Kepler's Books

Infobox Company
name = Kepler's Books

type = Private subsidiary
genre =
foundation = Menlo Park, California (1955)
founder = Roy Kepler
location_city = Menlo Park, California
location_country = U.S.
location =
locations =
area_served =
key_people = Roy Kepler (Founder)
Clark Kepler
industry =
products = Books, magazines
services =
revenue =
operating_income =
net_income =
owner =
num_employees =
parent =
divisions =
subsid =
slogan =
homepage = [http://www.keplers.com/ Official website]
footnotes =
intl =

Kepler's Books is an independent bookstore in Menlo Park, California. It was founded on May 14, 1955 by Roy Kepler [http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2005/2005_05_11.kepler11mb.shtml The culture of Kepler's] ] and "soon blossomed into a cultural epicenter and attracted loyal customers from the students and faculty of Stanford University and from other members of the surrounding communities who were interested in serious books and ideas." [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/13/PNGJHCLJAJ1.DTL Kepler's turns another page / After 50 years, the epicenter of the Peninsula's counterculture is still shaking things up] ]

ixties counterculture

John Markoff in his 2005 text, "" referenced Kepler's as an important meeting point for the Counterculture of the 1960s. [John Markoff. '," (New York, Penguin, 2005):28, 37] The "Palo Alto Weekly" also noted that, "through the 60s and 70s, the culture of Kepler's began to evolve into a broader counter-culture. Beat intellectuals and pacifists were joined by "people who worked for "Whole Earth", hippies into the rock and roll and recreational drug scene, politicos, and people with an interest in ethnic groups." The Grateful Dead gave live shows there [ [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/7582743/waking_the_dead How the Dead Came to Life : Rolling Stone] ] and "folk singer Joan Baez, members of the Grateful Dead, and many local leaders remember sharing ideas, political action, music, and danger in the cramped store." [ [http://www.almanacnews.com/morgue/2005/2005_05_04.keplersa.shtml Cover story: Kepler's: more than a bookstore] ] [http://www.keplers.com/?sec=about-keplers&subsec=the-keplers-story About Kepler's] ]

Recent history, closure and re-opening

In 1980, Roy Kepler’s son Clark took over the management of the bookstore. The store had three different locations in Menlo Park, [ [http://www.paloaltoonline.com/best_of/2002.best_of.php Simply the Best] ] moving in 1989 to its current location in the Menlo Center on El Camino Real. In 1990 "Publishers Weekly" named Kepler’s “Bookseller of the Year.”

Due to the rise of chain bookstores and online shopping, Kepler's closed its doors on August 31, 2005. [ [http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/morgue/2005/2005_09_02.keplers02mb.shtml The End] ] The local community held demonstrations to protest the closing. [ [http://www.almanacnews.com/morgue/2005/2005_09_14.keplers.shtml Saving Kepler's: Investors await response from landlord] ] [ [http://voice.paly.net/view_story.php?id=3204 Paly Voice: Rally to save Keplers Bookstore draws hundreds in support] ] Kepler's subsequently re-opened in October 2005 with community investments, volunteers and donations. [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/10/09/KEPLERS.TMP MENLO PARK / As Kepler's Books reopens, customers queue at registers] ] .

In 2008, The Kepler's children's department won the "Pannell Award" for excellence. [ [http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6557805.html 2008 Pannell Winners Announced - 5/6/2008 6:56:00 AM - Publishers Weekly] ] In addition, the 2008 documentary "Paperback Dreams" chronicles the related histories of Kepler's and the now defunct Cody's Books in Berkeley, California. [ [http://www.paperbackdreams.com/ Paperback Dreams] ]

Further reading

*Markoff, John. "". New York: Penguin, 2005.

Notes

External links

* [http://www.keplers.com Official website]
* [http://www.savekeplers.com SaveKeplers.com]
* [http://www.ageekstour.com/photos/KeplersBookstore/original.jpgPhotograph of Kepler's]
* [http://paperbackdreams.com/index.php/about/the-bookstores/ Kepler's Books: Paperback Dreams]
* [http://www.irasandperl.org/ Friends of Ira Sandperl, long-time Kepler's employee]