The Open Book Vintage Bookstore (a non-profit within the Kearney Area Community Foundation) is Kearney’s only used bookstore, but it is so much more than that. Besides providing home-baked goodies and coffee on the weekends, it serves the community as a welcoming cultural space. In the approximately 15 months the store has been open, we have provided a venue for multiple poetry and book readings, book club meetings, and even a sewing club! We hope to include musical talent as well, but might need to make improvements to the outdoor space first. We also work closely with the Kearney Literacy Council and have donated books to a variety of other charitable organizations. Most of all, however, the Open Book is a labor of love. All of our books are donated and all of us are volunteers. So who is that “us”? The four members of our Board of Directors are: Carol Lilly, Amy Rundstrom, Kael Welch and Nathan Tye. In addition, we have two regular volunteers, John Lillis and Stephanie Chaney. Each of us plays a very different role within the bookstore, but–or maybe therefore–we get along beautifully and enjoy our time with both books and customers.
Both the origins and the success of the Open Book lie within those differing abilities and contributions. The store’s origins go back about 10 years ago when Carol’s parents were aging. Specifically, Carol’s mother Judy (1932-2019), deserves a great deal of credit. First, she never got rid of a single book (we have children’s books from 1933 with her name in it and “Happy First Birthday” inscribed!). When her children asked if they might donate some, she would tear up, so eventually Carol and Amy (best friends and neighbors) broached the idea of opening a used bookstore in Kearney and she was thrilled. Even then, Amy was excitedly talking about the kinds of baked goods she could provide—she is also our main decorator and gardener. By 2020, the passing of both Judith and Douglas Lilly provided not only the first 3000 books but the store’s financial basis through Carol’s inheritance. Around 2022-23, Amy and Carol began looking for a suitable venue and finally in November 2024 the perfect location came on the market at 942 W. 24th St, directly across from campus (where Komal Mexican Restaurant once was for those who remember it fondly). By this time, we had already recruited a third partner, Kael Welch (a longtime friend of Amy) whose international, spiritual and elementary education experiences have proved invaluable. Finally, we begged Nathan Tye from UNK’s History Department to join us, because, well, he knows everything!! Although Nathan still works full-time (and then some), he is always available to provide advice and assistance–he is also one of our best customers. 😊
The Open Book officially opened on July 23, 2025 and has been more successful than we could have imagined. Though not “rolling in dough,” (except when Amy is cooking) the store brings in sufficient funds to keep the doors open and make occasional improvements. Sometime in the first week or so, Amy put out a message on social media seeking book donations and since then, people bring us books every day—some truly vintage but many in near perfect condition. Most important, however, is how much we love our work. Those of us who previously worked retail find this experience immeasurably better. Of course, that might be because we are the bosses this time 😊 But even more amazing is that every person who comes in the door is so very nice!! We feel incredibly lucky and look forward to meeting even more “nice bookstore people” in the coming years. Many thanks to Kearney Creates (especially Chuck Peek) for this opportunity to reach out and to all those who have made our retirement project such a joy.
