The other day, Catherine Bohne, the owner of the Community Bookstore, explained to me the dire straits that her bookstore is in.  The situation is far worse than I imagined. The store, located on Seventh Avenue between Carroll and President Street, is seriously under-financed and things cannot go on this way.

There was, however, a silver lining to her story. 

And that’s what Catherine wanted to tell me the day she pulled me aside to talk. Catherine has reached out to the community she loves for help. And they have heeded her call.

Many neighbors and friends are meeting next week to put their heads together and brainstorm about the financial future of the bookstore. Some good financial heads have been brought in already and there is hope that help, in the form of a "thinking outside of the box" financial plan, is on the way.

Hey, this is Park Slope. We can do anything.

A more recent missive from Catherine reflects her growing optimism that the store can be saved. In it she writes, "This store isn’t going to die…there is simply too much love.

I want to remind Catherine that there is no shame in reaching out for help. Many a great New York independent bookseller has had to reach out to the book-buying public. The city is littered with the skeletons of fabulous independent bookstores that are no more. Books and Co. a glorious bookshop on Madison Avenue next door to the Whitney Museum, comes to mind. Let’s not let the Community Bookstore suffer a similar fate.

If you are interested in helping the Community Bookstore (or even investing money) email me at louise_crawford@yahoo.com