A new business turns the pages

The recent opening of Blue Door Books, at 501A Central Ave. in Cedarhurst, may be just what the community has been missing.

More than a year after the Borders Books in Cedarhurst closed, lovers of literature, both young and old, once again have a neighborhood place to pick up a good read.

Each of Blue Door's owners brings her own skills from her field of study to create what they describe as a unique vision for the store. Sharon Garber, of Lawrence, studied interior design and space planning, and designed the layout of the store. Rucki Greenbaum, of Woodmere, studied English and journalism and worked in publishing.

Neither woman have ever owned a bookstore, but they said they felt a need for it in the community and that each has a strong love of books.

Their vision was to create a different, more personal, community-driven store, one that would cater to the specific needs of the customers. "We listen to the voices of the customers and we like their feedback," Greenbaum said. "We don't have to answer to anyone, which is why I think the large corporations didn't do well."

Blue Door Books plans to offer many events and services that cater to both young and old readers, including story time for children, book clubs for adults and bananagram tournaments as well as "story parties" -- story-themed birthday parties for kids right in the store.

The store offers a two- to three-day turnaround period: If a book a customer wants is not in the store, it can be obtained within that time period through an agreement with the store's distributor and other independent bookstores.

Garber and Greenbaum track customers' purchases in their computer database, offering them personalized attention. This gives them the capability to notify a customer if an author he or she likes comes out with a new book. Both women said they strongly believe in making Blue Door more than just a retail store.

The pair decorated the store to be inviting. "We utilized every square inch of the 1,000 square feet of the store," Greenbaum said. "There is no wallpaper here."

When it comes to competing against the larger book marketers such as Barnes & Nobel and Amazon, both women admit that they can't. However, they agree that their store offers something better. "There is an advantage to walking into a store and having someone there who knows you," Garber said. So far, they say, feedback from the community has been great, and Blue Door Books will continue to strive to be more than just a bookstore.

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