This Ain't the Rosedale Library
This Ain't the Rosedale Library was an independent
It was a general interest bookstore promoting
The store was opened in 1979 by Charles Huisken, and Daniel Bazuin became co-owner in 1981.
The bookstore had a rich history of author visits and readings, ranging from William S. Burroughs and Hunter S. Thompson to Alison Bechdel and Sarah Waters. Local scene members such as Stuart Ross, Joey Comeau, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha and Marnie Woodrow made regular appearances to read and teach. The bookstore was also part of the "McSweeney's 100", the small selection of independent bookstores that were approved to sell Dave Eggers' literary magazine McSweeney's and his early novels.[8]
In 2005, The Guardian's Jeremy Mercer named it Canada's best independent bookstore and the eighth best in the world, calling it a "model" for how an independent bookstore could survive in the changing retail climate.[9] By this time, Bazuin and Huisken were sending signals that they were open to selling the store to a new buyer, although none materialized.[1] At the time of their move to Kensington Market in 2008, Bazuin sold his share of the store to Huisken's son Jesse.[10] Prior to the move, the store had considered opening the Kensington Market store as a second location while keeping the Church Street location open, but rejected the idea as financially unfeasible.[10] Glad Day Bookshop then considered taking over the former This Ain't location on Church Street, although due to the high rent it did not do so.[11]
By 2010, however, the store was having difficulty paying its monthly rent at the new location, and it closed permanently in June of that year.[4]
References
- ^ Xtra!, March 17, 2005.
- ^ "This Ain't the Rosedale Library". BlogTO.com, February 3, 2010.
- Xtra!, April 10, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Toronto's This Ain't the Rosedale Library bookstore at risk of closing". The Globe and Mail, June 20, 2010.
- ^ "Arts, lit and anarchy". Eye Weekly, March 18, 2004.
- ^ "Independent booksellers weigh effect of collapses". Toronto Star, January 8, 1997.
- ^ "Off the straight and the narrow". Toronto Star, June 28, 1997.
- ^ "Not coming to a bookstore near you". The Globe and Mail, September 19, 2002.
- ^ Jeremy Mercer's top 10 bookshops. The Guardian, December 6, 2005. Accessed 24 September 2008.
- ^ a b "Turning the page on indie bookstores; Two literary landmarks celebrate 30 years in business, but there's only one happy ending". Toronto Star, September 3, 2009.
- ^ "Historic gay bookstore at risk of closing". The Globe and Mail, May 31, 2010.