[Org4j-announce] A word from Mother Tongue

[Organizing 4Justice]

One of the local businesses that has supported Organizing For Justice
is Mother Tongue Books (on Bank St near Sunnyside).

Please read below a message from them to the community

Thanks to them for their past support, and to our our other
partners/sponsors as well: Common Cause <http://linchpin.ca> -
OPIRG/GRIPO-Ottawa <http://opirg-gripo.ca> -
OPIRG-Carleton<http://www.opirg-carleton.org/>- Socialist
Project <http://www.socialistproject.ca/> - Arbour Environmental
Shoppe<http://www.arbourshop.com/>
- Bridgehead Coffeeshop <http://bridgehead.ca/> - l’Association Générale
des Étudiant(e)s de l’UQO <http://ageuqo.com/> -
PROMdemonium<http://www.promdemonium.ca>- Students
Federation of the University of Ottawa <http://www.sfuo.ca/> - The Green
Door Restaurant <http://www.thegreendoor.ca/> - The Table
Restaurant<http://www.thetablerestaurant.com/>


June 12, 2012

Dear Friends,

There is no easy way to say this…

“After almost 18 years of serving our community it is time to close our
beloved *mother tongue books*!”

There, we said it!

It’s okay to mourn a little bit, but then let’s celebrate together what *mother
tongue* has achieved and the supportive role it has played in our
community. We need your help to do that and create the strongest possible
legacy of our small shop, from buying books to donating towards our closing
costs, to attending events (more on this below).

It is obvious to everyone that there have been dramatic changes in the
“book industry” since we opened in 1994. Running a bookshop, like running
any small business, is a challenge. Bookselling is not for the faint of
heart, but it is a dynamic way to engage, nourish and build community.

Bookselling is a beautiful way to share ideas (and ideals), and to support
new journeys of discovery, learning and change. One of the great joys of
being a bookseller is putting the right book in the right hands. What a
wonderful gift to be a part of the reading and creative lives of our
customers and community!

We have been blessed to be able to support the ideals, dreams and struggles
of others. It is deeply gratifying, and humbling to have been part of our
customers’ lives. We have built up a very loyal community – we appreciate
you more than you can know!

Still, there are many others who love the “idea” of small, neighbourhood
bookshops, and other local businesses, but who no longer shop in them. The
scales have tipped in the past 5 or 6 years. The “ideal” life of
bookselling is outweighed by financial and emotional exhaustion. In short,
we are tired! For us, this little shop no longer translates into a
sustainable business model or a way to serve our community. We have other
things we need and want to do!

In this spirit, we are asking for your help to close the bookshop. We want
to engage our community to help wrap things up, to help us celebrate what
we have grown together and to plant seeds for a thriving legacy for *mother
tongue books*.

*To wrap things up we need to sell a lot of books, raise some money, and
put things in order. Here are 5 things you can do to help:*

*1. Buy books from us!*

*2. Donate.* No amount is too small. Join the Friends at 200 fund, where
individuals or groups purchase $200 worth of books or donate $200 toward
our closing costs. Offer a service or special item for our online auction
(details to follow!). Or just pass the hat at your next meeting, group or
event! We appreciate every gift.

*3. Join us* at our series of events starting this Friday, June 15, with
Giller award-winner Elizabeth Hay. Events are every Friday evening until
July 20.

*4.* *Send us a
note*<mothertonguebooks at bellnet.ca?subject=Celebrating%20mother%20tongue>of
support or
*share* a special “mother tongue moment” on our open blog at
celebratemothertongue.ca <http://www.celebratemothertongue.ca>. We will be
sharing these stories and memories as a way to honour the store’s history.
And* spread the word! *Circulate this blog’s URL
http://www.celebratemothertongue.ca

*5. Buy local. *Now, more than ever, it is important to support your
remaining local booksellers and businesses. They are the building blocks of
vibrant neighbourhoods and communities. Next time you are at a community
event, take the time to see which local businesses that supported it; in
turn, support those businesses.

Our work is rooted in our feminist politics and our commitment to justice
and equality for our LGBTTQQ family. Over the years we have supported many
community-based organizations, from local arts groups to anti-violence
agencies, from community choirs to international charities, from
cooperative preschools to hospices. We want to thank those organizations
for the work they do and we want to encourage all of you to consider
donating time or money to those who make our communities richer. Their
energy is incredible. We hope that that energy will be part of our legacy.

We are people who believe that the most rewarding thing in life is to be of
service. So help us work in this spirit over the next weeks. Let’s
celebrate what needs to be celebrated, close what needs to close, and
support what needs to open! We have faith that other projects, businesses,
and initiatives will come after us

Friends, we have not made this decision lightly. We ask that you please
honour our choice and be happy for us, even as we all mourn a little bit
for our community’s collective loss. We believe that there will be a
renaissance in bookselling, but we are aware that we cannot be part of that
rebirth. Please know that this moment is both frightening and exciting for
us as we move into a new phase in our own lives.

Thank you for your trust, support and friendship. These things, we will
never leave behind!

Laura Rayner, Evelyn Huer, Julie Gagnon

*mother tongue books*

celebratemothertonguebooks.ca <http://www.celebratemothertonguebooks.ca>

mothertonguebooks.ca <http://www.mothertonguebooks.ca>
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