Today we’d like to introduce you to Katie Beltz.
Hi Katie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My family moved around the country a bit growing up but I have always had family in Baltimore and Maryland. I moved to Baltimore for college, and stayed after graduation to work in non-profits. I started out in AmeriCorps managing volunteers and doing community organizing. Then moved on to program management, logistics, and eventually managing government programs. It was very rewarding work, but during the pandemic my priorities changed. I wanted try something new, spend more time with people, and create a community space people love and feel welcomed. My partner Emanuel was very supportive, we had talked a lot about opening a bookstore over the years, and when we heard about an open storefront in Hamilton Lauraville we jumped at the chance. We sold our house, moved into an apartment and opened Snug Books about 6 months later in the fall of 2021. We now live a few minutes from the store and love our neighborhood. It’s exciting to be somewhere that values the arts, small businesses, building community, and city life. The store is still growing and changing, we now have regular book clubs, author events, story times, and community events. We hope to be here for a long time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a small business is really hard right now (and probably always is). We have to be very careful with how we spend our money, we need to be good at a lot of different types of jobs, and we work all the time. Competing with large retailers and online sellers is a big issue, and there are market forces that are just beyond our control and hard to prepare for. Some of our most recent struggles have been the snow we had in January/February and the Government Shut Downs in the spring and fall, both have had a big impact on our sales. Despite these issues, we have seen the dedication from our neighborhood and customers to ensure that small businesses, bookstores, and physical books are not an afterthought or a thing of the past. That no matter what is going on people are still looking to us for a community space and the resources to contextualize and understand what’s going on in the world.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Snug Books?
Snug Books is a local and family owned, independent bookstore serving readers of all ages in Baltimore since 2021. Co-owners, and long time Baltimore residents, Katie and Emanuel have been dreaming of owning a bookstore for many years and were finally able to make it a reality. Katie and Emanuel carefully curate every item found in the shops and are excited to share their favorite selections with the community. Snug Books has a large selection of books for all ages, both fiction and non-fiction. Snug has an extensive children’s and teen section, features many genres for adult readers, and has a special selection of Spanish-language books for children and adults. The store also carries gifts, puzzles, games, cards, stationary, treats, educational items, stuffed animals, and more. In January of 2023 Snug Books opened a second location in the museum gift shop space at Port Discovery Children’s Museum in downtown Baltimore. The shop operates both as a bookstore as well as a gift shop for Port Discovery. Snug Books hosts a variety of events and programming including book clubs, story times, author events, crafting, community events, and more. We also work with libraries, schools, businesses, and non-profits to plan events and do bulk sales. Snug Books strives to partner with and meet the needs of the Baltimore community, celebrate diversity, be inclusive, and create a welcoming space for all readers. Snug Books is also a community resource, hosts educational opportunities and activities, and collaborates with locally owned businesses, community groups, and non-profits.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
Come spend an afternoon with us in Hamilton Lauraville. There is a coffee shop right next door and there are so many restaurants and small businesses to enjoy while you’re here!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.snugbooks.com
- Instagram: snugbooksbmore
- Facebook: snugbooksbaltimore
- Other: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/snug-books-43230418363
