- courtesy Roscoe Books
Erika VanDam was never the sort of person who chose a career based on what she loved. Nonetheless, she mostly enjoyed her job in ad sales until she had a baby last year and discovered it did not provide the sort of flexible schedule that would suit a new mother. Maybe, she thought, it was time for a change. She sat down with her husband and made a list of things that she enjoyed: shopping, stores, her neighborhood of Roscoe Village, and books.
Most of the books arrived two weeks ago. “That was very exciting—and overwhelming,” VanDam says. “There were seven pallets.” Since then, she’s been occupied with shelving them and getting the rest of the store in order. She has three employees so far and is considering hiring a fourth. As soon as the business gets underway, she plans to create a calendar of events, starting with a children’s story hour, but also author visits and book club meetings.
