Books for covid times

June 5th “Yellow Stage” at Big Blue Marble

For now we are making no changes to our model of being very much OPEN as a business yet closed as a building. In our lovely small space there is no easy way to help our staff members to stay a safe distance from customers, much less customers from one another. Please know we’re watching for the same markers you are - availability of test and trace, better treatment protocols, and reduced infection rates. We’re in conversation with other bookstores locally and nationally, trying to figure out models for “visitors by appointment,” and hoping we can invent a system for that.

Pay It Forward

We have started a Pay It Forward fund!

We will be posting on social media when the account has $20 or more available in it.

So far, our generous donors have suggested their funds go to "a healthcare worker" or "anyone struggling financially", but we will not screen or turn away anyone who wants to draw on the fund to buy books from us. All you need to do to use it is ask, you don't need to tell us anything more than that.

If you would like to add to the fund, we welcome donations! You can call us at 215-844-1870 between noon and 4, or use our website.

06/15/2020 Update

UPDATE ON ORDER FULFILLMENT

The wholesalers we use have improved their turnaround time, but it is still taking about twice as long for us to get books from them (2-3 days, as opposed to the next day; 10 days to two weeks if the books come from a more distant warehouse). This is what allows them to keep their warehouse staff safe, so we don’t expect, or want, to see a return to overnight shipping. Many publishers are also 6-8 weeks behind on orders, and only shipping books by the carton, so while we’d love to be able to tell you exactly what day our book will arrive, we can’t always do that.

Please continue to plan ahead for gift-giving and other deadlines!

HOW TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF (and show your Big Blue Marble love)

Three of our five staffers are at home until it’s safe for them to return. We have an ongoing fundraiser at Bonfire, the t-shirt site, to raise money to help them out. Up to $10 from each shirt or hoodie you purchase goes to them. (The exact amount depends on the style you order and the sales volume for each week.) All t-shirt sales are through Bonfire, which prints them on demand and ships directly to you so there is no risk to us in up-front costs for inventory.

Big Blue Marble remains closed as a retail storefront while social distancing restrictions are needed, but we ARE OPEN for orders placed by phone, email, or online, and items can be picked up, no-contact, in front of the store or delivered to your home in NW Philadelphia. Our customer service phone hours are between 12 pm and 4 pm, so that we can meet the demands of delivery.

Until social distancing rules are lifted we cannot allow anyone into the store. Because of this, all payments must be done in advance over the phone or by setting up an account on our website. We are so happy to wave through the window when you get your books - We miss you, very much.

Our delivery service is available in the core delivery zone marked on the map, and roughly adjacent areas.

If you are very far outside our delivery zones, we urge you to order through our partner, Bookshop.org/shop/bigbluemarblebooks. They give us a very fair share of each purchase, and ship directly to home addresses. (Also a great way to send presents)