Two stories coming together: Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup are held under the same management, with the common mission of being a ‘hodgepodge for diversity’
Vroman’s: the oldestand largest bookstore in Southern California
The words, ‘oldest’ and ‘largest’ have become the lifeline used to describe Vroman’s Bookstore – a representation of the community-based bookstore based in Pasadena. A namesake to its owner Adam Clark Vroman, Vroman’s Bookstore was founded and realized in 1894.
Vroman moved from the state of Illinois towards the end of the Nineteenth Century with the intention of placating the deteriorating health of his wife Esther with the California sun and weather. He would then become a catalyst for change and a pillar of creativity in the Southern California region.
Having always had a keenness for literature and reading materials, Vroman gathered a selection of books whilst tending to his wife and her ailments. Two years after rooting themselves in Southern California, Vroman’s wife would pass. Intending to persist in his legacy, Vroman sold his collection of books to raise funds to open the bookstore as we know it to be today.
Vroman’s efforts and impact towards the local community of Pasadena
Having always had a penchant for giving back to his community, Vroman’s impact can still be seen across Southern California today. Alongside managing the bookstore periodicals, he spent his time rescuing old Franciscan missions from decay, assisted in establishing the Southwest Museum – which now exists as an extension of the Autry Museum. He also supported the Pasadena Public Library as much as he could.
An avid reader as he was, Vroman was also known to be passionate about photography. Some of his works, feature scenes of the American West, and portraits of Native Americans that now hang in both the Huntington Museum and the Southwest Museum.
Twenty-two years into establishing his bookstore, Vroman would pass away, leaving the business in the hands of his long-time employees – one of whom was the great-grandfather of the current owner. Having swapped hands over generations, the bookstore has now fallen under the management with the assistance of Jerry Rodriguez – the manager and periodical buyer for Vroman’s Bookstore. It is with Rodriguez’s efforts and those of his predecessors that Vroman has known to become one of the oldest bookstores in the entire region of California.
Book Soup: how the West Hollywood bookstore connected with Vroman’s
Managed by the same team who runs Vroman’s Bookstore, Book Soup, a contemporary bookstore in the West Hollywood area was founded in 1975 by Glenn Goldman and David Mackler. The two UCLA graduates firmly believed in upholding the history of the area. West Hollywood is indeed an area that has always been progressive in its thinking, welcoming to individuals of various communities, and a hot spot for congregations during periods of social upheavals motivated Goldman and Mackler, to create a space that best represented the collated history of the area.
Goldman and Mackler held their beliefs firmly, urging the need to have a bookstore in the area. After two decades of manning the bookstore, Goldman announced that he was selling Book Soup – part of the reason being that he was afflicted by cancer. Goldman would pass a day after announcing his decision to sell the bookstore.
Almost ten months later, on the 9th of October, Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup would sign an agreement of sales, and the management of Book Soup was brought under the wings of Vroman’s Bookstore.
Now, between managing Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup’s periodicals, Rodriguez acts as a periodical buyer for both establishments – stocking literary goods, magazines, and periodicals for a wide variety of buyers between Pasadena and West Hollywood. In a conversation with Rodriguez, he remarks that his knowledge of periodicals was not cultivated at his time working in bookstores, but rather in record stores in Los Angeles.
Jerry Rodriguez on managing Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup’s periodicals
Rodriguez shares, «I ran some of Los Angeles’ record stores for a period of my life. It was here that I acquiesced the means and the know-how to not only order music-related products but to also learn the tricks to purchasing periodicals and magazines to accompany the music items and records».
During his time managing record stores in the greater Los Angeles area, the manager shares that he learned the ropes to working within a set budget, managing relationships with music and magazine suppliers, and understanding his customers’ interests to better cater to their needs. It was through this understanding that Rodriguez learned to better assimilate into his role as a manager for Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup.
Rodriguez elucidates, «While I was managing the record stores, the ones that also happened to sell magazines and periodicals, I became the sole person in charge to curate, sourcing, and managing the sales of periodicals». He attributes his know-how to his current managerial role at Vroman’s and Book Soup through his past experiences, citing that he gained expertise in the periodical industry specifically due to being the only individual managing it.
Another work experience that Rodriguez cites to assist him in understanding the realm of magazines and periodicals was his stint at Rizzoli Books. «When I was hired to fill in the position at Vroman’s, the CEO at the time, Allison Hill came to know of my prior experiences in managing periodicals and instated me into the ‘Periodical Division’ and assisted in showing me the ‘Vroman’s Way’ of periodical management». Being a pupil under Hill allowed Rodriguez to assimilate into his position.
Converging to stories in a mission: the management of Vroman’s Bookstore and Book Soup
In the case of Book Soup and the management of its store, Rodriguez explains that the intention of purchasing it was not to change the ethos of the bookstore, but to rather cultivate it. Since its purchase by Vroman’s Bookstore, Book Soup, as Rodriguez remarks, continues establish itself in the environs it inhabits.
When prompted on the two stores in comparison to one another, Rodriguez remarks that the divergent nature of the two bookstores, regardless of the shared parent company, was a choice upheld on all ends to ensure consumers could engage in the history of the two locations.
Remarking that Book Soup is a bookstore located on the West side of Hollywood, where the show biz and a large demographic of LGBTQ+ individuals reside, the literary goods sold at Book Soup reflect the paradigm of what is familiar to the periphery of West Hollywood.
Though not so much in contrast to West Hollywood in terms of its demographic, Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena is also a hodgepodge for diversity. What separates the two stores are the reading materials sold within their walls. Hosting universities and museums in the Pasadena area, what holds the two bookstores together is their shared inventory of periodicals.
Vroman’s Bookstore efforts «giving back to the community»
Seeking out periodicals on his book-buying trips in Europe, Rodriguez captures all types of literary goods for research and purchases what he can to bring home to California. He finds it a delight when customers affirm his decisions to bring in and sell recondite reads.
In an effort to give back to the community around them, Vroman’s Bookstore instated a program called, ‘Vroman’s Gives Back’ where customers are given the opportunity to donate a percentage of every purchase to a charity of their choice. Rodriguez notes that many of Vroman’s customers have taken part in the effort to assist those in need.
«Our effort towards giving back to the community has made Vroman’s a go-to bookstore for the inhabitants of Pasadena. Many have attested to the fact that they return to us because of our efforts in assisting the community». Alongside selling books, magazines, and periodicals, Vroman’s has since added gift items, clothing, art, records, and a wine bar that offers a wide range of spirits scoured from across the globe.
Vroman’s Bookstore
Located in Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, Vroman’s Bookstore is reportedly the oldest and largest independent bookstore in Southern California.
