Hello SIBA friends!

After Hurricane Helene devastated areas of North Carolina and Florida, several SIBA stores have launched fundraising campaigns to help with the costs of rebuilding and remaining closed for an extended period.

Blinking Owl Books in Fort Myers, Florida took on three feet of water on the eve of their first anniversary, which damaged all bookshelves in the shop and a portion of their inventory. In addition to those losses, the shop has been displaced without consistent revenue and is looking for a new location. In the meantime, they will be popping up around the city. A GoFundMe campaign was launched on behalf of Blinking Owl Books to help them recover and rebuild.

Sassafras on Sutton in Black Mountain, North Carolina is located in one of the hardest hit towns. They have power, but no running water, cell service, internet, food, or gas. It will take months, if not years, for the community to recover. Fortunately, the store is still there; however, they aren’t sure when they’ll be able to reopen. They are asking for donations directly to the store here.

Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina survived the hurricane; however, they have lost a lot of revenue and the ability to operate, and they aren’t sure when they’ll be able to reopen. They have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help the store recover once their dispersed staff is able to return home.

If your store has a fundraising effort, or if you know of one we haven’t mentioned, please email candice@sibaweb.com so we can ensure the link is added to our hurricane relief resources list. SIBA plans to keep this page updated with Hurricane Milton information as well.

If your store needs support or you want to offer support, SIBA highly recommends Binc as your first call. Binc is there to help stores and booksellers, and donating to them is one of the best ways to support booksellers. 

Important Links from Binc: Apply online (mobile friendly form) | Email Binc | Call: 866.733.9064 | Donate