I walked into Book Culture last night not knowing what to expect of the closing reception event for the first Independent Bookstore Week in New York City. The event description on the website for the Independent Booksellers of New York City (IBNYC) promised a charming evening of “light refreshments…live music, sales and festivities” in celebration of an exciting week of citywide author readings and festivities. It was hard to picture the quiet, fluorescently-lit bookstore with its few customers as a venue for festivities of any sort. I had my doubts, but I was prepared to be amazed, expecting a transformation of the bookstore into a warm room filled with vibrant music and eager chatter.

My doubts turned out to be valid when I walked in and heard no music playing. The ground floor was just as empty and dreary as it usually is at 5:30pm on a Saturday night. I walked upstairs, only to find the same dull scene, with the regular associates behind the customer service desk asking if I needed help looking for a book. Confused, I questioned someone from behind the customer service desk about the supposed closing reception, to which he responded that there were cookies on the counter. Glancing over, I then noticed a small plate of Oreos, a bottle of Crane Lake Sauvignon Blanc, and some pretzels on the corner of the desk, all of which I had completely overlooked, and that others had as well, judging from the filled plates and full bottle of wine. Of the three or four people in the store at the time, one man walked over, grabbed a pretzel, and then walked out.

Far from festive, the “event” turned out to be nothing more than a few plates of food and wine on the corner of a table that remained nearly untouched for the duration of the event. The store associates seemed unaware of the details of the event description posting on IBNYC’s website, or of any actual festivities that were advertised on the site. Perhaps a different venue would have provided a more appropriate end to the first Independent Bookstore Week. It was certainly a disappointing close to a colorful week.