Lisa & Leon Martin – Global Book Mart

URL: http://www.gbmbooks.com

What is your purpose in starting an online book database (i.e., to help online booksellers, to get a database that does what you think a book database should do, because it’s a good business to be in, all of the above, none of the above, or ????).

Global Book Mart, in its new incarnation, is a continuation of our original philosophy and intent in launching Global Book Mart in 1999. We created a book database conceived by booksellers for the express purpose of maintaining an independent database that is not interested in creating a brand name for itself. GBM does not want to position itself between the bookseller and the customer, but instead to be a conduit for customers to find booksellers, and booksellers to attract customers.

GBM has always taken the stand that we must remain independent in order to serve our customers. This philosophy was developed from our perspective as booksellers who experienced the early days of online bookselling on Interloc onward, watching the evolution of the book database, with both the good and not-so-good consequences.

Is this a long-term commitment on your part? Where do you see yourself and your database in three years? 5 years?

This has been a commitment of more than 3 years to date. GBM publicly launched in 1999 with 85 dealers. GBM grew to more than 940 dealers with more than 4.6 million book records by August, 2000. Our hiatus from the online book industry was not voluntary.

In August of 2000, we learned that owning your equipment and owning your proprietary programming does not necessarily afford protection from unscrupulous parties. The computer programming firm retained to perform work on GBM demanded that we pay them approximately $187,000 which was not provided for in our contract, or in the alternative, to relinquish to them a controlling interest in GBM, or they would commandeer our equipment (which was physically housed in their facility to have a direct T1 connection), programming and data.

These same programmers used our equipment to pirate the GBM database and bookseller data for use on a website they registered, http://www.bookcrawler.net which included the use of all of our proprietary code and copyrighted materials, with the exception of changing the name. We were even told by one of these parties that should GBM booksellers not be willing to contract with their new site, these programmers intended to purchase inventory and duplicate the efforts of booksellers. We consulted our attorney and notified all of our booksellers of these events on August 10, 2000. Within 2 hours of our notifying our booksellers, the programmers physically unplugged our servers and severed communications. We want to again thank our customers who emailed, phoned and faxed our former programmers with cease and desist demands.

At this point, our world was turned upside down. In addition to withholding our property, these programmers managed to transfer registration of our URLs to a secondary registration company–which, while recognizing that Leon and I were listed as the owners of those URLs, would not release control of the URLs to us without the written permission of the party who transferred the registrations to them, our programmers, who, in turn, refused to do so.

Appeals to Network Solutions failed to resolve the control of the registration. Litigation and 18 months were required before we regained control of our URLs in March 2002. Ultimately, Leon and I have personally lost tens of thousands of dollars, and in order to pursue litigation, and rebuild our personal lives, sold our home and liquidated our book inventory.

We immediately commenced legal action against these parties. We are still engaged in that litigation. The defendants were ordered to return all of our property to us. The defendants failed to return our property and were held in contempt. However, the defendants have subsequently admitted in court hearings that they destroyed our equipment, code and other property upon receiving communications from our attorney. The court imposed sanctions upon the defendants, including striking a portion of their court pleadings. The case is awaiting a trial date on damages. We anticipate the trial to be scheduled for sometime this summer.

We are rebuilding GBM for the long-term. Our goal is to continue to evolve to meet the needs and desires of booksellers and their customers as those needs and desires change over time.

What lister book database inventory programs do you/will you support?

GBM will support all book inventory programs. Additionally, as in the past, we will add new formats from individual booksellers on an as requested basis.

What are your upload procedures? Deletion procedures? Are “wants” listings available? For sale matches? Are any additions/changes planned?

Uploads will be available via FTP (and we will offer a downloadable FTP interface), as well as a custom, onsite upload interface.

We will offer a wants listing/matching service for booksellers and customers.

What customer service (for both sellers and buyers) do you/will you have?

As always, booksellers and customers alike, will be able to contact GBM via email, fax or phone. When you contact customer service, you deal directly with Leon and myself, the owners. The buck stops here. We currently have a feedback option on our site, and will continue to do so. We encourage booksellers and customers to contact us.

Will you/do you have any quality (i.e., descriptions, shipping, and/or customer service) standards for your listers? If so, what will be/are the consequences of violating those standards?

We have always included bookseller guidelines as a condition of participation with GBM. Should customers experience unsatisfactory transactions, then we encourage them to contact us for investigation. Should a bookseller demonstrate an inability or unwillingness to perform to industry standards, then GBM has the choice of terminating our relationship with that dealer. By the same token, as long-term booksellers, we understand the realities of bookselling and customer relations. As such, we have a realistic understanding of such situations and are hopefully in a position to make reasonable conclusions based on the facts presented to us.

What are your technical arrangements (in non-technical language, please) to ensure reliability of service? Future growth? Additional services?

We have state-of-the-art equipment (light-years ahead of what we had previously), we have a direct DS3 line (the equivalent of 28 T1 lines) as well as satellite capabilities in the near future. Having direct access ensures the highest level of up-time–subject to the phone lines, and whether a backhoe cuts a line somewhere between here and a particular user. Our equipment is expandable for future growth. Our available capacity allows for nearly exponential growth rates. This also allows advanced services such as website hosting, image hosting, etc.

Will you/do you have the capability of taking credit card info for orders? If so, what can you tell us about the safety procedures you have or will have in place to ensure the security of such info?

GBM will provide a secure server for the storage of customer credit card information. As before, dealers will have to log on to the GBM secure server to retrieve that information in order to process their credit card sales transactions.

Do you ever plan to process credit card orders through your database (rather than simply passing on the info to the lister) and, if so, will the lister or buyer bear the processing cost, and how long will it take to get payment to the lister?

No.

Do you have any plans for programs associated with your database which would involve anything other than direct contact between seller and buyer?

No.

Do you have or do you plan to have an “all word search” capability?

Yes, it is called ‘exact’ match in our search parameters and works in multiple fields, as well as partial word(s), starting and ending search features as well.

What search capabilities does your database have now? What is planned for the future?

Search parameters include title, author, price, keywords, publisher, ISBN, (or any combination thereof) all of which can be sorted by those variables or in reverse order.

On what will you base your listing fees? What fees do you have now or plan to have?

We will have a flat monthly listing fee, without a restriction on the number of records. We will offer additional services, such as website hosting, image hosting, etc, which will be optional for booksellers.

Do you plan to have or now have your database searched by Addall or Bookfinder or any other mega-search site?

Yes.

How do you plan to advertise your database (both to draw listers and buyers)?

Our philosophy on advertising has not changed. You won’t see full-page ads for GBM in the New York Times. Our experience has been that advertising and networking that builds word-of-mouth is the most successful. As before, we will pursue online links, advertising and networking which successfully drives online buyers to a site. We will also focus on building word of mouth via sources that book buyers will encounter. Finally, networking with booksellers, and promotion of use of GBM for their customers will be pursued, including booksellers who are not online sellers. We will continue to offer bookmarks, mugs, shirts, etc. to our sellers and customers.

What background or experience do you or other people involved with your database have that relates to the online book or online book database business?

Leon and Lisa Martin have managed and owned open bookstores since 1991, and have been online booksellers since 1996. We made the jump to database owners in 1999. In other business and professional experience: Leon has previously worked in retail and service management, owned and operated a hazardous materials cleanup and excavation business, and owned a computer hardware business; Lisa is an attorney, having practiced in the area of employment law, as well as many years in public interest law.

Do you or are you planning to have professional management, bookseller management, or????

We will continue to own and operate GBM. Leon and Lisa personally manage GBM operations. That will not change. Period.

What markets (geographical and/or demographic) are you aiming at?

As always, GBM is focused upon cultivation of a global clientele for our booksellers and to promote the globalization of the online book buying community, including our multi-lingual features.

What services/features does your database have that you feel sets you apart and/or will ensure the success of your database?

GBM has always been an innovative, independent book database. That attitude and forward-looking perspective continues today. We will offer the services we had before, but now with a faster site. Additionally, during our hiatus, we have had the opportunity to reflect upon the state of the online book database and new projects are in development.

Thoughts on a Friends Passing – Leonard W. Lanfranco

People will gather in George Rogers Park, the lower level, around 11:30 the morning of Friday, May 10, 2002. The park is located on the western end of Lake Oswego, between the lake and the Williamette River, in the greater Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. I wish I could join them.

These people will be family and friends of Dr. Leonard W. Lanfranco. The gathering will be to share memories, stories, and thoughts about, and to celebrate the life of Len Lanfranco. Like countless others, my own life is a little richer because I came into contact with this man.

Leonard W. Lanfranco was born in Oakland, California, June 12, 1939. Len died from a brain aneurysm April 30, 2002. The important stuff happened between these two dates.

It is difficult to sum up a persons life. How do you judge what is important? What are the things that count?

I suspect the most important event in Lens life occurred in Vancouver, Washington, on May 1, 1965, when he married Mardell Flewelling. For Len and Mardell, their daughters and granddaughter this date was critical. The day following his death they would have celebrated 37 years of marriage.

As important as Lens wedding date was to him and his family, the rest of us probably need to look a little farther.

Most summations of a lifetime concentrate on the persons accomplishments. If this were the measure Len would indeed be worthy of praise and respect. His life was filled with important tasks attempted and achieved.

Len’s professional, educational, and intellectual achievements were outstanding. His degrees were from leading universities in his field. His professional accomplishments were in responsible, difficult positions with respected institutions, and he succeeded wherever he went. This was a man who undertook important tasks, and completed them.

You can often tell a lot about a person by looking at the investment they make of their time, outside of the office.

Len came through in this arena also. He was willing to back his ideas and convictions with time and effort. I met Len when IOBAs former president Deb Graham, told me she had a great new member whom I needed to get involved with IOBA. I called him and we emailed back and forth for several days. I had recently been elected to succeed Deb, and was looking for intelligent, motivated people to fill a few slots on IOBAs board.

I asked Len to take on the task of PR Committee Chair, and to sit on IOBA’s board. Len’s mother had died shortly before I contacted him and he was wrapping up her affairs. Len had a history of heart problems. When we met he had just gone through a change of medication that caused him difficulties and loss of energy. He battled the heart problems throughout our acquaintance, but very seldom complained. In addition to these personal challenges, Len was in the process of conducting his annual Oregon Book Fair. Most people would have told me their plate was full, and to find someone else for the job.

Lens only request was that I give him two weeks to wrap up a few of his loose ends before taking on this new assignment. This was typical of the man. His life consistently reflected a high level of commitment. His efforts for IOBA more than met my expectations.

He gave IOBA his energy, his intelligence, and his tremendous good will. Personally, I learned to consider him a friend, a trusted confidant, and advisor.

Lens commitments were undertaken with purpose and resolve. He was a founder of the American Advertising Museum, and served as a member of its board of directors. His other involvements show a consistent pattern of thoughtful, compassionate commitment. When needed he was willing to battle for his causes.

When the Oswego City Council moved in 1999 to change and reduce its commitment to the public library, Len Lanfranco was in front of the council. His recorded testimony is intelligent, insightful, and well organized. Although I wasnt in the council chambers, I am sure it was also presented clearly and confidently.

In 1991 when the Oregon Senate Committee on the Judiciary considered changes to the states law on public access to legal documents, Len was there, testifying clearly on the potential effects of the law, and their consequences. On numerous other occasions, Len took stands to defend principles. He believed ideas were important, and he was willing to stand and be counted.

These involvements are important parts of a persons life. Perhaps even more important are the other lives one touches, and how these touches affect others.

Here again Len made a difference. I only knew him at the end of his journey. When I met Len he was a mature, considerate, gentle souled man. This was not a secret I alone discovered. I have contacted dozens of Lens acquaintances. Each has told me of his generosity of spirit, and the high value they placed on the friendship of this good man. These contacts go back more than forty years.

Dr. G.T Hurley was Lens professor at Cal State in the early 1960s. Despite the thousands of faces that have come and gone since, Dr. Hurley still retains detailed, warm memories of a bright, motivated young man with the world in front of him. Len Lanfranco touched peoples lives wherever he went, and those people remember him with love, respect and admiration.

So after all, what is important? What is the true measure of a man? We each decide upon our own set of values. For myself, I believe that what we do with our lives has meaning, that our dealings with each other are important, and that in the end it is what we do with what we were given that counts.

Len was able to “talk with crowds and keep (his ) virtue”, and “walk with kings” without losing the “common touch “. He definitely forced his “heart and nerve and sinew to serve (his) turn long after they were gone,” and he “(filled) the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run.”

I believe Kipling would have called him a man. I know I called him friend.

Leonard Lanfranco, I’m glad I met you.

Len’s family has requested that any donations be given in Len’s memory to either:

Friends of the Lake Oswego Library 706 Fourth Street Lake Oswego, OR 97034

or

Oregon Donor Program PO Box 532 Portland, OR 97207

Comments from a few of Lens Friends

• Greg & Julia Williams, Booksellers (IOBA) – I met Len through the IOBA. Soon after I joined, I volunteered for the PR committee, and over the past few months, Len and I had worked closely on creating some IOBA promotional material.After trading a few emails, it became readily apparent that Len was a bright, sociable and kind individual. I soon discovered that he was also gracious and generous, eager to praise and recognize the contributions of others. Our correspondence focused on the IOBA, but as we got to know each other a little bit better, we started to chat about numerous other topics, and I thoroughly enjoyed our correspondence.My wife and I will be permanently relocating to Portland later this summer. When Len learned about our plans, he was extremely enthusiastic and genuinely excited for us (despite the already-overwhelming influx of ex-Angelenos into the area). He made us feel so welcome, and it was comforting to know that the minute we stepped off the plane, we’d already have someone to call a friend in our unfamiliar new home. We’re tremendously saddened that we’ll no longer have the opportunity to get to know Len better, and our hearts go out to his family and friends.

• Pat Ahearn, Quill & Brush – Although I never had the pleasure of meeting Len in person, I did correspond with him many times over the last few years. He was very knowledgeable, an excellent writer and had a delightful sense of humor. His professional experience in the PR field and as a senior trade association executive was a wonderful benefit to our organization. Len offered IOBA’s Board excellent professional help whenever and wherever it was needed. He will be missed.

• Jerry Blaz, The Bookie Joint – It is, indeed, a terrible loss. It is also a terrible loss to IOBA. As a member-at-large I have seen that it is not easy to get people to give of themselves to volunteer their time and talents. Len was a member of that elite group that did volunteer their time and talents, and so even if most of us knew him only as a virtual personality, all of IOBA is lesser because of his passing. May Len LanFranco, of blessed memory, rest in peace.

• Shirley Bryant, Authors & Artists – Len was generous with his time, knowledge, and help. Back in January, 2002, when I was trying to organize sending thousands of books to the Afghanistan University Library to replace those ruined during their years of war, Len volunteered information on shipping methods and was trying to contact people he knew who could perhaps help with the logistics of actually getting the books directly to the Libray. The project got put on hold as, for the time being, there isn’t a way around their political situation, but I very much appreciated Len’s generosity and help. This seems to have been typical behavior for Len, and all of those of us whose lives he touched will miss him.

• Pat Holt, Holt Uncensored Newsletter – I worked with Len only one time, when he invited me to speak at the Fair in 1999. I vividly recall the exhibit floor as a living, breathing, organic thing that seemed to percolate with energy and love for books because Len himself was personally attentive to everyone’s needs. He knew so much about trends and issues in the industry that I followed him around taking notes as he feverishly gestured to this booth and that to illustrate his point, that change was coming to this field and we all better be prepared. He took me out to dinner with his friendly and welcoming family and made me – truly a novice to the trade – feel as much at home as if I had been coming to the Fair all my life.

Dr. Leonard W. Lanfranco

Professional Background

1996 – 2002 : Owner & Operator – Oregon Antiquarian Book Fair, Oswego, Oregon

1996 – 2002 : Owner & Operator – Columbia Books, Oswego, Oregon

1985 – 1995 : Executive Director – Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association, Portland, Oregon

1981 – 1985 : Executive Director – Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Columbia, South Carolina

1970 – 1981 : Chairman, Department of Journalism, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina

1967 – 1970 : Faculty – School of Journalism, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

1965 – 1967 : Faculty – Department of Communications, Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington

1958 – 1965 : Management – Contra Costa Times, Walnut Creek, California ; Oakland Tribune, Oakland, California ; Antioch Ledger, Antioch, California ; Columbia Missourian, Columbia, Missouri

Education

Ph.D, School of Journalism, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

M.S., School of Journalism, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon

B.A., California State University, Hayward, California

Civic Involvement

Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA) – Chair PR Committee, Board of Directors

Lake Oswego Friends of the Library

Lake Oswego Heritage Council

Oregon Heritage Museum, Board of Directors

Oregon 4-H Foundation, Board of Directors

Oregon Donor Foundation, Board of Directors

American Advertising Museum, Founder, Member of Board of Directors

Joyce Meskis of Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

Joyce, you’ve evidently been fighting for First Amendment rights for quite some time. What first got you started in fighting censorship of the written word and freedom of speech, i.e., what personal beliefs or experiences have you had that made you a strong proponent of First Amendment rights?

It probably dates back to my childhood. My parents were very keen on reading and my mother took me at a very early age to story hours at the library. I spent a lot of time reading as a child. Along the way I became aware of censorship issues. There was a big brouhaha over Grace Metalious’s Peyton Place when I was a teenager, and of course, the term “banned in Boston” was referenced in conversations having to do with censorship issues historically. There was also the matter of the “red scare” in those days, the McCarthy hearings, whether information about communism should be made available in the schools, …. I could never imagine why people would want to censor material, because I felt strongly then (as I do now) that our governmental system is based on the access to and debate of ideas of all kinds. In order to have an informed citizenry, they need the freedom to read. People don’t just need to have access to the ideas with which they agree, but also those with which they might disagree. Don’t we want to know what the other side is thinking?

Well, one thing just led to another. When I shifted my major in college from math to English literature, I had an independent study course where I read a lot of the social critics, and I also took a course in Milton and read the Areopagitica, which is his treatise on freedom of the press. And I got into the issues of those times with respect to the tensions between the government and its people. Of course, our own country was in its infancy then, but it’s easy to see how those events in England affected the thinking of the colonists here, and subsequently the formation of our own governing documents.

Do you think of yourself as a feminist, or just a strong believer in those First Amendment rights?

The latter, but I am certainly a person who believes in equal rights for women on all fronts.

It sounds as though you’ve had to fight both “officialdom”(in the form of a lawsuit to fight subpoenas by the North Metro Task Force of customer records relating to material found during a raid on a methamphetamine lab), attempts by individuals or groups of citizens to censor what books you carried in your store, i.e., The Satanic Verses in 1989, you forming the Colorado Citizens Against Censorship and leading a successful campaign against laws permitting easier labeling of material as obscene in 1994, and having controversial authors signing books at your store–most notably overcoming author protests in 1992 canceling signings because of the anti-gay referendum passed by Colorado voters and your subsequent refusal to limit author signings to non-controversial authors . Have you ever had serious threats of violence made against you or your store because of these courageous stands?

We had veiled threats with the publication of Satanic Verses when we refused to remove it.

If so, what actions have you taken to protect yourself and your store?

It was the only time in my life where I checked the undercarriage of my car before I got into it. As far as the store goes, we had staff meetings to heighten awareness. And we were particularly watchful about unattended bags. We also tried to keep exposure limited with regard to the staff being photographed by the media. I was to be the main spokesperson. Another general manager was designated if I was unavailable.

Have there been picket lines, nasty letters, threats of lawsuits, etc.?

There certainly have been picket lines, but to date only at author signings is my recollection (Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton in particular). Yes, there have been nasty letters, too.

Has there been pressure against you or your business in other forms?

Certainly, there has been in the form of customers vowing never to shop in our store because we stock a particular book or host a particular author that they don’t like.

Have there been other lawsuits on such First Amendment rights involving you or your store?

Yes, a lawsuit in the early eighties; legislative challenges; a veto by the governor at one point; …. I would have to do some research to remember it all in the correct order.

And what did your lawyers tell you to do initially when your records were first subpoenaed (in relation to this present lawsuit)?

When we received the first “administrative subpena” I faxed it to Dan Recht, our attorney. He informed me that it was an administrative document and not enforceable (I, of course, wouldn’t have known this.). Dan and I know each other well. He knew that we would see this as a First Amendment issue. He also knows that we are law abiding and supportive of our law enforcement officers. However, given the First Amendment implications here, he knew that we would want to take this through the correct judicial process. So, we talked about it. Dan said that he would call the individual who served the “subpena” (yes, this spelling is correct, and it is the second spelling listed in Webster’s), saying that we were not required to comply with it and consequently wouldn’t. He suggested that the officer could pursue a real subpoena from a magistrate, and we would litigate it, moving to quash the subpoena. It was Dan’s impression that the officer indicated that he didn’t want to go that route. We thought the matter was over. But it wasn’t. The next step was a search warrant, which is immediately actionable. Fortunately for us Dan was able to persuade the officers and the Deputy Denver DA to hold off on the execution of the warrant. We filed for and got a temporary restraining order, and filed suit in the Denver District Court.

We’d also be interested in details about what support you have received. I know you received the prestigious William J. Brennan Award in 1996, and that the American Booksellers Foundation For Free Expression (ABFFE) has been collecting donations from booksellers to help defray your legal costs. I believe some authors also formed a support drive for you? Have there been other forms of support? And is there enough support to keep your lawsuit from being a real financial burden for you and The Tattered Cover? Has any pro bono legal help been offered to you?

Yes, we have had a lot of support and are very grateful to so many organizations and individuals. ABFFE, the various organizations that have signed on to Amicus briefs; Dan and his colleagues who are working at a fraction of their usual fees; publishers, booksellers, authors, readers who have offered words of encouragement and financial contributions to ABFFE; and many attorneys who have offered pro bono legal help have all played a significant role in this process.

Have these “threats” increased or decreased over the years (i.e., we tend to think we are becoming more tolerant of other peoples’ rights over time, but the events you’ve had to fight have happened in the last few years)?

Increased.

Have you seen any increase or decrease in business at your store since you became involved in fighting for First Amendment rights?

Well, we’ve fought for First Amendment rights for a very long time. It’s hard to say. Along the way we have had years of significant growth. But the marketplace pressures have been very difficult for the last several years for independent bookstores, the Tattered Cover included.

In a related vein, do you impose any censorship on yourself on the type of books you stock–i.e., are there any that, for whatever reason, you wouldn’t stock? If so, why (if not too nosy)?

No, we will provide access to any material that is constitutionally protected that comes through our regular distribution channels.

And do you have any specialties in the types of material you stock or are interested in carrying?

We’re a general bookstore, with perhaps a stronger emphasis on fiction, children’s and psychology books.

I understand you had another book store before you bought The Tattered Cover. What can you tell us about that experience?

It was a casualty of a planned community development that didn’t develop, a very heart wrenching and expensive experience.

And how and when did you first decide to become a book seller?

I got my first bookselling job in 1960 at my university book store, to help pay the tuition bills.

We all know The Tattered Cover is one of the largest independent book stores in the U.S. I believe it was quite small when you bought it. How did you grow it into such a large, prestigious store and business? And do you have any advice for other booksellers, whether online or bricks & mortar? What attributes or personality traits do you think are essential for a successful book store owner (or even an online bookseller)?

I’ll pass on this question, other than to say, one book at a time when it comes to growth. And the word “success” has an elusive definition when it comes to business life, particular the life of a bookseller. It’s always been hard, and that hasn’t changed. Perseverance and passion for the work helps. But nothing is ever guaranteed in business life. The circumstances in the life of each bookseller are different.

I understand that you once moved your book store with the help of your customers? How did this work?

Yes, actually it happened twice. They volunteered when they learned we were moving.

What’s your philosophy in running book stores, i.e, what sets your stores apart and makes you able to compete with the chains?

I’ll pass on this question, too, in the interest of time.

What do you see as the future of independent book stores? And, have online booksellers hurt bricks & mortar stores, in your experience? If so, has the harm been done by independent online booksellers, or by such “new” book online sellers as Amazon and Barnes & Noble?

This, too, is a question that we could discuss forever. I do believe that independent bookstores play an important role in their communities. While we have seen their market share decrease from ~31% to ~15% in ten years, the rate of decrease seems to have stablized somewhat. Of course we’re in a recession now, as well as in the aftermath of 9/11 so this doesn’t help keep the clouds out of my crystal ball. I think that information will move in the most user-friendly manner possible and that the distribution of that information will continue to change. Certainly, online booksellers in all forms are part of that information stream.

Do you ever intend to put your inventory online?

Yes, actually it was online when we developed our own website some years ago. That changed when we went with booksense.com a year or so ago. It’s my understanding that booksense is working with bookstores to provide that option.

Since your business has grown so much, with you now owning two book stores and a restaurant, do you still find the same satisfaction and love of dealing with books in your business, as it is now?

Yes.

We’d love to know more about you, as a person (most of what is public involved your involvement in protecting First Amendment rights). Please tell us anything you wish about you and your life, and thanks so much for participating in this interview!

I have two grown daughters and I like to cook when I have time. I live in a small loft right over pool table 14 at the Wynkoop Brewing Company with the best alley view in Denver. Whew! Are we done?

Interview by Shirley Bryant.