Dear friends of indie bookstores,

Hurricane Helene’s impact on western North Carolina, where I live, has been absolutely devastating. Most of us are without power and very limited in our ability to contact anyone via phone or internet. There’s no official timeline for a return to water service because the majority of our water system was overwhelmed and destroyed by flood waters. The army corps of engineers, FEMA, and local teams are working to rebuild the system, but because of the challenging terrain, and in the wake of tree falls and landslides, it will take more time. Weeks or months.

In the midst of these challenges, our community has been incredibly resilient. So many helpers, such generous, even selfless spirit evident in every way. I couldn’t help but smile when I heard that Asheville has set up zones with better wifi and phone connectivity at several libraries and the password is “readmore.” Reading more is really helping me right now!

I’m moved by all our book community is doing, too. Because of my relative isolation, I’m sure much more is happening that I’m not yet aware of, so apologies to those I’m leaving out. Binc contacted SIBA in advance of the hurricane asking how we were faring and let us know they stood ready to help SIBA stores. In the hurricane’s aftermath, they have been actively working with us to reach out to stores needing assistance. Publishers are stepping up, too. In North Carolina, a group of booksellers from the central and eastern parts of the state are working together to determine how they can address the specific needs of the affected bookstores, including helping staff who are currently out of work, who might need shelter, who need supplies. Booksellers helping booksellers makes my heart sing.

Praise and deepest thanks to my colleagues at SIBA, Nicki Leone and Candice Huber, who have been diligently contacting all stores in Helene’s path to find out how SIBA can help them get the resources they need now. And thank you also to the Board, who have checked in with me and SIBA staff to be aware of our efforts and offer assistance in whatever ways that are helpful. I so appreciate everyone who has reached out to me personally to see how I’m doing. It means more than you know. So far, I’m doing okay and hanging in there!

Linda-Marie Barrett
Executive Director