A famed San Francisco bookstore is asking for some financial help as they try to weather the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, so far readers are already answering that call.
City Lights Booksellers and Publishers in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood is, like all non-essential businesses, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But General Manager Andy Bellows says the bookstore is continuing to take care of its staff.
“Once the shelter in place order came down, we made the decision as a management team to continue paying full salaries and health benefits,” said Bellows, “we’re really trying to figure out short-term solutions to be able to continue doing that.
Bellows said that City Lights launched a GoFundMe campaign on Thursday at around noon, and the response has been tremendous. The campaign has a $300,000 goal, and about $250,000 of that was raised within 24 hours.
He said that store management is overwhelmed and grateful for the generosity, but this fundraiser is just a short-term solution. The store is assessing their options for the future, while keeping the goal of bringing together readers and writers alive.
“We are going to be re-looking at our mission and figuring out ways to do what we do, but maybe in a different fashion,” said Bellows, “we are putting efforts into some virtual events and online things we can do.”
City Lights is a destination for book lovers from around the world.