Today we’d like to introduce you to Stevie Bloom-Levy
Hi Stevie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Basement Books was born–as the name suggests–in the basement of my family’s home. In 2019, my husband and I ramped up long-dreamed efforts to open a brick & mortar store by tapping into local community interests and getting a feel for what people would want to see out of a used bookstore, or if there was a market at all. The response was overwhelming.
Plans were derailed in early 2020 when the pandemic hit American shores, and we knew all efforts would come to a halt, even if temporarily. It was a slow few years as we tried to build a community online, which would eventually evolve to popup events hosted by Redux Society in the form of the first KC Boozy Book Fair: A quarterly event that has since grown to crowds in the thousands. The Boozy Book Fair put Basement Books on the map in the KC book scene with the sale of Blind Date Books, which quickly became our highly sought after specialty, boasting 20-foot lines for hours at a time. Our Blind Date Books are unique in that they aren’t just a wrapped mystery book with a genre label, but rather, you are personally matched to your Blind Date through themed personality tests. At the Boozy Book Fair, I match your book to your cocktail order, at our first-ever popup event at Hammerhand Coffee in Liberty, I matched your Blind Date to your coffee order, at the fall festival, I could match you to your favorite fall aesthetic, or a pulled tarot card.
The system used to make these perfect matches was developed entirely originally in my dimly-lit basement with one of my long-time best friends, Shauna. We spent countless hours working out exactly how to sort and organize books with a coding system that went beyond genre categories so that matches could be made in a moment, with minimal information.
As these events gained traction, my husband and I were diligently watching for the perfect location to open up in Liberty Square. Historic Downtown Liberty is its own micro-universe that is hard to explain unless you’ve spent a day shopping the unique boutiques and restaurants. It’s all of the Stars Hollow vibes, tossed into a Midwest potluck. We knew it was the only place we stood a chance of keeping a used bookstore alive; we needed THIS community, and this community WANTED us.
A few months into 2024, one of Liberty Square’s most beloved, long-time businesses announced they were looking for renters for half of their store front. Brant’s has been a fixture in Liberty for 5 generations, and when we went to tour the space, the entire wall was lined with bookshelves; a remnant left from when Brant’s was a shoe store back in the 60s. A perfect match.
So many people that frequent my store now remember the last time Liberty Square had a bookstore, and how much it has been missed. By the Book lived on the opposite corner of the Square years ago, and left a hole in the community when it closed. At some point in 2020, fully masked, and on a rare day without our kids, my husband and I randomly stumbled into an estate sale, where the owner was selling her entire stunning library. We made her an offer for the entire room, only to find out when the shelves were emptied, that the books belonged to a woman named Cathy, who used to work at By the Book. The first bulk purchase ever made by Basement Books was the remaining inventory of Liberty’s former bookstore. And that pretty much sums up what Liberty Square is like in a nutshell.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s had its ups and downs for sure. We were slow to action because we couldn’t afford to be impulsive. And that slow burn made us a lot wiser, as well as giving us ample time to learn everything we could. The pandemic was the biggest hurdle that was thrown at us right as we were building momentum. But without that, I don’t think we could have known to exactly what lengths our Liberty community would go to in order to support each other, and small businesses they love and value, which was what gave us the courage to make the move when the opportunity presented itself.
Booksellers as an industry also saw an enormous boom because of the pandemic when so many people rediscovered a love for reading, and simultaneously how much we missed existing in a bookstore.
Since the opening of the store, it’s been a remarkably smooth journey. We’ve been so warmly welcomed by the community, and by book-lovers in general, that we don’t see disgruntled customers really ever. It’s just a mutual admiration for written word, in a quiet space, with the world’s best landlords.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Basement Books started as a popup and online bookstore specializing in Blind Date Books.
Since we’ve moved above ground to open our store, Basement Books has focused deeply on the community. We aim to be a gathering hub and safe space for all manner of friend groups. We have available seating and a cozy, welcoming atmosphere. It’s a technology desert which allows readers to really be present in the space to enjoy the quiet. Both physically and mentally. Our books are creatively sourced to keep prices as low as possible. And we collaborate with dozens of local vendors and artisans to help bring a lot of personality and variety to the shop.
We are always looking for ways to involve the community and give back, including regular meetups and events, collaboration with Kansas City Booksellers Association for resource sharing, and donation drives for other nonprofit organizations (especially those that serve children).
How do you think about happiness?
Books make me happy.
I know it’s too easy, but honestly those were the spoken words of a friend in 10th grade that got me on a track to reading in the first place. It’s the love of books, and the shared experience of that, that I love most.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.basementbookskc.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/basementbookskc
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/basementbookskc
