The Open Door Bookstore is a treasure in Schenectady. Walk past its quaint window display on Jay Street, just around the corner from Proctors, and into its doors. Inside unfolds rows upon rows of bookcases stacked to the brim with children’s stories and adult novels alike.
What began as a children’s bookstore store in 1973 quickly expanded to include the adult books and gifts that the public yearned for. An independent bookstore to its core, The Open Door Bookstore first opened almost 45 years ago when original owner Betty Fleming saw the need for a local children’s bookstore.
Though children’s books still remain close to the heart of The Open Door Bookstore, you can now find everything from pottery and home accessories, to children’s toys to greeting cards and personal accessories like purses, jewelry and hats housed within its charming walls.
Like every independent bookstore, The Open Door Bookstore is competing against big online retailers. But, it is the knowledgeable staff of people working at the store who love books, and love to recommend their books and gifts to customers, that gives people something that big retailers can’t: a comfortingly personal experience.
Great service makes all the difference: with no charge for customer orders, the option to order online and delivery in just a few days.
Current owner Janet Hutchison says it is the bookstore’s mission to “provide the best selection in books and in gift merchandise in the Capital Region.” After working as a librarian at the Schenectady County Library, then working at The Open Door Bookstore herself for almost ten years, Hutchison and her husband bought the store from Fleming in 1992. The couple has continued the store’s tradition of serving the needs of its customers.
The Open Door Bookstore regularly offers events that bring neighbors into its open doors and works closely with organizations such as the Downtown Schenectady Improvement Organization and the Schenectady County Public Library to keep Schenectady’s community thriving.
This includes holding a free children’s program every Wednesday morning at 9:30 a.m. in July and August. Parents are invited to register their children by phone so they can listen to stories, play games and make crafts all connecting with that week’s theme
The store also regularly holds author talks and book signings open to the public. The Open Book Store’s next scheduled author is Letty Cottin Pogrebin. Pogrebin will discuss her just-released title, “Single Jewish Male Seeks Soul Mate,” at the Schenectady County Library’s Mc Chesney Meeting room on August 12, at 6:30 p.m. A prolific author, activist and founding editor of Ms. Magazine, Pogrebin’s latest novel gives readers a thoughtful yet hilarious story that tackles the big religious questions with sass.
For more information on The Open Door Bookstore, visit www.opendoor-bookstore.com, call 346-2719, or visit 128 Jay Street in Schenectady.
