Saving the Ninth Street Book Shop

David Teague, a children’s book author and professor in the University of Delaware’s Associate in Arts Program in Wilmington, and Roger Festa, an online marketing professional, are trying to preserve Ninth Street Book Shop, a fixture in downtown Wilmington for more than four decades. Partnering with local art groups and others, the two men envision a place that goes beyond the precepts of the average bookstore, a place that serves the community and offers the patron an experience and not just a sales transaction.
Their efforts began with the retirement of the Ninth Street Book Shop’s previous owners, Jack and Gemma Buckley, who had kept the doors open for 41 years. The Buckleys had been unsuccessful in finding a buyer when they retired in January, and thus had to close the doors.
Teague and Festa are now finding resources and fostering the interest needed to preserve the legacy of Ninth Street Book Shop. Commenting in the Wilmington News Journal, Festa said, “I’m confident in Wilmington. I’m confident in the city. I’m confident in the legacy that was left behind. Whether or not it’s me and David or something else, I know something is going to happen.”