Philadelphia Independent Bookstore Collections

Each collection is distinctive in content, time range, and extent. Purchasing patterns for each collection depend on available stock, ongoing purchasing, and relevance to the Libraries.

Hakim's Bookstore

Founded in 1959, Hakim’s is the oldest black owned independent bookstore in Philadelphia, and one of the oldest in the country. It is located in West Philadelphia, where it has served as an intellectual focus of the local Black community for decades. Since it’s founding, Hakim’s has focused on providing books specifically for Black audiences, often providing Afro-centric narratives about religion, history, and society running counter to mainstream perspectives. Some of the titles in stock now have been available at Hakim’s since its early days. Consequently, this collection both represents the current stock and audience of Hakim’s and represents titles fitting Hakim’s mission published over six decades. The content has both contemporary and historic contexts. This is especially true of books meant for adults. The books for children, while specifically curated for a Black audience, tend to be contemporary. 

Our collection of over 300 items was purchased in 2023 and 2024. Because Hakim’s stock is relatively small, we purchased all titles of interest available or one backorder at that time. We purchased every children’s and young adult title regardless of whether it duplicated Library holdings, and we purchased every books meant for adults that the Libraries doesn't hold. Thus, a significant amount of mainstream and academic books were excluded. Ongoing purchases pend the turnover in Hakim’s stock, and will be determined on an ad hoc basis.

Moonstone Press

Moonstone Press formed out of the activities of the Moonstone Arts Center, which itself developed from the activities at the long-time Center City institution, Robin’s Book Store. The Arts Center’s mission is to “promote creative exchange through diverse cultural programs,” to which end it sponsors over 100 readings annually and provides a for intellectual discussions. The Press publishes chapbooks, perfect bound books, and thematic anthologies, with an emphasis on local publishers. 

Our collection consists of approximately 200 items published over the past couple decades and available to purchase through the online store in 2022. Because the titles are rare, we purchased two copies of everything then available, one for circulating general collections, and a second archival copy held by Special Collections. This collection allows insight into the literary output and interests of local writers who may or may not have gone on to publish to a wider audience.

A Novel Idea

The mission of A Novel Idea is “We believe in shopping small, not just because we’re a small business, but because there are so many talented artisans in the Philadelphia area. One way we shop small is through our dedication to promoting and selling books by local authors and small presses.” They also have a very active events calendar that regularly focuses on authors from the Philadelphia region. By working with this bookseller, we are able to collect and elevate works that major vendors rarely make available for us to purchase and we would likely not purchase.

Our collection consists of books sent to us on an ongoing basis since 2022. A Novel Idea has a profile of publishers in which we are interested and sends us new material on a quarterly basis or as they are able.

Ulises

Ulises refers to itself as “a bookshop and project space dedicated to artists’ books and independent art publications.” They “aim to support people who make books and expand the boundaries of what art publishing can be.” It is a cooperative space fostering an artistic and intellectual community as well as a bookstore specializing in books about design from unusual perspectives and in unusual formats, such as pamphlets, zines, and uniquely Artists’ books.

We have a robust ongoing purchase agreement with Ulises based on a profile of items of particular interest that would not normally be sent by our vendors. Ulises purchases material from small presses and micropublishers, in the course of which they set aside copies for Penn. Because of the rare and ephemeral nature of many publications, we receive one copy for the Fisher Fine Arts Library general collections and a second archival copy for Special Collections. Our collection is based on semi-regular deliveries from Ulises since 2023.

Julia de Burgos Bookstore

Julia de Burgos Bookstore grew out of Taller Puertorriqueño, a cultural center invested in promoting art and culture within its West Kensington community and the Latine Diaspora, while building bridges with the city at large. The bookstore, which gets its name from the notable 20th-century Puerto Rican poet and activist, is the only dedicated bilingual (Spanish/English) bookstore in Philadelphia, and specializes in Puerto Rican literature, Latine and Latin American authors (many published in Latin-American countries), local Latine communities, and books by BIPOC, queer, and women writers. 

Our collection of over 200 English or Spanish titles demonstrates the wide range of genres and topics curated at the bookstore, which include novels, histories, poetry, religion, herbal medicine, cookbooks, comic books, and children and young adult books. New titles are added on a semi-regular basis through approval plans formed in collaboration with the Julia de Burgos Bookstore. 

Related Sites

• Supporting Bibliodiversity in Philadelphia (Penn Libraries News)
• Running Press Archive Finding Aid