| Type | Private subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Founded | Menlo Park, California (1955) |
| Founder(s) | Roy Kepler |
| Headquarters | Menlo Park, California, U.S. |
| Key people | Roy Kepler (Founder) Clark Kepler |
| Products | Books, magazines |
| Website | Official website |
Kepler's Books is an independent bookstore in Menlo Park, California. It was founded on May 14, 1955 by Roy Kepler [1], who had previously been a staff member of the Berkeley listener-supported radio station KPFA. It "soon blossomed into a cultural epicenter and attracted loyal customers from the students and faculty of Stanford University and from other members of the surrounding communities who were interested in serious books and ideas."[2]
Contents |
Sixties counterculture
John Markoff in his 2005 text, What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry referenced Kepler's as an important meeting point for the Counterculture of the 1960s. [3] The Palo Alto Weekly also noted that, "through the 60s and 70s, the culture of Kepler's began to evolve into a broader counter-culture. Beat intellectuals and pacifists were joined by "people who worked for Whole Earth, hippies into the rock and roll and recreational drug scene, politicos, and people with an interest in ethnic groups."[1] The Grateful Dead gave live shows there [4] and "folk singer Joan Baez, members of the Grateful Dead, and many local leaders remember sharing ideas, political action, music, and danger in the cramped store." [5][6]
Recent history, closure and re-opening
In 1980, Roy Kepler’s son Clark took over the management of the bookstore. The store had three different locations in Menlo Park, [7] moving in 1989 to its current location in the Menlo Center on El Camino Real. In 1990 Publishers Weekly named Kepler’s “Bookseller of the Year.” [6]
Due to the rise of chain bookstores and online shopping, Kepler's closed its doors on August 31, 2005.[8] The local community held demonstrations to protest the closing.[9] Kepler's subsequently re-opened in October 2005 with community investments, volunteers and donations.[10].[6]
In 2008, The Kepler's children's department won the Pannell Award for excellence. [11] In addition, the 2008 documentary Paperback Dreams chronicles the related histories of Kepler's and the now defunct Cody's Books in Berkeley, California. [12]
Further reading
- Markoff, John. What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry. New York: Penguin, 2005.
Notes
- ^ a b The culture of Kepler's
- ^ Kepler's turns another page / After 50 years, the epicenter of the Peninsula's counterculture is still shaking things up
- ^ John Markoff. 'What the Dormouse Said: How the Sixties Counterculture Shaped the Personal Computer Industry, (New York, Penguin, 2005):28, 37
- ^ How the Dead Came to Life : Rolling Stone
- ^ Cover story: Kepler's: more than a bookstore
- ^ a b c About Kepler's
- ^ Simply the Best
- ^ The End
- ^ Saving Kepler's: Investors await response from landlord
- ^ MENLO PARK / As Kepler's Books reopens, customers queue at registers
- ^ 2008 Pannell Winners Announced - 5/6/2008 6:56:00 AM - Publishers Weekly
- ^ Paperback Dreams
External links
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