Representatives gather for cooperative bookstore meetings

Representatives from 32 of the 56 French cooperative bookstores met at the Françoise-Combes school complex in Montpellier, invited by La Cavale, a local cooperative bookstore. The event, called the first National Meetings, aimed to bring together participants to share experiences, challenges, and reflections, regardless of the size or location of their stores.

Bookstore founders share challenges

Isabelle Caldini, founder of Madeleines de Proust in Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, attended to discuss the difficulties she has faced since opening her store. She emphasized the need for better governance and volunteer mobilization, noting her store has 40 active members among 250 total cooperators. At Caractères Libres in Aups, Nathalie, a cooperator, aimed to compare issues and exchange practices with others, while acknowledging the fragile financial situation of her store.

Cooperators seek support and network building

Olivier Larrieu of Libreures in Leucate expressed the desire to build a network, believing the cooperative model is essential for a bookstore’s survival. He mentioned he has not yet been paid and that his colleague, Lucie Laffite, hopes the meetings will help sustain their activity. Fanny Pochet, a bookseller in Sauve, attended after the death of her manager and significant difficulties with sellers, seeking ways to not be alone in charge.

Challenges of cooperative governance

Marguerite Cros, co-president of La Cavale, explained that the meetings were organized to show that bookstores were not alone and had experiences to share. She highlighted the challenges of the book market, including the concentration of power in the publishing industry, and the difficulty of choosing which authors to support while turning away from certain publishers. She believes the collective strength of the cooperative model can enhance their political and cultural influence.

Engagement and awareness remain concerns

Laurence Mouquet, a cooperator at La Folle Aventure in Trévoux, discussed the challenge of keeping the collective alive on a daily basis. She noted that while there are 120 cooperators, only about thirty are actively involved, raising questions about whether the others who took shares feel like true owners. Philippe Pelade, director of Les Volcans in Clermont-Ferrand, emphasized the need to promote the Scop status and share the experience of a large-scale cooperative structure, noting a lack of awareness around the model and some responsibility resting with the bookstores themselves.

Future of a national network under discussion

The creation of a national network, mentioned in the event’s introduction, remains to be defined in terms of form and modalities. This issue will be addressed on Monday, October 26, during the consolidation of reflections from workshops held on Sunday afternoon.