend. It is a wider community event with other stores along Larchmere Boulevard. The store invites one author per hour or hour and a half to highlight their recently published work.
In addition to community-wide events, Loganberry Books features in-house attractions including monthly installations by local artists at their Annex Gallery and a holiday pop-up shop during the holiday season.
Loganberry Books is committed to growing with the community and adapting to what it needs. When asked about how bookstores are remaining relevant in an age where people can find books online, Plumlee-Watson said, “We all still live in physical bodies…there is something that a physical space with physical books can provide physical bodies that the internet cannot.”
Additionally, she highlighted the importance of buying books: “You can interact with a book that you own in a way that you can’t if you borrow it from a library.”
If you go to JCU, this is a place that you should visit at least once in your four years. Authors from the university have been featured at Loganberry Books before, so you may even see a face you know there!
For example, George Bilgere, Ph.D., a professor in the English Department, has has his books sold at Loganberry Books and has done poetry readings there. When reflecting on the presence of small independent bookstores in the community, Bilgere shared an anecdote about their resilience.
“They [commercial bookstores] were crushing the little independent like Loganberry, but the digital era came, and those stores were slow to adapt. They all went down, leaving in the dust, still standing, Mac’s Backs [a local independent bookstore] and Loganberry…we are rich in great little stores.”
Phil Metres, Ph.D., a professor in the English department and the director of the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Program, also has been featured at Loganberry Books. When asked why independent bookstores are so vital for local authors and communities, Metres shared: “Anybody who has a book can go and ask them: will you host a reading? They are totally up for it, so they are absolutely vital to helping local writers share their work and create space for their work.”
There is also a running opportunity for people to sell their books to the store and earn cash or store credit, so perhaps students can do that. If nothing else, go in and see the owner’s and workers’ cats that come regularly to the store.
Lastly, make sure to stop at the store on Dec. 7 for their big 30th birthday party. There will be refreshments by vendors, authors, musicians and more!
