Bloomsday Books
We Buy and Sell Rare and Used Books

Once upon a time (1994, to be exact), a young and happy couple found a book about how to run a used bookstore. It was a subject that interested them both deeply, as both were constant readers, booklovers and keenly desired to launch their own entrepreneurial adventure.

The couple was Tom and Nancy Shawver, and after they read the book, they decided to follow their dream and start up their own used bookstore. Tom would quit his profession -- after 20-some years as a lawyer, he was eager for a change of pace -- and Nancy would maintain her career while the business got underway. They set about getting funding and began assembling an inventory of good books, selecting with care from estate sales, auctions, yard sales, book sales and so on.

In January 1995, they signed a lease on a large space in Brookside. The original location was on Brookside Boulevard, in a real estate office that had been dormant for several years. They hired a carpenter to build rows and rows of shelves, and supplemented that with standing racks.

They settled on the name Bloomsday Books. It was a bright, fun name -- they wanted the place to be lively and fun -- and it was different. It gave them the opportunity to introduce Kansas City to the celebration of Bloomsday, James Joyce and Irish literature.

Bloomsday refers to June 16, which is the date upon which the James Joyce novel Ulysses is set. The novel is an account of the thoughts and activities of Leopold Bloom, as he walks about the streets of Dublin. The novel, acclaimed as one of the finest works of literature, presents a portrait of Dublin, its people, its traditions, as well as a glimpse of all humanity through the depiction of one man's journey. June 16 is celebrated in Dublin and all over Ireland as Bloomsday, in honor of James Joyce and Leopold Bloom and Irish arts. Now the celebrations have spread around the globe - including Kansas City.

The store opened in March 1995, just in time for the annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Brookside. In June 1995, Bloomsday hosted its first Bloomsday celebration - marking the event with a 24-hour marathon reading of Ulysses, with music and festivities.

The event has become an annual tradition at Bloomsday.

The store was popular from its first day. It has attracted a score of regulars -- affectionately known as the Bloomsday barflies (you know who you are!) -- and is the site of frequent parties (Halloween, Christmas, birthdays, wakes, etc.) It's common to find friends meeting at Bloomsday, and it has become common for strangers to become friends through Bloomsday.

At the Brookside location, the store went through several changes. The space was found to be simply too large, so it was carved up and leased to The Breadsmith. The two stores, with an open entryway between them, were wonderfully complementary.

In 2000, Tom and Nancy joined a group and invested in a nearby historic property - the Crestwood Shops. Less than a mile away from the Brookside location, the new spot gave the bookstore the opportunity to grow and develop its focus in art, architecture and non-fiction, especially history, biography and travel & adventure.

The store moved to its new location with a symbolic parade. Customers joined the staff in walking from the old shop to the new, carrying a volume of Ulysses. The new shop was dedicated with a party and "blessed" by celebration of friends and even a posing pope.

Bloomsday later moved to downtown Kansas City for a year, participating in the phenomenal Crossroads District happenings. But, lacking enough traffic, the shop moved back to Crestwood. After a couple of years in a charming small shop, we succumbed to the changing times and closed the open shop. The business now is virtual, operating online only. The spirit lives!