When Tom McDonnell opened his non-profit Literary Arts Center in 2008—now known as Dog Ears Bookstore—many people told him he was out of his mind. He wanted to impart a love of books into the community to help people become lifelong readers.
Fourteen years later, here’s what he has accomplished. Not only has he created a cozy bookstore complete with a café and a famous spiral staircase decorated with famous quotes, but he has also established a raft of community programs.
A Bookshop with an Eye on the Needs of the Community
Tom tells me that the greatest needs of his community—in fact, every community—is for that place to be “walkable, shoppable, bikeable, and to offer programs that service the needs and wants of every community member.”
Related: Edinburgh Community Bookshop – Giving Back to the Community
There is a lot to unpack in that comment. Urban planning, safety, funding, and community participation are just some of the requirements to achieve it. For his part, a bookshop can build community connection and engagement especially by offering free programming.
This is no easy task.
I am certain that Tom and his colleagues will spend late nights writing applications for grants and funding all over New York State and further. Grants are labor-intensive, require emotional investment, and offer plenty of disappointment.
But Just Look at the Programs That Dog Ears Is Able to Offer!
Free after-school youth programming, for first to eighth graders, taught by literacy specialists and certified English Language Arts teachers (funded by Erie County Youth Bureau).
Free literary and arts program for senior citizens—Around the World and Back Home Again—exploring different countries around the world, and their authors, artists, and cultures. This month, they will be learning about Australia, including author Markus Zusak and poet Les Murray.
This program is funded by the New York State Council on the Arts as well as the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature and is administered by Arts Services Inc.
And every year, the Bookshop holds the locally famous Kids’ “I Read It” run! It doesn’t get much more fun than this for kids!
Kids under four run a 50-yard dash, 4- to 5-year-olds run 100 yards, and 6- to 7-year-old kids run a half loop. The oldest kids run a full loop of the bowl. They all get a t-shirt, a medal, and two books.
Summer Reading and Writing Camps
Tom says the bookstore’s most popular event is the Summer Reading and Writing Camps sponsored by South District Councilman Chris Scanlon and Erie County Youth Services. He’s quoted with this wonderfully optimistic way to encapsulate the program: “These camps bridge the summer educational gap and bring to the surface this community’s emphasis on constant learning.”
A simple format for this camp offered the kids creative and unique experiences, followed by the opportunity to discuss and write about those experiences. It’s a perfect method, I think, to foster literacy and a love of learning. In the morning, the children could engage in some kind of activity, like music, sport, drama, art, or animals. This was followed by an afternoon session in small groups to discuss, share thoughts, and write about their morning.
And look at the level of community engagement in this program:
Community partners who visited the bookstore during the summer camps include John Gilmour, local defense attorney and candidate for the Erie County Legislature; Lissa Marie Redmond, retired Buffalo Police detective and local author; Laura Lawless from South Buffalo School of Music; Chet “The Breadman” and Marina Fery from Bread Time Stories; and Elizabeth Carey from AAA Western and Central New York.
Hosting walking field trips were the Brick Oven Bistro & Deli (John Glavey and Mike Interlichia), Queen City Cycling (Jill McMahon), Imperial Pizza (Jim Bouris and Dave Powers), Park Edge Sweet Shoppe (Anna Hartog and Maggie Mulvaney), Abbott Ice Cream (Matt Smith and Ron Morris), KupKates (Kathleen Cunningham), and the Buffalo Fire Department and the crew from Engine 4.
Buffalo community needs
What’s going on in Buffalo more broadly?
Poor education and persistent poverty were key features, according to local news reports on economic and social challenges in the region. Lack of education has lifelong consequences: unemployment (8.4% in 2021 for Buffalo, NY) or under-employment.
The outcomes of unemployment for families are profound and include intergenerational poverty, substandard housing, financial stress, substance abuse, and more.
And the consequences for communities where unemployment is high include lower quality housing, fewer opportunities for employment and recreation, worse public facilities, and ironically also underfunded schools.
The Role of the Bookshop
What’s the role of the humble bookshop?
Kasey Rae recently wrote for this blog about Housing Works bookstore in NYC providing bridges to healthcare and housing.
Tom says that his bookshop engages wherever it can and will try to meet needs wherever they see them. Of course, they are limited by size and manpower. More facilitators and funding will enable them to carry out more programs that the community needs. You can donate to their programs on their website, by the way.
Tom also offers some simple advice for bookshop owners who want to engage their community with similar programs: “Listen and be kind.”
Have you seen a bookshop that’s doing great things for the community? Drop a comment below and we would love to write a feature on it!