Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Decker
Hi Erin, 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?
In 2015, Erin started her journey into online retail by opening a bookmark shop on Etsy called BibliophilePrints. In 2020 she moved to the Orlando area and reimagined her now much bigger business as an independent bookstore. She knew she would have to start small and online and she transitioned to her store being called Erin Decker Creative to encompass everything she was doing and selling. She imagined her bookstore would be a brick and mortar in 20 years or so. During this time she met Tania, through their work as school library media specialists in Osceola County.
In 2021, the state of Florida was experience extreme changes in the public school setting which was making the work of a school library media specialist not only impossibly difficult, but in Erin and Tania’s opinion, dangerous for our students’ freedom of expression and access to truth and learning. They started to brainstorm ways to fight back. They spoke at school board meetings, were interviewed by the press, followed the Florida Freedom to Read Project, spoke at Board of Education meetings at the state level, but it wasn’t enough and the book challenges kept on coming and effecting their work.
In early 2023 they hit a breaking point and knew that they needed to have a plan B for their careers – and the way they could effect change for students in the state of Florida. They decided to create their own safe space and in March of 2023 they incorporated White Rose Books & More together. Tania has a background in corporate marketing and has lived in Kissimmee for 29 years so together Erin and Tania knew they were unstoppable.
White Rose Books & More opened to the public in mid-October of 2023 and has been serving the public since. Tania and Erin continue to speak out against what is happening in Florida and tracking bills that they know will be harmful to students in Florida and to literacy. They have created a safe space for themselves, and for all people in their community that need to know they are loved, cared for, and appreciated.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There are always challenges when opening a new business. Our biggest challenge has been political backlash from people who are misinformed about what we do and how we do it.
As you know, we’re big fans of White Rose Books & More. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
We are the only independent bookseller in Osceola County. We sell books that are both new and used, from all genres, for all ages. We are known for our inclusive space, our knowledge of banned and challenged books, and our careful curation of book titles for our store. We are super proud of the connections we have made in the downtown Kissimmee community and our ability to still serve schools through our work with author visits, book fairs, bulk book orders at a discount and more.
We are so much more than just a bookstore. We offer handmade gifts for a variety of different people all handmade by local artists and artisans. We have so many events that we offer for free to the public and we have lots of events that support authors and writers.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Ordering books is the best way to support us – we ship worldwide so you don’t even have to be local. Sharing on social media is another free way to support us. People can contact us if they want to work with us or collaborate with us on anything and we will see if it is a good fit for us too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whiterosebooksandmore.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/whiterosebooksandmore
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/whiterosebooksandmore
