Hi Everybody,
I’m back with the final installment of my 3-part edition of my “Literary Travel” series focusing on my home state of Michigan. All of the photos used were the ones I took, and they can be seen throughout.
Today, I’m going to show you my visits to a library and a bookstore in Petoskey. For those who don’t know, Petoskey is located in Northern Michigan in the Lower Peninsula and is home to the Petoskey stone – the official state stone. It’s also known for its connection to famous writer and frequent guest on this website Ernest Hemingway since his family had a summer home in the area.
I was there for the first time back in June for an archival conference as part of my daytime work. On one of those days, I went on a walking tour of the Petoskey District Library. Library director Valerie Meyerson personally guided my group through both the Carnegie and current library buildings.
The library was originally housed in Carnegie structure across the street from the newer one. It’s built in the neo-classical revival style and was constructed in 1908, and it opened in November 1909. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently, the older building is a community room meeting space. We went into the Carnegie Library first. The library’s mission statement is “Providing an exceptional place to nurture knowledge and inspire curiosity,” and it shows. On the outside, there was a plaque that detailed its connections to Ernest Hemingway.
On the inside, it contained spacious rooms, bay windows, and pieces of library and Petoskey history. This is especially true with a wood-carved sculpture of Chief Ignatius Petoskey, who founded the area.
Certain rooms had windows boarded up because the glass windows that usually adorn those places were getting restored at that time. My favorite part of the Carnegie Library was the mural featuring every well-known fairy tale and children’s story. It’s so long that I couldn’t get it on my phone entirely, so here’s a snippet. By looking at it, I can see why people would be inspired.
Afterwards, we walked to the current library building, which opened in 2004. Its architecture combines classical and modern styles. The most well-known aspect is the copper-topped cupola; its spire rises 65 feet above street level.
Even though each room in the library was separated from each other by different floors and hallways, they were well organized and adorned. For example, there was a gorgeous entryway leading into the adult section that I’m going to call the Arc D’Library. In the children’s room, an owl greets visitors by its entryway, and even the portal resembles that kind of bird. Also, before patrons go into the teen area, a picture of and a quote from comedian Sam Reich welcomes them, which adds some nice humor. Each room contained suitable places for play and study.
The Petoskey District Library offers the things one might expect from a typical library and so much more. It has a Library of Things in the adult area. Patrons can check out items ranging from board games to ukuleles. Valerie also pointed out their TOPO adventures bags and the study room pods that people can “rent.”
Since our group was primarily full of archivists, it made sense to end the tour in the Local History Room. It was a small room filled with reference materials, newspapers, and artifacts regarding the Petoskey and Northern Michigan regions (do you recognize the man on the far right with the newspaper clippings?).
From what I saw, the Petoskey District Library did a good job with honoring its past and embracing its present and future. It certainly provided an environment to foster knowledge and curiosity. Along with their website, you can check out that library on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
When the library tour ended, I had some time to walk around downtown Petoskey before the Evening Reception began. Logically, I wound up at a bookstore called McLean & Eakin Booksellers. More specifically, I found myself at The Archives Used Books by McLean & Eakin. The original bookshop opened in 1992, and since their inventory was filling up to the brim, they decided to open another store devoted to used books years later.
The Archives is a perfect way to describe the used bookstore. It sold secondhand novels for adults, teens, and children in a single room with a set of steps to get there. In addition, it had some wonderful displays on the shelves by the walls and on an island in the middle of the area. I scooped up three titles with The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl, Jay’s Gay Agenda by Jason June, and the manga Trapped in a Dating Sim: The World of Otome Games is Tough for Mobs by Yoma Mishima.
Once I bought my books at The Archives, I walked down the street to the flagship store, and it was magical. It was welcoming with its cottage-like environment. The main floor had gold and white walls decorated with posters, drawings, and other objects. It was filled with books for both adults and children that were well labeled with white lettering and red backgrounds. Even people with vision issues could see them.
And yes, they did have a section entirely devoted to Ernest Hemingway.
The children’s area was super adorable with its display and a Chinese dragon hanging over them.
They also had a basement, which contained “knotty pine panelling” according to the bookstore’s website. This made the place rustic and cozy.
The basement had little nooks devoted to certain topics. For instance, in the picture below, signs for science and theology books can be seen on the right side.
In another example, McLean & Eakin express great pride in selling UK editions. They are located in the basement on shelving that resembles a British telephone booth. This playfulness is evident throughout.
In another part of the basement, a life size cutout of Stephen King dressed with a pink feathered boa greeted people in the horror area by the gardening and travel sections.
Along with novels, McLean & Eakin also sells unique items like vinyl records, puzzles, stationary, greeting cards, and their own merchandise. Customers can also play chess in the board game area in the basement.
Additionally, they host well-known authors at various events at the stores. The bookshop promoted these throughout, especially by the checkout station on the main floor. In case one didn’t know who was going to be there, there was a display containing books by those authors with the dates inserted. I also spoke to some of the employees, who gave a more detailed history of the bookstore.
At the end of the day, I bought Odyssey: The Greek Myths Reimagined by Stephen Fry and a bookmark for my intern who left at the end of June.
McLean & Eakin and The Archives were wonderful bookstores. They were cozy and engaging with the former having a rustic aesthetic. They had so many items to choose from. I know that I will be going back when I’m in Petoskey next. Along with their website, you can check out that bookstore on Facebook and Instagram.
And that concludes the fourteenth installment of “Literary Travel!” I hope all of you had a great time on this trip. I’ll start up this series again in the new year with my umpteenth excursion to Canada!
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