Supporting A Beloved Indie Bookshop

Keeping a 63-Year Tradition Alive

Hayward, California, is a book-loving community. Our town is better known for its working-class, immigrant, and agricultural roots than for being bibliophiles. Yet we love reading so much we’ve kept our downtown bookstore, Books on B, alive for 63 years.

It hasn’t always been easy. There were the fiscal setbacks brought about by economic downturns that restricted people’s buying. And there was the leaky roof that damaged the precious book inventory. But, through it all, our indie shop has survived.

Our bookshop has a long history. It has changed ownership four times, and even the name of the storefront has been revised. This story is the most recent tale of how Haywardites have supported and sustained this valuable gathering place for readers and writers. It’s also about how a woman’s passion for bookselling has inspired an entire community.

In 2016, the owners, a library director and her book-loving husband, were told by the landlord that they had to pay more rent and that they had to move to a different building. Instead of jumping through these hoops, they decided to retire from bookselling. Renee Rettig was their shop manager, and she wanted to buy the shop. But she needed more cash than she had on hand. That’s when the townspeople stepped in.

A crowdfunding campaign provided $70,000 in 6 weeks. Donors were enticed by the thank-you prizes provided by local artists–––craftspeople, photographers, greeting card makers, and authors. With a lot of hard work from volunteers who refinished the floors, painted the walls, installed shelving, and made electrical improvements, Renee was able to open the store in September 2017. There was a grand celebration where book lovers feasted on cake and punch and danced in the street while live music played.

Then, the pandemic hit, and many brick-and-mortar retailers went out of business. But, Renee was able to keep the shop afloat with online sales. Then, just when things were improving for the bookstore’s bottom line, another disaster struck. A year ago, an atmospheric river swept into the area, and the shop was deluged with rainwater. Again, the community came through with a crowdfunding activity to keep Books on B alive.

The good news? Even though it took seven months to recover from the rainstorm’s damage, Books on B reopened in time for this year’s holiday shopping. It’s a testament to Renee’s commitment and to the town that really wants its one remaining bookstore.

Once upon a time, in the 1960s and 1970s, Hayward had a thriving downtown. There was a men’s haberdashery, a lingerie shop, three stationery stores, two art-framing shops, four neighborhood bars, eight antique shops, and a music store that sold instruments, sheet music, and records.

But for some of us, the real thrill came from shopping at one of Hayward’s six downtown bookshops, all within a three-block radius. Books on B was then called The Bookshop. There was a feminist bookshop run by a collective. A used bookstore. Two religious bookstores. An “adult” bookstore. A liquor store where the quantity of magazines and books was as large as the alcohol inventory.

Hayward will likely never see this many booksellers again. Big box stores and online sales have decimated small bookshops in towns everywhere. We treasure our one fiercely independent brick-and-mortar bookshop and plan to keep it going for as long as we can.

As a gesture of thanks to all those folks who have supported Books on B, this past week, Renee hosted a screening of It’s a Wonderful Life (1947) at our local indie movie house. One of the film’s characters is Clarence Odbody, a guardian angel who has no wings. In order to earn his wings, he must perform a good deed of epic proportions. And, just like Clarence, there are angels in our community who have earned their wings by supporting this enduring bookselling tradition in our downtown.

Yes, Bezos sells books for cheaper. But, in Hayward, we will continue connecting with neighbors, exchanging book recommendations, and gossiping in the aisles of our beloved bookshop.