The Green Spot Bookstore in Woodstock was busy on a Wednesday evening during the holiday season.
“We have a kid's section over here," said Pam Johnson, "and we've got a little table, and we've got some DVDs and some kids audio books, and, you know, all ages – oops, someone knocked stuff over.”
Pam Johnson is the manager of the two bookstores run by the McHenry County Environmental Defenders. The Defenders are a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and preserve natural spaces and resources in the county. They are also dedicated to educating McHenry County residents about environmental issues.
While the two bookstores aren’t a main form of revenue for the Defenders, they’re a place to build community and talk about the work the nonprofit is doing. They're almost entirely run by volunteers.
“All of our volunteers love helping people when they come in," Johnson said. "‘Oh, what do you like to read? And 'oh, have you read this book?’ And so, it's really a nice connection to make with people in the community, even if they're not necessarily aware of the fact that we're part of the Defenders. They're just book lovers. And so, our volunteers are book lovers, so it's nice to connect, and that gives people an opportunity to talk about why we're doing what we're doing, and why we have a bookstore here.”
Johnson says the bookstores grew from very humble beginnings.
“It started in the office," said Johnson, "when the office was in a different location in town as just kind of like a book — I think, a bookcase that people had donated books to, and then other people would come in and buy them. And then it just kind of organically grew.”
The Defenders are very engaged in environmental action in their community. They’re credited with starting statewide curbside recycling pickup, and they have hundreds and hundreds of volunteers, according to Executive Director Erin Kennedy. To the organizers, it’s about keeping the focus on environmental issues close to home.
“A while back, environmental issues were always looked at globally," Johnson said. "Everybody was thinking about protecting the rainforest and doing all these things that were so far removed from where they live. But the environment and the diversity here in the Chicagoland area is unlike any place in the United States. And I think if people realize that there's a level of pride that people will take with that, and that increases the desire to help out.”
The bookstores are the most front-facing part of the organization, and they stay true to some of the core actions the Defenders focus on — keeping perfectly good items out of the landfill. Kennedy acknowledges that books carry a special weight to them.
“I also think that books are oftentimes one of the hardest things that people have to part with," Johnson said. "There's memories that are tied to them. You have significant events in your life that connect to books. And it's always something that people struggle with getting rid of. So, if they know of an organization, or if they can donate it somewhere, it's a lot easier for them to part with those [books, rather] than just trying to find a recycling bin or, unfortunately, send them to a landfill.”
Recent communications hire Grace Tursich looks to the multiple levels of impact the bookstores have outside their doors. Beyond offering the bookstores as a resource for McHenry residents, the community around them offers a chance for something bigger.
“I think bookstores like The Green Spot and The Green Read are really important to the community," Tursich said, "because they focus on circularity within the community. And I think it's really important for people living in these communities to feel like they're being like they're part of something. They can see that they bring a book to be donated, and then other people buy the book, and [their money] goes back to the Environmental Defenders. And I just think it's really important for people to see the effect of communities and just being a part of something that like affect other people around you.”