Wellsboro Independent Bookstore Calls Off Liquidation Sale Following Major Literary Development for Proprietor Kevin Coolidge
Just when you thought it was time to grab the tissues and pack away your sturdiest canvas tote bags, From My Shelf Books & Gifts at 7 East Avenue in Wellsboro is staging a plot twist worthy of a classic adventure novel.
Proprietor Kevin Coolidge - known to many local readers as the "Blue Collar Bookseller” - alongside his wife Kasey and the store's hard-working feline management team, Coal & Finn, are officially pausing the liquidation sale. The bookstore is going to soldier on.
The sudden change in direction comes on the heels of major literary news. One of Kevin’s latest manuscripts has officially caught the eye of a literary agent.
"Now, let’s not put the cart before the horse, or the raccoon before the cryptid," said Coolidge, local children's author and creator of The Totally Ninja Raccoons series. "In the book world, finding an agent doesn’t mean the book is sold yet. There are still plenty of literary hoops to jump through. But it is a massive green light, and more importantly, it means we have a fresh wind in our sails."
For the Coolidges, the store has always been much more than retail space. It is a community anchor and a platform for independent storytelling.
After announcing a potential permanent closure earlier this year, the outpouring of love from Tioga County made it clear that a town just a short hike from the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon still deeply values the physical printed word.
"Working just isn't working anymore, or so I thought," Coolidge joked, referencing his dry declaration from a few months back. "But giving up the platform this store provides to local authors, readers, and catalogers of regional history? We just can't bring ourselves to do it. Wellsboro needs a real, independent bookstore. We have over twenty years of experience, deep roots that go back generations right here in town, and a couple of cats whose job performance metrics are entirely based on how many laps they can warm."
The store cats, Coal & Finn - who recently secured honorary lifetime positions on the store's "Cat Board” - could not be reached for official comment, though a representative indicated they were "pleased the cardboard boxes would remain occupied for the foreseeable future."
With the closure off the table, the mission now shifts back to the community. The Coolidges are calling on neighbors, visitors, and lifelong patrons to keep showing up, buying local, and demonstrating that brick-and-mortar independent bookstores are a biological imperative. "Special orders remain fully active, and the shelves are being re-stocked to ensure that your next literary escape is waiting on East Avenue."
The story continues, the pages are still turning, and the "Blue Collar Bookseller" is back at the counter. "Come on in, grab a book, and help us write the best chapter yet,” Coolidge said.
About From My Shelf Books & Gifts
From My Shelf Books & Gifts is a neighborhood independent bookstore offering an eclectic mix of new, used, and rare titles. Family-owned and operated by local author Kevin Coolidge and his wife Kasey, the store is famous for its hyper-local customer service, regional PA Wilds literature, and its two resident bookstore cats.
For more information, call 570-724-5793.
