April 2017 is for Book Lovers It’s Spring which means emerging from the long winter and getting outside to explore (even if it’s raining!). What better way than to make a point of visiting your favorite bookstores participating in the Book Lover Quest? This month, the Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA) has created the Book […]
Pssst… We need a favor. LOAKL is a semi-finalist for an Idea Cafe Small Business Grant. All you need to do is cast your vote for us here. Vote by April 13th. As many of you realize, starting a small business is demanding. This grant will enable LOAKL to reach more customers and help us spread the word […]
When I first read about Amazon Go, a futuristic new Amazon store rumored to be coming in 2017 (actually release is 1/22/18), wherein cashiers are replaced with an app that tracks what you buy at checkout—frankly, I was alarmed. This is not my idea of a friendly, neighborhood store that I want to frequent. While the […]
Whether it’s sneaking upstairs to sit near the window in the poetry room at City Lights or sinking into the big red chair at Diesel, the Bay Area has some of the most revered and iconic independent bookstores. For me, these stores are sacred ground—cherished spaces where I can browse the world of ideas and experience culture. I firmly […]
How do we foster a democratic society? What are the values we want society to have? As it turns out, answering these questions is not a job we can outsource. It’s a job for all of us! Modern democracy requires all of us to get involved in our communities and make our voices and our values heard. […]
