Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Estes.
Jane, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Lark & Owl Booksellers opened in April of 2019 and we’ve had great support from our community ever since. Georgetown had been without an independent bookstore for several years after the owner of Hill Country Books retired. Founded by 10 women who were committed to books, Lark & Owl has become a cozy, welcoming third place for many people in Georgetown and beyond. Our mission is to provide an inclusive place where people feel seen, where the books on our shelves reflect the vibrant community we serve every day. Our tag line is: Community + Conversation + Books.
At Lark & Owl, we see every human emotion on the spectrum. People come to us when they are questioning, grieving, celebrating, curious, worried, confused, bored, joyful and more. It is an honor and a privilege to be a part of people’s every day lives. Lark & Owl has been the preferred place for first dates, coffee chats, meetings, parties, quiet browsing, playing games or doing puzzles, and more. We’ve even had people stage their engagements at our store and we’ve been thrilled to host several weddings for book lovers!
We keep a full calendar of offerings with author events, craft nights, book clubs, vendor markets, silent read-ins, community outreach group meetings, junk journaling, planner parties, workshops, yoga, sound baths, meditation meet ups, candle making classes and so much more!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve definitely had our share of struggles that have included managing a business through COVID, extreme and prolonged construction around us, changing consumer habits, and seasonal cash flow, to name a few.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Being a bookseller is a wonderful job, but it is harder than most people imagine it is. Serving a community of book lovers is easy—we get to talk about books every day! But this job does not entail sitting around drinking tea, and reading a book, while petting the bookstore cat.* In fact, there is very little sitting involved! We receive shipments every day so those books and retail items must be received into inventory, scanned to determine which section they will be shelved in, then shelved properly (also not as straightforward as most believe) and then our team make sure to highlight those books on the shelves with shelf talkers. Those are the little signs under each book title that act as a teaser or commercial for that book— a way to entice the customer to pick it up and choose it! This job requires lifting lots of books, creativity, analytic thinking, kindness, open-mindedness (we never judge what someone likes to read!), love of community and of books.
What we are most proud of is the amazing team we have built. They are a young, energetic, curious, hard-working, compassionate group of humans. Many of our best ideas come from them. It is an honor and a joy to work with people who are so committed to books, our community and making the world better. They are experts at putting the perfect book in someone’s hands at the right time. This team is what sets Lark & Owl apart from other bookstores.
* we do not have a bookstore cat, but we do have a cat-shaped tissue holder that we say is the bookstore cat!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The most important lesson I’ve learned along the way is to find peace in the chaos and know that everything will work out. Most things have solutions and you just have to keep asking, learning, and connecting until you find what you need.
Pricing:
- We carry new and used books so that those who may be eco or budget conscious can enjoy our store, too.
- We carry many products made by local artisans and that helps set our store apart from others.
- You can reserve and rent our space for various events.
- We have a cafe, Sanctuary Holistic Kitchen, within our store that serves delicious offerings.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.larkandowlbooksellers.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larkandowlbooksellers/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larkandowlbooksellers/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@larkowlbooksellers95
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@larkandowlbooksellers
