Friends of the SFPL
  • About Us
    • 60+ Years of Friends
    • Board
    • Staff
    • Our Supporters
    • Financials
    • Blog >
      • History Series
    • Contact Us >
      • Employment
    • Sign-Up for Newsletter
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Leadership Circle
    • Innovation Circle
    • Leave a Legacy Gift
    • The Pacifics
    • Gift of appreciated stock
    • Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
    • Other ways to give
    • Library Preservation Fund
  • What We Fund
  • Buy & Donate Books
    • Bookstore
    • Donate Books
    • This Is Ear Hustle
  • Laureates 2023
  • Events
    • Book Sales
  • Residencies
    • Brown Handler Writer's Residency ​
    • James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Fellowship
  • Volunteer
  • About Us
    • 60+ Years of Friends
    • Board
    • Staff
    • Our Supporters
    • Financials
    • Blog >
      • History Series
    • Contact Us >
      • Employment
    • Sign-Up for Newsletter
  • Support Us
    • Donate
    • Leadership Circle
    • Innovation Circle
    • Leave a Legacy Gift
    • The Pacifics
    • Gift of appreciated stock
    • Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD)
    • Other ways to give
    • Library Preservation Fund
  • What We Fund
  • Buy & Donate Books
    • Bookstore
    • Donate Books
    • This Is Ear Hustle
  • Laureates 2023
  • Events
    • Book Sales
  • Residencies
    • Brown Handler Writer's Residency ​
    • James C. Hormel LGBTQIA Fellowship
  • Volunteer

Friends Blog

More about closure of the Fort Mason Store

7/30/2020

30 Comments

 
 
Dear Community, 
 
We are touched and heartened by the outpouring of sentiment and affection for the beloved Fort Mason bookstore. Thank you for being our fans and supporters for so many years. It was a good run, and we share your sadness that it had to end.  
 
We want you to know that it was a difficult decision to shutter our iconic bookstore. We want to share with you the considerations behind the closure and what the future holds.   
 
The Board and staff of Friends have been considering changes to the structure of the book program for some time, in order to more effectively serve our mission for the San Francisco Public Library, which is to raise funds to augment Library programs, and ensuring access to books and resources to diverse communities across the city.  
 
We hope the Book Program will fulfill this mission in three ways:  
1. raising additional funds through earned revenue by selling donated books; 
2. donating books to low-income communities through organizations and schools;  
3. providing access to inexpensive books through our stores, events, and pop-ups in the community.    
 
Closure and relocation of the Fort Mason bookstore were under discussion before the COVID-19 pandemic. The unexpected rampage of the pandemic and mandated health orders resulted in expediting decisions to avoid significant damage to the survival of Friends.  
 
Here is what you should know: 
 
Financial survival in a global pandemic. The shelter-in-place order in March shut down the possibility of conducting retail sales, forcing the furlough of some employees and ultimately the elimination of positions. These are terrible decisions that no one ever wants to have to make.  Only now are we beginning to inch back into online sales with stringent limitations on the volunteers and staff, with safety protocols in compliance with the San Francisco Health Officer.  
Expensive leases. Friends was burdened by increasingly expensive leases in San Francisco, including our administrative offices at 710 Van Ness Avenue, that had begun to affect how well we could carry out our mission to the Library.  
The Fort Mason Center lease. In particular, the Fort Mason lease and the way it was structured precluded any opportunity to keep the lease through the pandemic and reopen after it ended. 
 
  • Unfortunately, we were not able to obtain rent relief during the pandemic and know that times are hard for Fort Mason too. Additionally, since the door to our store does not open directly onto the parking lot, we are not allowed to have customers enter without being screened and admitted by Fort Mason management.  
  • Our lease at Fort Mason was not going to work for much longer. The best we could negotiate two years ago was a five-year lease that doubles our rent by the third year and triples it by the fifth. We have maintained our concern about this lease agreement for some time.  
  • We love the look and feel of the old-timey store, but the Fort Mason lease required us to commit to an interior renovation costing a minimum of $50,000 and closure for several months to contribute to Fort Mason’s vision of upscaling its campus. The status of other tenants and planned seismic retrofitting of the Pavilion also contribute to our concerns. 
  • Fort Mason is beautiful and nostalgically San Francisco but is also isolated and inaccessible to many. We are committed to looking for another place to regrow a cozy, friendly store that could be more easily accessible to people and have a more diverse following. We take pride in the fact that our bookstore at the Main Library and $1 Step Sales are the only bookstore in the Tenderloin.  
 
For the remainder of the epidemic, we will focus on online sales, and then slowly add back face-to-face sales and literary events. In addition, we will have the flexibility of inventing something new, whether it is a brick and mortar location, or pop-up style traveling stores.  
 
Although these changes have been hard, we are hopeful about the future of a new book program. Making these tough decisions unleashes the creativity and flexibility we need for the future.  
 
The one thing we do know is that we need and want you. We ask you for your ideas and for your support as we rebuild. We have no doubt that we will emerge even stronger and look forward to continuing to work with you to spread our vision for the Library and for community literacy across the city. 
 
Thank you, 
Friends of the San Francisco Public Library 
30 Comments
pat howson
7/31/2020 03:29:41 pm

thank you for explaining the Fort Mason closure. I now understand better. It is a true loss for the seniors of the Marina for which it was like a neighborhood corner coffee shop with safe parking and safe walking routes and without the hype of Chestnut st. We miss you!

Reply
ken vermes
7/31/2020 03:49:32 pm

This seems reasonable but you are not addressing the entire infrastructure that you created. Are you closing your warehouse? Are you ending the yearly sale? Are you ending the collection of unwanted books? Where are you on-line sales going to appear? I really appreciate all the great times at the FT Mason store and the great employees and volunteers. This was a tremendous resource for those of us involved in the arts. Nothing can replace this.

Reply
Marie Ciepiela
8/1/2020 08:53:12 am

We have been regularly updating the public on our website at www.friendssfpl.org. We canceled the Big Book Sale this year for obvious health reasons and we working toward a safe, contact-less way to reopen for book donations soon. We will let you know on the website and in the newsletter when that happens.

Linda
7/31/2020 04:00:24 pm

So sorry about the store. Is it possible then to purchase books from the Friends on-line ? How is that done? I would be very interested.

Reply
Marie Ciepiela link
8/1/2020 08:55:14 am

Yes! We are now listing our store stock and rare and collectibles online at EBay and Amazon. Links are on our website. https://www.friendssfpl.org/shop.html

Reply
Ann
7/31/2020 04:08:22 pm

The original notification of the closure of the Fort Mason bookstore mentioned that in the future books would be sold through Amazon. Is that true? That’s not a good image for a public library!

Thanks for explaining about the lease problems at Fort Mason...it’s sad. But surely there are going to be many suitable empty retail spaces available after the economic damage wrought by the pandemic?

Reply
Marie Ciepiela link
8/1/2020 08:56:40 am

We plan to keep our eyes open as you suggest. Also, just to clarify, the book program is run by Friends of the SFPL, not the SFPL itself.

Reply
Helena Handbasket
7/31/2020 04:24:07 pm

You're selling books through Amazon? I will not be renewing my membership.

Reply
Mike Vunecci
7/31/2020 04:38:24 pm

Thank you for the explanation. It is too bad that Fort Mason does not realize that the bookstore drew important community traffic into the Fort, and now they will have considerably less traffic, esp with the Community College lease also in jeopardy.
I wish you could have included more detailed financial information such as the lease amount and how much it was projected to go up in coming years. Perhaps that is confidential but still even a ballpark figure would have helped us understand the issue better because I was under the assumption that Fort Mason and the Presidio has a mission to support the activities in Culture, Education, and the Arts. Making it financially difficult on a bookstore seems to run counter to the synergies of various small organizations trying to develop that area as a HUB for engaging in those areas. I just don't understand it and there may be a larger story behind this than you have time nor desire to share with us.

Reply
Nancy Thompson
7/31/2020 06:08:56 pm

So sorry to learn about this closure. We have loved shopping and eating at the Fort Mason location. I hope all those books will find a new temporary home until we can go peruse them in person.

Reply
Judy Baston
7/31/2020 10:46:29 pm

Will you still accept book donations? I plan to donate several hundred books and wanted go take them to your intake center on 17th...or wherever books would be accepted for the benefit of the library.

Reply
Marie Ciepiela link
8/1/2020 08:58:54 am

Thank you. We are working toward the safe, contact-less reopening of the Donation Center for books soon. We will update the public on our website and in our newsletter.

Reply
Rick Gerharter
8/1/2020 09:50:34 am

Sorry to hear you are selling through Amazon. This seems to be the route to sabotage all face to face book selling and contrary to the goals and mission of public libraries and their support organizations. Please reconsider.

Reply
Pauline Jue
8/1/2020 10:07:05 am

Thank you for the explanation. I'll miss the old timey feel of this bookstore, looking for treasures to bring home (and its parking lot). We'll follow the bookstore wherever (if ) it reopens somewhere. What about the west side of town?

Reply
Sabella Moreno
8/1/2020 10:13:03 pm

Shopping on Amazon is a non-starter for me, particularly for books. Amazon has led to the death of too many independent bookstores. I await news of face-to-face options.

Reply
Judith
8/3/2020 11:17:53 am

I am so sorry to hear about the store's closure. I volunteered there for several years, as well as at other Friends venues. I have always enjoyed browsing and enjoying the ambience there. Sarah did a wonderful management job with lots of changes and surprises along the way. I hope all who were involved with the store are well and safe and will find alternative, fulfilling engagement.

Reply
Deborah link
8/4/2020 11:10:36 am

Thank you. I know this was a tough and heart-wrenching decision for the Friends. As a volunteer, I am hoping, when we all get through this, some sort of Friends book shopping experience will return. Many thanks for all the good volunteer years.

Reply
Kuckes Haralyn
8/4/2020 12:13:30 pm

I have read the explanation for the closure and can see how difficult the situation was and is. I don’t understand why there wasn’t public knowledge about all this before the closure. Since the difficulties were all foreseen way ahead of time, Why not let the public try to save it while there was still time? And Fort Mason is part of GGNRA isn’t it? Why does it all have to be upscale for profit? Still feel like something could be done to keep it.

Reply
Mike
8/4/2020 12:33:38 pm

Maybe because it is part of the GGNRA it has the same mandate like the Presidio to raise their own upkeep budget by monetizing the facilities. But you would think they would work out some compromise with the Friends of Public Library. This bookstore was a nonprofit and a magnet the drew in people. That little cafe is going to suffer from this loss as well as the little Italian Art Center on the 1st floor. The location was ideally situated so as to be local to elderly volunteers, local and intl visitors, and the big book fair. Plus, it was in a SAFE neighborhood. I fear a low rent location will be at the cost of some feeling of safety.

Reply
Pat
8/4/2020 12:35:30 pm

Very saddened to read that the Fort Mason bookstore has closed for good. I often purchased books and sometimes CDs there. Before covid I would often stop in after a visit to the senior center at Aquatic Park. I’d have lunch in Ft Mason, then visit the bookstore. (It was a weekly joy to walk along the marina as well, and into the neighborhood nearby.) I loved browsing for and handling the books. The personnel there were helpful. I miss the quiet browsing with other browsers nearby. I felt we were all on the same soul-wave. So, now it’s Amazon: a soulless substitute. I hope indeed change will sprout something to mend our broken hearts.

Reply
Al Magary
9/10/2020 07:34:53 pm

What about exploring the idea of an out-of-town Friends of SFPL book warehouse and sales/annual-event space, perhaps with some other public libraries? The well-established model for a book destination is Hay-on-Wye in Wales (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay-on-Wye). Perhaps starting with a warehouse on Mare Island?

Reply
Mark S. Weinberger
9/14/2020 02:05:07 pm

Beyond devastated.

I hope that you relocate to the Presidio--the best and most obvious choice. That would be outstanding!!!

Reply
Cristen Miller
9/19/2020 07:41:52 pm

Like many, it is hard to hear that your Ft. Mason Bookstore is closing, which is such a testament to the special place you created. It was always easy for my daughter and I to get lost in the great selection of books and kind staff- taking breaks at the equally special cafe. Now I’m remembering the evening poetry series that Jack Hirshman hosted.. and the sloping floors, leading us to the big hand chair in the kids section ❤️ I am hoping that the post-covid rebirth is good for all and that Ft. Mason, as a whole, can hold on to even some of that beautiful, unpretentious, grounded-in-the-arts, education-and-community utopia. Thank you Ft.Mason Friends and Cafe for all the books, warm drinks and shared bits and pieces.

Reply
Ged Goodhart
9/20/2020 10:22:37 pm

Our family is SO sad to hear of this iconic book store closing. We go to the farmers market every week and browsing in the book store is part of our Sunday ritual. I hope you can reopen in a new space soon!

Reply
Samuel Totten
4/16/2021 09:50:58 am

I, too, am vastly disappointed to learn about the closing of your bookstore in Ft. Mason. While a Californian (born in Los Angeles, raised in Los Angeles and then Laguna Beach), I currently reside in Arkansas (only because of a tenure track position at the flagship university in the state -- University of Arkansas, Fayetteville), but one of my favorite places to visit during our trips to San Francisco was your Ft. Mason store. I never thought I'd say this, but the Ft Mason bookstore became my favorite, eventually outshining City Lights. All that said, I certainly understand and appreciate the rationale for closing up, but it does not ease the pain. Thank you, sam totten

Reply
how to dissolve an llc in california link
7/18/2021 01:33:10 am

I'm sorry to learn of the closure. At the Fort Mason location, we had a great day shopping and dining. I'm hoping that all of those books find a new home until we can meet them in person.

Reply
Mike Fladeland
11/1/2021 11:26:54 am

My wife and I are visiting our son and his family this weekend. For a number of years during annual visits, I’d shop the Ft. Mason bookstore and enjoyed discovering a book that I wanted to add to my personal library. Unfortunately, unaware of the closure, I stopped by this past Saturday and was exceedingly disappointed to find it closed. As with other comments, I find the Amazon alternative to be disappointing and hope for a new location that is just as convenient and appealing. I’ll look forward to it.

North Dakota book lover

Reply
MckimmeRee link
2/7/2022 12:16:45 am

Great article! Thank you for sharing this informative post, and looking forward to the latest one.

Reply
April
9/17/2022 09:22:52 am

I am late to discovering this news. I was looking forward to visiting your bookstore in the Presidio this morning and grabbing a coffee. I greatly appreciate the effort you put in the letter to explain the decision. I am saddened to see that the focus is more about raising funds than encouraging and supporting readership however. There is no way one can browse a book online like we do in person. There is a sense of treasure hunting and the pleasure of holding some marvelous books in your hands even if you’re not going to buy them. There’s a smell of the old books. There’s the discovery of what you want that you didn’t even know before finding it - no chance that can ever happen online! Looking for books in a book store engages the whole body and all the senses, it is a promise of the rich experience reading will give you. Looking for books online is boring and get you lost in a never-land. More time that not it’ll bring me down rabbit holes to other wiki pages or what not and rarely, if at all, to get the book. Unless it was something I already knew I wanted - no discovery or happenstance.
Not to mention that the experience of acquiring the book online becomes indistinguishable from buying a pair of shoes, a lampshade, a video game or even groceries.

I have walked by the new location many many times in the past year and didn’t realized it was the new embodiment of what used to be FM bookstore. I have not been enticed at all to donate or to buy when there was a sales. So here is my wishful upon a star: that you consider reopening a bookstore as warm and friendly and full of amazing treasures as the previous one. In a welcoming and easly accessible location would be a plus.

Reply
Jesus Rodriguez link
10/18/2022 02:46:05 am

Suddenly take deal. Mouth material ever trip concern TV radio.
Possible student discuss decade health training plan.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Write something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview.

    Archives

    July 2021
    May 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    November 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    April 2018

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

​ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES &
Donation center Location
1630 17TH STREET
SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94107

​Administrative Phone: (415) 626-7500
BOOK DONATION CENTER: (415) 522-8606 

Get INvolved 

DONATE/JOIN/RENEW

Contact Us


​Tax ID Number:
 94-6085452 
©2021 Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR UPDATES!


Please leave this field empty