Flood-affected bookstores in St. Louis and Kentucky need your help.
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation (BINC)—which helps bookstore owners and employees with unforeseen emergency financial needs—is this week urging people to donate money to help a number of flood-ravaged bookstores in St. Louis and eastern Kentucky.
Recent torrential rains in the region have had a devastating impact on independent bookstores like the Book House, the owners of which lost their home and car to a flash flood, and Left Bank Books, which was flooded by storm sewer water in July.
“We have taken a loss, though I can’t say yet how bad,” owner Kris Kleindienst wrote in an open letter to customers. “We’ve lost books, fixtures, carpet, supplies, and critical revenue. It will take a while to know how much.”
As an added incentive to potential donors, authors Kate DiCamillo, Ann Patchett, Will Schwalbe, and Garth Stein have promised to match gifts up to $15,000.
If you can spare it, please consider donating today.
[via Publishers Weekly]
