Boxcar Books was a non-profit, independent bookstore, infoshop, and community center in Bloomington, Indiana. Collectively run by volunteers, Boxcar Books was "one of the highest-volume zine sellers" in the United States.Reynolds, Adam. Boxcar Books: A B-town Store Like No Other, Bloom Magazine, Retrieved 26 November 2013 According to its website, the store existed to "promote reading, self-education, social equality, and social welfare through increased accessibility to literature and workshops."Boxcar Books Mission Statement Boxcar Books was for a time also the home of the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project, a non-profit books to prisoners organization that distributes books and reading materials to prisoners.McDowell, Mercedez. Be an Advocate with Boxcar , Retrieved 27 November 2013 By the end of 2017, Boxcar Books had closed their operations.
History Boxcar Books and Community Center was founded by Oliver Haimson and Matthew Turissini in 2001. The bookstore included a wide selection of new and used nonfiction books with a particular focus on gender studies and "green" lifestyles. In 2008, the bookstore moved to a location closer to Indiana University.
Events In addition to poetry readingsOsman, Rachel. "Poets present work at Boxcar Books ", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 27 November 2013 and community events, Boxcar Books regularly used to host the Writers Guild of Bloomington "Prose Reading & Open Mic"Writers Guild of Bloomington webpage on the first Sunday of the month and the "Bloomington Writer Project" every Tuesday afternoon. The bookstore held an annual fundraising event for itself and the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project called the "Rock n' Roll Prom."McRobbie, Josephine. Boxcar Books Fundraiser Doubles As “Rock ‘N’ Roll Prom", Indiana Public Media, Retrieved 27 November 2013
Target of hate groups Boxcar Books was the target of protests by a white supremacist hate group called the Traditionalist Youth Network.Wildeman, Mary Katherine "Student activist promotes 'traditionalism' ", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 26 November 2013"TRADITIONALIST YOUTH NETWORK PROTESTS AT BOXCAR BOOKS IN BLOOMINGTON, IN", Retrieved 26 November 2013Mettler, Katie. "White supremacists protest bookstore ", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 27 November 2013
See also Feminist bookstore Bluestockings Books Iron Rail Book Collective Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse In Other Words Women's Books and Resources
References
External links Boxcar Books - official website