Friends of Burbank Public Library open new bookstore
The Friends of the Burbank Public Library is hoping that its new bookstore in the Central Library will help continue to fund the programs patrons have come to enjoy.
The bookstore, which is housed in a space at the back of the library, had its grand opening last Saturday and was filled with dozens of people who were eager to buy a new book.
Louise Paziak, the nonprofit’s president, said the concept of having a bookstore in a library is not new to Burbank.
The Buena Vista Branch Library has had a bookstore for 15 years, and after seeing the success of that store, Paziak said it was time for the Central Library to have one, too.
“We’ve been working on having a store at the Central Library for about two years, and now it’s finally open,” Paziak said. “It seems to be well-received by the community, so that’s encouraging.”
The main reason why it has taken so long for the Friends of the Burbank Public Library to establish a bookstore at the Central Library was a lack of space, Paziak said.
She said group members did not want to put the bookstore on the library’s second floor, where it would be difficult to find for some library-goers. An office near the audio-visual materials area eventually opened up, and the nonprofit swooped in and renovated it to be the new bookstore.
The goal of the bookstore, Paziak said, is to help fund programs and activities offered by the Burbank libraries, which include the summer reading clubs, movie nights and book clubs.
“There’s no room in the [library’s] budget for any of those things, so if it wasn’t for the Friends [of the Burbank Public Library], the libraries wouldn’t have any of those things,” Paziak said. “These days, the library is not just a depository of books. It’s a community gathering place. It’s really important to have these functions for children, teens, adults and seniors.”
She added that the bookstore at the Buena Vista branch brings in an average of about $4,000 a month.
anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
