The Island Bookshop and Gallery Too opened next door to the original The Island Bookshop on Miami Ave. this summer and quickly became a source of connection, knowledge, and wonder. The shop uplifts and supports the community by contributing proceeds from donated vintage, rare, and antiquarian book sales to Venice High School, Venice Library, Venice Performing Arts Center, and local nonprofits.
Owners Aimee Odette and Michael Rank, who both have backgrounds in college education and social work, designed a space that not only sells previously owned books and local artwork but fosters a sense of comfort and openness. Neatly stocked bookcases and tropical paintings line the walls, while ample seating encourages visitors to read and converse. “We wanted it to feel like an extension of our home,” said Odette. “We want people to feel like when they're walking in, they can sit, they can take a load off; It's a space to just be and to relax.”
The inviting environment Odette and Rank have created allows them to cultivate bonds with customers that transcend sales. “We get to know a lot of people and their lives,” said Odette. “You don't just build a relationship because you want to better your business, you build a relationship because you want to better your community,” she explained.
A book that has been donated to The Island Bookshop Too takes on a newfound life and purpose of its own as it travels from one owner to the next. “Not only is it moving to another home, to be loved again, but that money, in return, goes out to kids in schools and libraries, and nonprofits in the area,” said Odette. “People get connected to their books,” she said, recognizing that some have been passed down from family members or have simply provided much needed distraction during trying times. “It's just this continuous cycle and full circle moment,” said Odette of the books’ journeys.
New generations of readers continue to appreciate the unique selections the shop offers, further extending the lives of the books. “People come in all the time and ask, ‘do people still read [paper] books?’” said Rank, “absolutely, they do … as a matter of fact, some of our best customers are high school kids, young adults, and children.” Odette observed that their classic section, which features books with ornate gold edges and picturesque covers, mostly sells to teens and young adults who are choosing to read in their free time.
Odette noted that she loves “thinking about how many different hands have touched the books, the souls, the history of it.” “Every one of these books has had another owner in multiple ways,” she said. Rank added that the shop’s collection includes an eight-volume set of Shakespeare from 1802 and a 12-volume set of the history of England’s queens through 1840. “Whether you are buying a book from the rare book section, or the vintage books, or a book that somebody just donated two weeks ago, there's lives, and there's history, and there's love, poured into all of that,” said Odette.
Rank defines his and Odette’s venture with one word: synergy. “The more that you give to your community, the more your community gives back,” he said. “We're here because we want to be part of the community, and art and literature has always been our mission.”
“You know what?” said Odette, “it feels like we're just getting started.”