'Come home to a good book': Spearfish couple launches Kickstarter to open bookstore

Elizabeth “Lizzie” and Dylan Mattson launched a Kickstarter campaign Sept. 6 to give Spearfish its own independent bookstore that celebrates community and creativity.

Henry’s Books, named for the couple’s son, will be a diverse, inclusive bookstore and community hub, the couple said. The Mattsons’ Kickstarter campaign has a goal to raise $45,000 by Oct. 5 for start-up costs. The couple is looking for a brick-and-mortar location for the store. Go to kickstarter.com/projects/henrysbooks/henrys-books-a-crowd-funded-independent-bookstore to donate to the campaign.

If the Kickstarter campaign is successful and the Mattsons can obtain a good location, Lizzie said they anticipate opening Henry’s Books in November in time for the holiday season.

“If we reach our goal of $45,000, we will be fully funded and can open our doors fairly quickly. If we do not reach our goal, we receive nothing,” Lizzie said. “(The store’s) distinctiveness lies in its crowd-funding approach. A Kickstarter campaign empowers the community to co-create this cherished space… Sponsors can support shelves, tables, genres or even individual books, making their mark on this unique literary space.”

“Henry's Books will be more than just a bookstore; it will be a cultural hub where diverse voices are celebrated, connections are forged, and a love for reading is nurtured,” the Mattsons said in a press release. “Community is our most foundational value at Henry's Books. Giving back to local organizations, creating a safe space for people to explore new ideas, and fostering a sense of creativity and belonging are foundational to everything we hope to achieve through this store.”

The Mattsons have created a variety of sponsorship options for Henry’s Books. People can donate new books — especially adult fiction — or sponsor items for the future store such as a shelf, a genre, a plant, a table, inventory, technology, a counter and more. Go to facebook.com/henrysbooks for more details about sponsorship opportunities.

Future patrons can sponsor their favorite books in their name for the lifetime of the store. Lizzie said plans are for the store to have a mix of books for all ages and tastes, including books for adults and children, a section highlighting local authors, and books focused on regional and local topics.

“We can’t do this without the community, so the only way this happens is by the community and for the community,” Lizzie said. “We really want to see as many people sponsor as much of the store as possible for the sake of having community involvement in every element of the store… Our greatest hope for these sponsorship options is that you would choose something that is meaningful to you in one way or another.”

When Henry’s Books opens, Lizzie said she and her husband want to have a mural or other creative piece that thanks every supporter of the Kickstarter campaign.

“No matter the amount given, we will name each and every supporter in a meaningful way that is proudly displayed in the store,” she said. “That is my biggest dream… to see people’s names or the names of loved ones on all the sponsored options.”

Creating a bookstore that's inviting for everyone is a vital aspect of the Mattsons’ vision for Henry’s Books.

“When it comes to diversity and inclusivity in our store, we want everybody of every background to feel comfortable hopping into our store to find something of interest to them they can go home excited to read,” Lizzie said. “We want everyone to feel welcome. Accessibility is really important to us. We want a space that is accessible to as many people as possible.”

“I want everybody to feel like they get to come home to a good book just by walking in our store,” she said.

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‘The most perfect fit’

Lizzie, from Wyoming, and Dylan, from Idaho, came to Spearfish initially to attend Black Hills State University and decided to stay. They’ve lived in Spearfish since 2014.

“We fell in love with Spearfish and could not imagine living anywhere else,” Lizzie said.

Dylan works in the medical field, and Lizzie owns an Instagram marketing agency, Wild Feather Co. LLC, that serves women in business. She also has worked in retail in downtown Spearfish.

Their cherished hometown is missing one thing — a bookstore.

“It’s almost like the elephant in the room. It’s so obvious we’re missing a bookstore,” Lizzie said. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it. If I was ever to contribute any kind of storefront, this is absolutely the most perfect fit for us as a family.”

“Aside from it being a regular bookstore, we have a lot of community events and programming we want to do. I think it’s going to be a nice, busy space,” she said.

The Mattsons hope to design a store with a center section that allows book display tables to double as seating for events and private parties. They envision Henry’s Books will host author talks, book signings, community book swaps, classes and more.

“The way we feel nostalgic about Scholastic book fairs, I would love to do an adult version of that. I want to have a good variety of programming and story hour for the kids,” Lizzie said.

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As avid readers, a bookstore is a dream business for Lizzie and Dylan. Lizzie is a fan of classic American Girl books and magazines, “The Girl in the Mirror” by Rose Carlyle, “My Side of the Mountain” by Jean Craighead George, “The Horse and His Boy” by C.S. Lewis, and books by Emily Henry and Lucy Foley.

Dylan is an avid fan of the Harry Potter books, “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien, and the Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Even Henry, who is not yet 2, has his favorites – “Ferdinand,” “The Little Engine That Could” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

For more information about Henry’s Books and the Kickstarter campaign, contact the Mattsons at hellohenrysbooks@gmail.com, go to shophenrysbooks.com or follow Henry’s Books at facebook.com/henrysbooks or henrysbookstore on Instagram.

This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: 'Come home to a good book': Spearfish couple launches Kickstarter to open bookstore