Today we’d like to introduce you to MerryBeth Burgess.
Hi MerryBeth, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
we started hello again books in 2020. my wife and i had moved to fl from Atlanta to take care of my mother-in-law who had dementia/Alzheimer’s. being LGBTIQQ it was very hard for us here in fl. we did not feel safe and it was hard to find likeminded people. Once my wife’s mother passed we were unsure if we should move back to Atlanta or not. we knew if we stayed here in fl we would need to make some changes, so we decided to try and make a difference in our community. I had worked for barnes and noble for seven years and my wife had worked once at an independent bookstore. we both love book and they are a large part of our lives. we decided to open a small independent LGBTIQQ feminist bookstore hoping to create a safe space here in fl since we had not found one yet. we opened on March 1st 2020 and 2 weeks later the world stopped because of covid. no one adds something like that to their business plan but we survived because the community supported us. After opening we realized how many people were searching for likeminded people and a place to feel safe being who they are whether LGBTIQQ, introverts, or whatever the world thinks as outsiders.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definity has not been a smooth ride. opening at the beginning of covid just about killed us. also, we get a lot of hate because we carry banned/challenged books in our store and completely stand by this.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
we are most proud of creating a safe place here in very red Brevard county. we are different than a lot of used bookstores as we clean sanitize de-sticker and curate our used books. most of our used books look like new. we also do not charge for events in our space. we freely provide or space to pop up events, meet and greets etc and never take a fee. we also keep our used book prices extremely low making us different from other used bookstores. we are truly driven by community. we have won best of Brevard for a few years in a row now. we also host our own inclusive pride event in june. this is not your typical pride event this is a family friendly scavenger hunt in the village. it is all about being who you are hence the name “be the rainbow” this in one of the most important things that we do. we also co-host a book festival here in cocoa village each year.
How do you think about luck?
we are ver lucky to be in the heart of cocoa village which is a very diverse and welcoming spot here in Brevard county. it was luck that we found a space in the heart of Brevard avenue. when we first opened our store we were on the outskirts of the village with a horrible landlord. somehow luck happened to open up a space on brevard ave right at the same time our current lease was ending. the lucky move really opened up our business!
Pricing:
- used kid books typically under $3
- used books typically under $5
- typical gift prices under $20
Contact Info:
- Website: https://helloagainbooks.com
- Instagram: @helloagainbooks
- Facebook: @helloagainbooks
