Photography courtesy Alex Arata
Between earning her master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Illinois, obtaining a master’s degree in education from St. Louis University, and working at the St. Louis Public Library and classroom teaching experience, Betty Bayer has developed a seemingly ideal background for opening her own unique bookstore.
Building a business based on books is something Bayer always thought about doing. And yet, after working with books as a librarian and teaching English classes, she felt opening her own store would be “crazy.” But during the pandemic, Bayer had the opportunity to take a business course through the American Booksellers Association.
And after talking with friends and family members, performing her own research, and running the numbers, Bayer found that such a venture might not be such a crazy idea after all.
“Everyone I talked to was like, ‘You know, I think this would really work. I think you could do this,’” Bayer said. “So, I just decided to go for it.”
Betty’s Books, Bayer’s first bookstore, will open October 23 at 10 Summit in Webster Groves. It's a one-of-a-kind, family-friendly specialty bookstore featuring comics, graphic novels, and manga for all ages.
“It's a little corny, but our tagline is ‘Graphic books for all,’” Bayer said. “I feel really passionate about conveying to people—young and old—that books with pictures aren't just for kids. Pictures add a lot of complexity to text and can be really powerful, and there's a huge diversity of authors and artists who work in the graphic literature medium.”
Where some see independent bookstores as a thing of the past, Bayer sees room for growth. St. Louis, specifically, has always had a number of independently-owned bookstores Bayer has found herself drawn to, and she said she feels fortunate to have the opportunity to join the bookseller community and open her own store in her “adopted hometown.”
“There's so many awesome independent bookstores here, and each has its own specialties, so that really gives book lovers so many options that are curated by real people and experts instead of by an algorithm,” Bayer said. “It’s something really special to be hand-selling books to neighbors and people in our community.”
Photography courtesy Alex Arata
To encourage older individuals to dive into into graphic literature, Bayer is considering adding a Comics 101 class where people can learn about the different types of graphic novels, gather recommendations, and meet friends with similar interests. Bayer says she's trying to foster a welcoming and friendly environment where patrons can celebrate, discover, and share graphic books.
“I was an art history major as an undergraduate, and I've always loved reading," Bayer said. "So for me, the combination of art and storytelling is just sort of intellectually something I'm really interested in. I think it does something that just written words can't do. Another thing I think is really cool about graphic literature is that there's so much diversity there in terms of the types of people who are creators, and I think that's really valuable.”
Betty’s Books’ grand opening will feature a ribbon-cutting at 10 a.m. Saturday, followed by superhero character appearances featuring Spiderman and Wonder Woman from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Children can get their faces painted while enjoying a story time, and parents can enjoy live music by Alexandra Sinclair starting at 6 p.m.
The store also features a mural by local artist Jayvn Solomon, a kids’ playhouse area, and a local creators feature section to encourage an energetic atmosphere and mingling. Bayer also plans to add a zine collection in the future.
“I look forward to welcoming the community into the beautiful store space and sharing these wonderful books,” Bayer said. “We will carry a vast range of graphic literature, from popular titles, such as Raina Telgemeier’s reboot of the Baby-Sitters Club series, to horror manga by Junji Ito, to trade paperbacks published by Marvel, DC, Image, to all the graphic novels we can get our hands on—new and backlist.”
While considering the people she wanted to reach with Betty’s Books, Bayer realized she wanted to connect with an audience beyond the borders of St. Louis. So she decided to share her curated collection through the store's website. The entirety of Betty’s Books’ collection will be available online within the next month.
“I think [the online store] would be something that a lot of people would be interested in who don't just live here,” Bayer said. “Also, coming out of the pandemic, I think that people kind of expect and appreciate being able to browse online and pick up in store, or check if we have something in store before they come buy it because that can be difficult.”
Bayer hopes that Betty’s Books will draw customers from all around St. Louis and beyond, introducing them to a new genre of literature they may not have considered reading before.
“I hope teenagers who love manga and can't find it anywhere else are able to kind of find a home here,” Bayer said. “I hope to introduce lots of people to comics and graphic literature for the first time, and I hope that we're really able to cater to our community, see what they want, and help grow together.”
