Sitka’s local bookstore celebrated its 50th birthday on Saturday. Throughout the afternoon, locals wandered into the downtown shop to buy a book, eat a cupcake, and reminisce on five decades of the community hub.

50 years ago, to buy a book, Sitkans had to call up the bookstore in Juneau and have it mailed to the island. So in 1976, three families came together to start Old Harbor Books  — a place where Sitkans could gather and find nearly every genre of book: from philosophy and classics to best sellers and Alaskan authors. 

“The vision was to have books, and to make sure that Sitka had an opportunity to be a literary community. Sitka deserved to be a literary community,” said board member Roger Schmidt, who grew up in the bookstore.

His parents helped open the place when he was seven and his sister Laura was nine. They spent weekends selling seashells out front and screenprinting tote bags with the bookstore logos still used today. And they spent their down time reading every book they could get their hands on. 

“My dad had this passion, everybody had this passion, which was: people need to read books, and they need to have access to lots of books, and they need to have access to lots of different ideas,” Schmidt said. “So not just, ‘We’re gonna have the best sellers,’ but whatever the subject, books are so critical to learn. Living on an island, books were our pathway to knowledge.”

Schmidt says a large part of the mission of Old Harbor Books from the beginning was to give back to the community. Instead of taking a paycheck, the owners made the decision to use the profits to support local organizations, by doing things like subsidizing — or making free — their rental space upstairs.

“The vision for the business was never to make money,” he said. “It was to pay employees well, and then it was to be able to support the community in every way it could, and it’s done that for 50 years in all kinds of ways.”

Bookstore manager Ashia Lane says the bookstore continues to work with the Sitka Public Library and schools, sells tickets for local events, and for years, even had the “Book Boat,” which traveled to surrounding communities like Tenakee Springs, Angoon, and Kake to deliver titles to folks who didn’t have access to a local bookstore. 

“We’re trying to continue community service via the bookstore,” she said. “We will deliver books to the jail if you find yourself unfortunately over in the Sitka local lock up for the weekend. We’re really trying to not just be for private consumers.”

Despite community involvement, it wasn’t always easy keeping the doors open. Just like bookstores across the country that found it hard to compete with the dawn of online shops and e-books, so did Old Harbor Books. So they pivoted, and expanded their local inventory to include games and puzzles, book-themed items, cozy candles and blankets, and even art supplies. And according to Schmidt, they began to rely more on rental income to keep the bookstore going. 

“The most encouraging thing is that it seems like people love books again, and thank goodness for that,” he said. “We were so worried around 2000 when it just seemed like people were turning away from books, and they were not passionate readers. And it just feels so hopeful that people want to read books, and they want to read books in their hand. It’s just really great.”

The bustling anniversary party is a testament to that fact, as dozens of adults and children mill about the space sifting through book titles and looking at posters speckled with collaged photos of the bookstore throughout the years.

For Sherry Foster, a retired third grade teacher, the bookstore is part of the reason she chose to live in Sitka. 

“We moved here in ‘76 and when we saw that there was a bookstore, we said, ‘Well, that’s it. Then we’re gonna stay.’” she said. “It was a given. If there’s a bookstore, it’s an okay place to live.”

And Foster isn’t the only one who thinks Old Harbor Books is a local treasure. Rhiannon Guevin’s first job was working at the bookstore, tidying shelves and ringing people up at the register. 

“Old Harbor Books is one of my happy places in Sitka,” she said. “Like the minute I walk in the door, I just feel a welling of joy.”

She describes herself as “anti-Amazon” and made a vow to herself years ago that if she’s going to buy a book, it’s going to be from Old Harbor. 

“And I think that there’s like a weirdly large number of people for such a small town who feel the same way,” she said. “Especially in these times, I think supporting local businesses is of the utmost importance. If you want to have something in your community, you have to support it.”

Many rural communities throughout Alaska don’t have a local bookstore. For a town of about 8,400, Sitka is pretty unique. 

Karen Hegyi first supported Old Harbor Books 30 years before she actually moved to the community. It was the summer of 1983, and she was visiting Sitka on a kayaking trip with a friend. 

She’s lived all over rural Alaska, and she says it’s wonderful that she gets to live in a place like Sitka with such an incredible bookstore.

“The fact that it’s endured for 50 years is a testament to the people who run the bookstore and to the community too, that it’ll be here for another 50 years,” she said.

If these party-goers have anything to say about it, it probably will be.

John Straley and Margot O’Connell join KCAW’s Brooke Schafer to discuss how he ended up in Sitka and what his next adventure will be. Old Harbor Books and Sitka Public Library will be hosting an evening with John Straley to say “Farewell-for-Now.”

The event will be 6:30 to 8 p.m. tonight (Thursday, August 25), at Old Harbor Books. John will be reading, telling stories and signing books.

With the holiday shopping season in full swing, Sitka’s downtown retailers are seeing the usual uptick in sales for this time of year — but business could be better. Between the downturn in Alaska’s economy, and ever-increasing pressure from online sales, Sitka’s brick-and-mortar stores remain open — and hopeful.

Nugget, the corgi, barking, running after ball.

On Sitka’s main street exactly one week after Black Friday, things are pretty quiet. Nugget, the corgi, can chase a ball down the entire length of Russell’s, an outdoor store that’s been in this location for 100 years — maybe more.

“The furthest back that we can find right now is 1897,” said Ashley Eisenbeisz, who with her husband Steven acquired the store from her uncle, Ron McClain, seven years  ago. McClain’s parents — her grandparents — bought it in 1956.

“There’s been a few updates to the building, but the downstairs floor is turning 100,” said Eisenbeisz. “It’s all original hardwood floor, so we’re getting ready to have a fun little celebration.”

That celebration will be in 2020. Right now, it’s the heart of the holiday shopping season, and Eisenbeisz wishes it were just a little bit merrier.

“The Christmas season is a very big season for us, just to be able to stay open seven days a week, keep the lights on, keep our employees here. It can be a make-or-break season for us,” she said.

And so far, Russell’s is making it. So is Stereo North, just down the block.

Shirley Robards, whose family owns Stereo North, says business has been good in recent years, citing a successful transition out of the CD market and into a diverse array of furniture, appliances, and more. She says this year’s no tax day and Black Friday brought in a good amount of customers. 

“No tax day, we did really well,” Robards said. “I was happy. Lot of people were spending their money, and that was good.” 

But, she says, it wasn’t as good as previous years, a downturn she attributes to the continued rise of online retail. 

“It was a little less, like I said, because I’m sure a lot of people are shopping, you know, on Amazon and I think that’s why we’re losing some of the stores downtown. I’m sorry to see that,” Robards said.

On the other side of Lincoln Street, Ashia Lane manages Old Harbor Books. She hasn’t had time to crunch the sales numbers yet to see how they compare to previous years, but says the store was busy on Black Friday, which also coincided with the Art Walk. 

“We had and Art Walk on Friday evening that I think had a record number of visitors in the store,” said Lane, “and it looked like sales went very well over the weekend.” 

Right next door to Old Harbor Books is a new boutique, “Galanin & Klein.” Co-owner Rachel Klein is at the sales counter this season. 

“It was a really good weekend for us,” said Klein. “I think the tax free helped, we had consistent sales on Friday and Saturday. And then, actually, the art walk was a huge boost on Friday.

She says that’s when their shop was its busiest. Shop small Saturday wasn’t as busy. Galanin & Klein opened in April, so she can’t compare sales from the previous year like other downtown businesses.

“I only have a few months to go on, but based on September after the cruise ship season and last month in  October, it was definitely a big boost in sales, so we’re happy about that,” Klein said.

Galanin & Klein is a study in contrasts to Russell’s: One, a brand new brick-and-mortar store opened by young, media-savvy owners; the other, a multi-generational business that has undergone many iterations en route to its current success, and is literally polishing its century-old floors.

Ashley Eisenbeisz, with Russell’s, says she understands that many Sitkans are feeling the pinch right now, but the city’s Black Friday sales tax holiday helps stores like hers stay in the game — and deliver, when mail order doesn’t.

“It’s super-hard to compete with any of the giant retailers doing massive, site-wide discounts,” Eisenbeisz said. “But I think just watching what’s going on in the economy, staying current on what’s happening with the different vendors and brands that you carry, and just trying to do the best that you can as far as discounts and showing people what you have available, and you don’t have to wait for it in the mail, or have it get lost in Anchorage somewhere and not get here by Christmas.”

Timeliness may prove to be the weak link for package deliveries this season. KCAW reached out to west coast United States Postal Service representative Brian Sperry, who responded in an email that the Sitka Post Office has seen a 70-75 percent increase in package volume this year alone. Pressed for details on how local post offices are adjusting to the increased load, Sperry declined to be interviewed. KCAW is preparing a formal request for additional information.

Nugget barks, drops ball.

Nugget, the Russell’s corgi, will deliver this ball as long as anyone’s got the energy to throw it. I stop just long enough to raise my camera and take a picture of Ashley Eisenbeisz and her three-and-a-half month old son Fisher. Dad Steven is behind the counter.

“Just raising another generation of Russell’s owner, possibly, if he wants to stay and do this,” she said.

KCAW’s Katherine Rose and Ari Snider contributed to this story.

Downloadable Audio

Dawn Johnson of the Hames Center joined us in the studio to preview the films from the 2018 BANFF Mountain Film Festival, coming to Sitka this weekend. This is the festival’s seventh time in Sitka and fourth year with the Hames Center. Tickets on sale at Old Harbor Books and the Hames Center, $15 for adults, $10 for students and seniors.

Local poet and author John Straley and artist Norman Campbell joined us in the studio to discuss their new book, “100 Poems of Summer.” Preceded by “100 Poems of Spring,” it is the second in a series of four books of poetry the duo plans to publish.

Downloadable Audio

Straley and Campbell will host a book release party, 6 p.m. Friday, December 15, at Old Harbor Books.

Local artist and educator Heather Bauscher installing a piece fashioned out of marine debris by students at Pacific High School. Photo provided by Sitka Sound Science Center.

The Greater Sitka Arts Council presents an evening of music and art  on Saturday, June 4th, 7 p.m. at The Loft. Tickets are $10 at Old Harbor Books. The event will feature a conversation with artist Heather Bauscher and music by Julie Schmitts, Ted Howard, Mike and Candy Pierce in a “reunion” of their 1970s’ band, Cornsilk.

Downloadable audio