BookPeople
BookPeople is an independent bookstore in Austin, Texas, and the largest bookstore in the state of Texas.[1] It was founded in 1970 and has been voted the best bookstore by the Austin Chronicle every year since 1995 as of 2010.[2]
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BookPeople was voted Publishers Weekly's "Best Bookstore in the US 2005".[3] It is a member of the Austin Independent Business Alliance. It is also a member of the American Booksellers Association.[4]
History
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BookPeople was founded in 1970 by Michael Nills and originally named Grok Books in reference to Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. The book store eventually fell into the hands of Philip Sansone, who renamed the store BookPeople in reference to Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury in 1984 when the store moved locations. In 2018, the store formed a union, BookPeople United, under the auspices of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 277. Their first contract was ratified in January 2021. [5]
References
- Pallmeyer, Karl (1996-06-14). "BookPeople Is Keeping the Word Alive". Austin Business Journal.
- "The Austin Chronicle: BookPeople". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved 2011-06-03.
- Mutter, John. "PW's Bookseller of the Year: Steve Bercu, Book People", Publishers Weekly, May 2, 2005.
- "Search the ABA Bookseller Member Directory". the American Booksellers Association. Retrieved 2019-03-05.
- "How BookPeople Became the Center of Austin's Literary Universe". The Alcalde. 2017-11-01. Retrieved 2020-03-26.