Island Booksellers, St. Thomas’ latest bookstore located in Buccaneer Mall, is opening on Dec. 10.
Bibliophiles and literary lovers will be pleased to know that more than 10,000 books are in stock at the new store, along with a wide selection of art supplies, board games, and other related products.
Proprietors Claire Starkey and Tom Klotzbach are committed to creating a community-centered space and, beginning in January, hope to launch collaborative relationships with book clubs, spoken word groups, and others.
“My husband always had dreams of opening a bookstore and finally the timing worked, given our recent retirement and an ideal location. We’ve really had to hustle these last two months. Our first priority has been ensuring that our stock is inclusive of all reading preferences and literacy levels. Genres include classic and contemporary fiction, sci-fi and fantasy, romance, and crime, plus an extensive non-fiction section that features biographies and memoirs and books on business and finance, history, and self-help. We also worked hard to curate a section highlighting Caribbean authors, with additional sections featuring YA, manga and graphic novels. And we have an entire children’s room with over 1,500 picture and chapter books,” Starkey said.
“Next up, we definitely want to work in concert with our fellow small businesses, complementing rather than competing with them, supporting their events whenever possible and directing our customers to them as opportunities permit,” Starkey said. She noted that the store has already established an alliance with the Virgin Islands Children’s Museum, given its adjacent proximity, and that it will underwrite one annual family pass to the museum per month through customer raffles.
Interested community members are encouraged to follow Island Booksellers on Facebook and Instagram for updated information. If anyone, including local self-published authors, has questions, Starkey can be reached at info@islandbooksellers.com.
The store will be open Monday-Sunday between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
