We had the good fortune of connecting with Carrie Koepke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Carrie, how does your business help the community?
Bookselling is a business like no other. We have the opportunity to provide a product that feeds a wide variety of needs to out customers, sometimes life changing, and sometimes just distraction. Our community bonds over reading the same title, or celebrates sharing different titles with one another. They bond at events at the shop, or in schools, and anywhere else we are able to participate in our world. It goes beyond the local business impact, which is already such an important thing. Skylark is a retail shop, and due to the unique combination of our product and heart, we are also a safe place, a meeting place, a destination. Putting the right books in the right hands at the right time is one of our favorite things to do, and the way that simple action echoes can be remarkable.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Skylark Bookshop has been open for 5 and a half years. In that time, we have been embraced by our community. Our goal is to always earn that embrace, to work hard and meet the changing needs with as much care and consideration as possible. This was particularly visible during the pandemic, as we modified our working model to include door step delivery and found unique ways to help customers “browse” with the help of our trained eye and careful curation. We also learned a great deal more than we thought we would ever know about the importance of our formed human connections. Skylark is Skylark because of the people who work here, the people who shop here, and how much we are able to value one another.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I always enjoy sharing Columbia with visitors. In particular, we have some extraordinary outdoor spaces. Cliffs, caves, wildlife, trails, and more. I love taking people to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area for the fresh aid and the bird watching. Rock Bridge State Park has a wide variety of hiking experiences for any level and time availability. We also have really good food here. the tacos at 44 Canteen or Pizza Tree for lunch, Sparky’s and U Knead Sweets for a treat, Goldies Bagels for breakfast, Sycamore or Kampaii for a sit down diner. The list could go on and on, visit after visit.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
The support of The American Booksellers Association (ABA) and The Midwest Booksellers Association (MIBA) help fuel us. The shared wisdom of booksellers is like no other industry out there.

Website: Skylarkbookshop.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skylarkbookshop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skylarkbookshop

Youtube: https://www.facebook.com/skylarkbookshop

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@skylark_bookshop

Image Credits
Stacie Pottinger, Carrie Koepke, Erin Regneri

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.