Fundraiser launched for Minneapolis bookstore that lost 100,000 books in flood
A fundraising effort has been launched to help the Minneapolis bookstore that has lost more than 100,000 books in a flood caused by a water main break.
The Paperback Exchange at 2227 W. 50th S. in southwest Minneapolis was among the units heavily damaged when water flooded its basement, with the main break having started in the basement of Italian restaurant Terzo next door.
The independent bookstore says 70% of its stock was ruined, representing more than 100,000 books. Shelves and carpets inside will also need to be replaced, according to a GoFundMe created to support The Paperback Exchange as it rebuilds.
The bookstore was forced to temporarily close, leaving its five employees out of work.
'We don't know at this time what a new incarnation of the bookstore will look like, but we hope to make the best of the books that were saved,' the GoFundMe reads.
The water main burst also resulted in damage at the nearby home of Marion and Keith Hersey, the owners of The Paperback Exchange. A Meal Train campaign has also been launched to help them.
'We've created this GoFundMe to humbly ask for your support to help us to cover some basic expenses for the coming months. Sadly, insurance will not fully cover the loss of our precious books that we collected over the course of 50 years,' the GoFundMe continues.
As of Thursday, the fundraiser had reached around $24,000 of its initial $25,000 goal.
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