Greetings & Readings
{{Infobox company
| name = Greetings & Readings of Hunt Valley
| logo = Wiki gr logo.gif
| type = Family business
| foundation = Hunt Valley, Maryland, U.S.
| location_city = 118-AA Shawan Rd
Hunt Valley, MD
| location_country = U.S.
| key_people = Steven Baum, President
Stephen Spund, Vice-President
| num_employees = 90 (2018)
| industry = Retail (Specialty)
| homepage = http://www.greetingsandreadings.com
}}
Greetings & Readings of Hunt Valley was the largest independent bookstore in Baltimore{{cite news |first=Nancy |last=Knight |title=Greetings & Readings |url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/books/blog/2008/06/post_38.html |publisher=Baltimore Sun |accessdate=2008-06-27}} and was a member of the American Booksellers Association.{{cite news |title=ABA Bookseller Member Directory |url=http://www.bookweb.org/aba/members/search.do?name=Greetings+%26+readings&description=&city=&stateOrProvince=&postalCode=&specialty= |publisher=American Booksellers Association |accessdate=2010-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725015205/http://www.bookweb.org/aba/members/search.do?name=Greetings+&+readings&description=&city=&stateOrProvince=&postalCode=&specialty= |archive-date=2011-07-25 |url-status=dead }} The store occupied {{convert|30000|sqft|m2}} of retail and warehouse space on the second floor of the main Hunt Valley Towne Centre plaza, the final northbound destination of the Baltimore Light Rail, before closing in January 2019.{{cite news |last1=Simmons |first1=Melody |title=Greetings & Readings in Hunt Valley to close after 49 years |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2018/12/27/greetings-readings-in-hunt-valley-to-close-after.html |accessdate=15 October 2020 |work=www.bizjournals.com |date=27 December 2018}}
History
Phyllis and Norton Baum founded the original Greetings & Readings in 1969 as a book and card shop occupying {{convert|1800|sqft|m2}}.{{cite news |first=Nomi |last=Schwartz |title=Greetings & Readings: Books Plus an Array of Specialty Merchandise |url=http://news.bookweb.org/booksense/5636.html |publisher=American Booksellers Association |accessdate=2007-10-31}}
For 35 years, the store was located in Towson, Maryland, in the Loch Raven Plaza. After its closure, a new store was opened by Phyllis and Norton's son, Steven Baum; his wife Fran; his brother-in-law Stephen Spund and Spund's wife Amy. Greetings & Readings of Hunt Valley opened in August 2005{{cite news |title=Greetings & Readings closing after 49 years |url=https://www.wbaltv.com/article/greetings-and-readings-closing-after-49-years/25693559 |access-date=9 April 2025 |publisher=WBALTV-11 |date=27 December 2018}} in the newly rebuilt Hunt Valley Towne Centre with a {{convert|30000|sqft|m2|adj=on}},{{cite news |title=Bookstore Greetings & Readings To Close |url=https://www.wbal.com/bookstore-greetings-readings-to-close |access-date=9 April 2025 |publisher=WBAL |date=27 December 2018}} second floor location along the plaza's Main Street.
Greetings & Readings was named one of the coolest businesses in Baltimore by Expert Market US.{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Horrocks |title=Coolest Businesses in Baltimore |url=https://www.expertmarket.com/coolest-businesses-baltimore |publisher=Expert Market US |accessdate=2018-08-31}}
In January, 2010, wedding technology company WeddingWire, selected Greetings & Readings of Hunt Valley to receive the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for excellence in custom printing and personalized wedding invitation design.{{cite news |title=Hunt Valley printing team named wedding industry leader |url=http://www.greetingsandreadings.com/press/gr_pr_weddingwire.doc |publisher=Greetings & Readings |accessdate=2011-01-25}} The invitation department was closed in 2018 to make room for expanding card and baby gift departments. The store hosted frequent book signings and other events including kids' story time readings.
The store closed in January 2019, citing a drop in sales and customers lost to online booksellers.
Community involvement
Greetings & Readings of Hunt Valley supported the efforts of the non-profit organization Literacy Works, Inc. which promotes increased literacy for adults in the Baltimore area.{{cite news |first=Bev Fine |last=Serpick |title=Successful Book Bash helps boost literacy services |url=http://www.communitytimes.com/print_this_story.asp?smenu=81&sdetail=5768 |publisher=Community Times |accessdate=2008-06-20}} The store also partnered with the HELPS (Health Educators Linking Parents and Students) Coalition and sponsored the Hunt Valley Kids Club which began in May 2007.{{cite news |title=Hunt Valley Towne Centre Announces Monthly "Kids Club Days," Beginning May 5 |url=http://www.shophuntvalley.com/index.php?src=news&submenu=PressRomm&refno=23&category=News |publisher=Hunt Valley Towne Centre |accessdate=2007-04-26}}
From 2013, Greetings & Readings of Hunt Valley partnered with Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library as the on-site bookseller for some of the library's public and private author events.{{cite news |title=Writers LIVE! at the Central Library |url=http://www.prattlibrary.org/uploadedFiles/www/about/pratt_publications/Compass/Compass_JanFeb_2014-5.pdf |publisher=Enoch Pratt Free Library |accessdate=2014-01-13}}
References
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External links
- [http://www.greetingsandreadings.com/ Greetings & Readings website]
- [http://www.shophuntvalley.com/ Hunt Valley Towne Centre website]
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Category:Independent bookstores of the United States