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OPEN LETTER FROM MODERN TIMES BOOKSTORE
This coming October, Modern Times Bookstore, an independent, collectively owned and operated progressive bookstore in San Francisco's mission district, will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. For a while, we weren’t sure we would even make it through the summer and we are now asking for help to move forward for another 35 years. We believe that the survival of our store is critical as the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan stagnate, while at home immigrants face heightened repression and the “war on terror” compromises our civil liberties.
Dear Friends,
This coming October, Modern Times Bookstore will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. We are proud and excited, and also relieved; for a while, we weren’t sure we would even make it through the summer. We are now asking your help to move forward for another 35 years.
As you may know, these are perilous times for independent bookstores. In the past month alone, two landmark Bay Area bookstores have announced closure. Each of these stores has suffered sharp declines in sales over the past five years. Although Modern Times has experienced a similar decline, we have no intention of letting our doors close. Instead we have chosen to meet the challenge and we are calling on our creative energy, commitment, and determination to do so. Knowing that every other independent has been suffering the same declines in revenue, it is startling to realize we may be one of the few stores left standing. We attribute this to our collective work model and to the loyal support of our community.
The Modern Times Collective believes that the survival of our store is critical as the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan stagnate, while at home immigrants face heightened repression and the “war on terror” compromises our civil liberties. Modern Times is willing to carry a depth and range of titles that you just can’t find at mainstream bookstores. Most importantly, though, we are a community nexus and a center for the exchange of ideas. Our collective vision for the next 35 years involves more than just being an independent bookstore in a vibrant neighborhood. We offer a democratic workplace based on collective decision-making as well as an alternative institution that invites dialogue, thought, and differing views. By keeping these ideas at the center of all that we do, we believe we are working on the front lines against cultural homogenization, within a movement of movements.
WHAT WE ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN:
In order to combat the emerging realities of the changing market we have been actively constructing a new business model. The new model will include such changes as diversifying our inventory by adding used books, formally renting out our back room as a meeting and classroom space, seeking sponsors to “adopt” sections of the store, and other strategies. We are also excited to announce a new collaboration with New College of California. This collaboration will include joint events, the use of Modern Times as an adjunct classroom space, and partnering on a fundraising party in October to celebrate our mutual anniversaries. We see the combination of New College, the Roxie Film Center, and Modern Times Bookstore as a natural synergy given our physical and ideological proximity, our histories, and our similar visions for the future.
As we look towards the future of Modern Times, the collective renews our commitment to the dissemination of information and ideas generated by the many communities we are proud to support. Those ideas come from you—the writers, activists, organizers, academics, cultural workers and thoughtful readers who make up our community of support. In honor of this, we plan to intensify our engagement with a return to more active political participation.
And now we really need your help! The changes we are proposing are absolutely essential to our survival, but they will require investment. We are making plans for a large fundraising celebration in October for our 35th Anniversary, but we need to be doing more. We are seeking support from our customers, members, authors, and friends in order to stay open and continue to be part of an important cultural moment.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
On the most basic level, the only thing that keeps us in business is people buying books. The more book purchases you make at Modern Times, the stronger we become. Something as simple as choosing Modern Times over the midnight comfort of on-line book purchases can make a significant difference. We will special order any book we do not carry on our shelves and help you find those that we do as best we can.
But there are other ways you can help us:
-- Sponsor a section of the bookstore. For a cost of $200 and up you can become a general store sponsor, and for $500 and up you can adopt a specific section. In recognition, a plaque listing all donors will be hung in the store along with a personal nametag on your chosen section. All sponsors will be acknowledged at our 35th Anniversary Fundraising event. Visit our Web site or contact Brenda O’Sullivan (moderntimesbookstore [at] hotmail.com) for more details and a list of our sections.
-- General donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated. Through our new arrangement with New College, all donations are tax deductible. Checks should be made out to New College of California with the words “Modern Times Fund” on the memo line.
-- Get your organization to buy Modern Times Book Sense Gift Cards in quantity. These cards can be used at other independent bookstores in the Bay Area and around the country. They are an excellent way for your workplace to show appreciation to employees, volunteers, students, etc.
-- Become a member! Get 10% off all purchases and our events calendar in the mail for $25 a year. If you are already a member, please consider upgrading to a lifetime membership for $300 (which will also get your name on our plaque).
-- Donate equipment (or put us in contact with others who can). Our wish list currently consists of a new PA system, new carpeting, a new paint job for the front of the store, a hanging sign for the front of our store, and another computer. Contact Nick Ott (nick [at] moderntimesbookstore.com) if you can help.
-- If you belong to a group or institution, consider renting our back room as a meeting space. Contact Amie Fishman (amie [at] moderntimesbookstore.com).
-- Likewise, if your institution needs to do a book buy, please consider Modern Times for your purchases. We do give discounts for large quantity orders.
Please help us continue our work as an activist, creative, independent bookstore. Funding to implement our new business plan is critical to our continued presence. With the right investment in our future, we plan to not only survive, but to grow. Here’s to the next 35 years!
With sincerest regards,
The Modern Times Bookstore Collective
Amie Fishman, Nick Ott, Brenda O’Sullivan, Peta Pottinger,
Ruth Mahaney & Michael Rosenthal
888 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415/282-9246
http://www.moderntimesbookstore.com
This coming October, Modern Times Bookstore will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. We are proud and excited, and also relieved; for a while, we weren’t sure we would even make it through the summer. We are now asking your help to move forward for another 35 years.
As you may know, these are perilous times for independent bookstores. In the past month alone, two landmark Bay Area bookstores have announced closure. Each of these stores has suffered sharp declines in sales over the past five years. Although Modern Times has experienced a similar decline, we have no intention of letting our doors close. Instead we have chosen to meet the challenge and we are calling on our creative energy, commitment, and determination to do so. Knowing that every other independent has been suffering the same declines in revenue, it is startling to realize we may be one of the few stores left standing. We attribute this to our collective work model and to the loyal support of our community.
The Modern Times Collective believes that the survival of our store is critical as the U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan stagnate, while at home immigrants face heightened repression and the “war on terror” compromises our civil liberties. Modern Times is willing to carry a depth and range of titles that you just can’t find at mainstream bookstores. Most importantly, though, we are a community nexus and a center for the exchange of ideas. Our collective vision for the next 35 years involves more than just being an independent bookstore in a vibrant neighborhood. We offer a democratic workplace based on collective decision-making as well as an alternative institution that invites dialogue, thought, and differing views. By keeping these ideas at the center of all that we do, we believe we are working on the front lines against cultural homogenization, within a movement of movements.
WHAT WE ARE DOING TO KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN:
In order to combat the emerging realities of the changing market we have been actively constructing a new business model. The new model will include such changes as diversifying our inventory by adding used books, formally renting out our back room as a meeting and classroom space, seeking sponsors to “adopt” sections of the store, and other strategies. We are also excited to announce a new collaboration with New College of California. This collaboration will include joint events, the use of Modern Times as an adjunct classroom space, and partnering on a fundraising party in October to celebrate our mutual anniversaries. We see the combination of New College, the Roxie Film Center, and Modern Times Bookstore as a natural synergy given our physical and ideological proximity, our histories, and our similar visions for the future.
As we look towards the future of Modern Times, the collective renews our commitment to the dissemination of information and ideas generated by the many communities we are proud to support. Those ideas come from you—the writers, activists, organizers, academics, cultural workers and thoughtful readers who make up our community of support. In honor of this, we plan to intensify our engagement with a return to more active political participation.
And now we really need your help! The changes we are proposing are absolutely essential to our survival, but they will require investment. We are making plans for a large fundraising celebration in October for our 35th Anniversary, but we need to be doing more. We are seeking support from our customers, members, authors, and friends in order to stay open and continue to be part of an important cultural moment.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
On the most basic level, the only thing that keeps us in business is people buying books. The more book purchases you make at Modern Times, the stronger we become. Something as simple as choosing Modern Times over the midnight comfort of on-line book purchases can make a significant difference. We will special order any book we do not carry on our shelves and help you find those that we do as best we can.
But there are other ways you can help us:
-- Sponsor a section of the bookstore. For a cost of $200 and up you can become a general store sponsor, and for $500 and up you can adopt a specific section. In recognition, a plaque listing all donors will be hung in the store along with a personal nametag on your chosen section. All sponsors will be acknowledged at our 35th Anniversary Fundraising event. Visit our Web site or contact Brenda O’Sullivan (moderntimesbookstore [at] hotmail.com) for more details and a list of our sections.
-- General donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated. Through our new arrangement with New College, all donations are tax deductible. Checks should be made out to New College of California with the words “Modern Times Fund” on the memo line.
-- Get your organization to buy Modern Times Book Sense Gift Cards in quantity. These cards can be used at other independent bookstores in the Bay Area and around the country. They are an excellent way for your workplace to show appreciation to employees, volunteers, students, etc.
-- Become a member! Get 10% off all purchases and our events calendar in the mail for $25 a year. If you are already a member, please consider upgrading to a lifetime membership for $300 (which will also get your name on our plaque).
-- Donate equipment (or put us in contact with others who can). Our wish list currently consists of a new PA system, new carpeting, a new paint job for the front of the store, a hanging sign for the front of our store, and another computer. Contact Nick Ott (nick [at] moderntimesbookstore.com) if you can help.
-- If you belong to a group or institution, consider renting our back room as a meeting space. Contact Amie Fishman (amie [at] moderntimesbookstore.com).
-- Likewise, if your institution needs to do a book buy, please consider Modern Times for your purchases. We do give discounts for large quantity orders.
Please help us continue our work as an activist, creative, independent bookstore. Funding to implement our new business plan is critical to our continued presence. With the right investment in our future, we plan to not only survive, but to grow. Here’s to the next 35 years!
With sincerest regards,
The Modern Times Bookstore Collective
Amie Fishman, Nick Ott, Brenda O’Sullivan, Peta Pottinger,
Ruth Mahaney & Michael Rosenthal
888 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415/282-9246
http://www.moderntimesbookstore.com
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