ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Let's Play Books, the popular independent bookstore in downtown Emmaus, is opening a new sister location in the West End of Allentown.
"The End: a bookstore" opens at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 29, at 3055 W. Tilghman St.
- The End: a bookstore is a sister location to Let's Play Books in Emmaus
- The opening event Saturday will feature author signings, and a showcasing of the new space
- The End will be open weekly from Tuesday through Sunday, and Let's Play Books will be only open on weekends until July as supplies and books are moved between locations
Owner Kirsten Hess founded Let's Play Books in 2013, and oversaw its growth from a small children's bookstore to its current three-floor location at 244 Main St. Through the years it has hosted author events and increased its adult book offerings, and now sees an opportunity to grow the business even more, Hess said.
"At the end of 2019 we knew we needed a bigger venue," she said. "The building that we were currently in is just not conducive to the kind of programming that we want to do."
The COVID-19 pandemic stopped Hess and her team from hosting events for a time. But by 2022 they were back on schedule and looking for a new location, partnering with others.
Following an author event at Nowhere Coffee Co., near the new location, Hess says a "For Rent" sign was noticed at the Tilghman Street shop. She jumped on it immediately.
A new website URL (although it redirects to the main Let's Play Books website for joint operation of online ordering) and Facebook page have been launched for the store.
Authors Maria Rodale (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) and Robin Gow (1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.) will be guests for the Saturday launch for signings as part of a celebration of Independent Bookstore Day. Also on Saturday, Let's Play Books in Emmaus will feature children's activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m..
"This is not a lucrative business and being able to grow a bookstore in this time, and in this day and age, is exceptionally rewarding and we're just really grateful."Owner Kirsten Hess
Hess says the new space will allow hosting author events comfortably for a 30- to 40-person audience — something they weren't able to do in their own space up to this point.
Prominent humor writer and former NPR contributor David Sedaris will also be making a tour stop at the new location on Tuesday, June 6.
"Our community of readers have been extraordinarily supportive," Hess said. "This is not a lucrative business and being able to grow a bookstore in this time, and in this day and age, is exceptionally rewarding and we're just really grateful."
Hess is also the founder of the Lehigh Valley Book Festival.
Owners have called this first day in Allentown a "soft launch" as they continue to add to the store's offerings and decorations. During this first day, owners say it will be filled — just not to the brim — with books to peruse.
"We won't have all of our programs together, we will not have all of our signage up on all of the shelves — but we've never been perfect," Hess said playfully. "We've always had our lovely community members help us grow. So we are totally OK with opening and it not being perfect.
"I think the new location will speak for itself. I think our readers will be exceptionally happy with the space."
The End will be open weekly from Tuesday through Sunday, and Let's Play Books will be only open on weekends until July as supplies and books are moved between locations. Online ordering will continue, although may be impacted by some short delays as the kinks are worked out, Hess said.
Hess says the move will also allow some programming to return to the Let's Play Books location in Emmaus due to moving some books and shelves to the Allentown store.
Both locations will carry adult and children's books, but the focus on adult reading will be at The End while Let's Play Books will shift back to its focus on children's reading.
"The purpose of [the name] is 'The End', it's just the beginning, "Hess said. "It's all about exposing yourself to the future and seeing what's out there."
And the cats that love to be pet at Let's Play Books aren't going anywhere. They will stay at the Emmaus store.
