Updated May 5th: From the increase of foot traffic on the sidewalk outside Main Street Reads the last couple of days, it’s apparent many of you heard about our governor’s lifting of restrictions on retail business. Yay, right?
But look, staying home and social distancing is still the recommendation (and the safe play), so yes, we’re open, but with that little luxury comes some necessary rules and tools (for your protection and that of our staff). In a nutshell:
- You can visit the store one at a time (two if you’re together). With tiny rooms and a lane that’s about 6 ft., it’s the most practical way to truly social distance within the store.
- If you’ve no need to browse, we invite you to call us in advance (843-875-5171) and take advantage of our ongoing curbside service or at-home delivery options.
- We’re wearing masks to protect you; we ask that you do the same to protect our staff.
- Our limited staff have been provided masks and gloves and we’ve installed a plexiglass shield at the front counter checkout (where that 6 ft. social distance isn’t quite possible).
- Our “sanitation station” at the front of the store is for your use. Please use the hand sanitizer on entry and again when you leave.
- We’ll continue to regularly disinfect all surfaces and wipe down and UV-wand all new stock entering the store, as well as wipe down door handles between customer visits.
- If you take a book off the shelf and don’t wish to purchase it, no problem, just leave it on the designated table so we can disinfect those books before returning them to shelves.
- We’re continuing our brownie w/book giveaway (a hit through our curbside-only phase!). Each brownie is fresh-baked from Eva’s on Main, and-pre-wrapped for your safety.
- Clubs and live in-store events will resume when social distance restrictions are lifted. But we have PLENTY of virtual events on the CALENDAR! Meanwhile, writers can check out our Main Street Writes Facebook group to continue connecting, and soon we’ll launch a weekly virtual “happy hour” to chat about books until clubs can resume.
- We’ll remain on the Mon-Sat 10-4 hours until further notice. Again – if you need to pick up books after 4, we can arrange that by appointment.
Lots of rules, but please know we take your safety (and our staff’s) seriously. And now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to something more entertaining: upcoming events and our all-new “Believe In Your Shelf” club!
Keep calm and read on, Shari
BIG Virtual Event on Tuesday:
Mark Your Calendars for Kristy!
April 28th is the release date for best-selling author Kristy Woodson Harvey’s Feels Like Falling. Kristy reached out to us earlier this week to let us know of an additional treat: Lisa Wingate, author of the popular When We Were Yours and the newly released The Book of Lost Friends, will be joining the call for an “in conversation” with Kristy!
Here are the details you need:
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 2020
Time: 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
RSVP: [email protected]
Attendance is limited. If you elect to attend, we will email you on Wednesday morning with the link and password to attend this virtual event.
Click on the image below to learn more and pre-order your copy now for store pickup, or grab it from our online Bookshop HERE. There’s a sneak peek chapter on the event page for you, too. AND, if you order your book from Main Street Reads, you’ll also receive a signed bookplate from the author! (Supplies are limited; orders will be on a first-come, first-served basis).
A Leader’s Guide to Giving a Memorable Speech: Virtual Event!
On Thursday, April 30th at 4:00 p.m. we invite non-fiction fans to a special virtual event with Donald J. Palmisano, author of A Leader’s Guide to Giving a Memorable Speech. Again, Palmisano shares proven tips on delivering an inspiring and motivating speech. Drawing from his popular seminar at Tulane University School of Medicine and over 1,000 speeches and interviews, Dr. Palmisano teaches readers how to:
- Use rhetorical devices effectively
- Stay on message
- Practice delivery
- Glean lessons from great speeches of powerful leaders from the past, such as Cicero, Winston Churchill, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ronald Reagan
- Organize speeches to emphasize the message
- Weave in stories that are unforgettable
- And more! (For anyone running Zoom meetings and webinars, we can expect some great insights!)
VIP Membership Opportunity:
Our Believe in Your Shelf Club is LIVE!
Last but not least – We’re so excited to offer this new opportunity at Main Street Reads and hope it will be a mutually beneficial reward program for both you and us – your local bookstore!
We wanted to launch this club when we opened in March 2019, but realized we first needed to establish rewards that made sense for members. The Believe in Your Shelf VIP Club is now able to offer you a wealth of benefits to properly reward your support of our friendly neighborhood bookstore!
CLICK HERE for more on benefits, cost and program details!
We’ll be back on Sunday with more updates and the latest book news! ‘Til then, as always, keep calm and read on!