AHS Teacher Opens Independent Lowell Bookstore
By Avi Shapira
ONLINE EDITOR
Andover High School teacher Kristen McDonie opened an independent bookstore in Lowell this August.
McDonie, who teaches French, initially opened Lowell Book Company in November 2020, running the company online. She now has opened a physical bookstore in Mill No. 5 in Lowell, where she lives. She manages the store and also has two part-time employees.
Opening a bookstore has been McDonie’s dream for the last few years. “I love teaching,” she said, “but there has always been a part of me that wondered if there were other things that I could do.”
McDonie in her bookstore on the grand opening day.
Before and while running the online store through bookshop.org, McDonie did a lot of research on running a bookstore. In addition, she took part in a business accelerator program over the summer to learn more about the business side of bookstores.
McDonie expressed that running a business from home was overwhelming. “[Y]ou have to make a choice to mentally disengage from the business because it’s all in your home,” she said. “[Y]ou have to work really hard to… be relaxed and present with your family. Having a bookstore is nice because it’s actually the physical space. I’m not always looking at everything.”
Today, many people buy books online instead of in stores, due to the wide selection available and lower prices. However, McDonie decided to open a bookstore because people still have an interest in purchasing books in-person. “[The physical store] gives you the whole experience of handling a book,” she says. “Being able to [physically] handle a book before you commit to it… makes you love the book even more at the end.”
Opening a business is about filling a need in the community. At this time there are no other local, independent bookstores in Lowell, and the nearest Barnes & Noble is in New Hampshire.
The store carries both new and used books, and books by local authors. Poetry is especially popular—Lowell has a strong tradition of poets, including Jack Kerouac, a famous 20th century poet.
Lowell Book Company on grand opening day.
McDonie hopes to be able to host events in the shop, and has already partnered with the Lowell Reads program run by the local library to host a writing workshop in a coffee shop across the hall.
McDonie plans to continue work as a teacher in the future in addition to running her bookstore. She finds it exciting to run a business because she has a lot of say in what’s happening. “My favorite thing is knowing that I’m building something from the ground up, building something from scratch, leaving a legacy for my family, for my children. Building something that can grow and having the ability to control the direction that it goes,” McDonie said.
Mill No. 5, where the store is located, is a refurbished textile mill where the 4th and 5th floors have been converted into storefronts for small businesses. The mill is located at 250 Jackson St. in Lowell. The shops in the mill are only open for limited hours: 5-8 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. This makes it easier for McDonie as it means she is never teaching when Lowell Book Company is open.
You can learn more about Lowell Book Company at their website, lowellbookcompany.com, or by visiting them in Mill No. 5. One upcoming event in the store is a Q&A and reading with local author Tracy Guan on October 24. More information about this and other events can be found on their website.
