A crowd-funded independent bookstore coming soon to Spearfish, South Dakota.

Subscribe to our email list and follow us on social media as we bring this very special bookstore to fruition.

Our mission:

Henry's Books is a crowd-funded bookstore dedicated to fostering a love of reading and building a vibrant community in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

We are committed to creating a welcoming space that embraces community, accessibility, creativity, and diversity. Our thoughtfully curated collection spans various genres, including fiction, wellness/lifestyle, history, fantasy, non-fiction, and more.

At Henry's Books, we strive to provide a place where you can "come home to a good book." Our mission is to offer the Spearfish community a comfortable, high-quality book buying experience, fostering a deep connection with literature and leaving you eager to return for that unmistakable "new book smell" time and again.

Our Vision

Turn a new page at Henry's Books, a crowdfunded independent bookstore dedicated to fostering a love of reading, celebrating creativity, and building a vibrant community in Spearfish, South Dakota. Join us on this incredible journey as we embark on a crowdfunding campaign to bring this cherished dream to life.

At Henry's Books, we believe that the essence of a thriving independent bookstore lies in building a strong sense of community, embracing diversity, and celebrating creativity. Our mission is to create a welcoming space that not only offers a carefully curated selection of books but also becomes a cultural hub where ideas flow, connections flourish, and imaginations take flight. By supporting our crowdfunding campaign, you become an essential part of co-creating a dynamic gathering place where diverse voices are cherished, and everyone feels at home—a haven where literature intertwines with creativity, enriching the lives of our community members.

We envision a bookstore that is much more than just books on shelves—it's a place to gather, explore, and uncover something new. By backing our campaign, you contribute to the economic growth of Spearfish, fostering a love for reading throughout our community and supporting local talent. Turn the page with us and indulge in a carefully curated selection of genres, from crime and historical fiction to wellness, young adult, and more. Be part of this extraordinary venture as we bring Henry's Books to life—one page at a time.

“What makes Henry’s Books different from any other bookstore?”

  • Because this store will be community backed, we expect to give back often to local charities and organizations.

  • We are giving everyone in the community the opportunity to bring something really special to fruition and take ownership is something they wouldn't otherwise have a sense of belonging towards.

  • We desire to create a safe space in our community for everyone to have the opportunity to take home a book they are excited to read.

  • Our display tables in the store will easily convert into event space—we hope to host classes, workshops, book clubs, parties, and any kind of literary-minded event.

  • Collaboration is the name of the game and we hope to partner with a variety of local businesses for upcoming events and projects.

  • Contributing to the local economy and keeping our money "at home" is getting harder and harder to do these days. We strongly believe that Spearfish supports businesses unlike any other city.

An update on our crowdfunding efforts:

From September 6-October 5, 2023 we launched the first phase of our crowdfunding efforts on Kickstarter. While we fell short of our goal and did not receive any funding, we walked away with an overwhelming amount of positive support and input from the community.

We are currently in Phase Two of our efforts—we’ve switched our sponsorship platform from Kickstarter to our website with all the exact same sponsorship options and perks.

Our hope is to continue to grow our support and connections in the community through this route as we continue to work hard behind the scenes to make this bookstore possible in a timely manner.

The support has been overwhelmingly positive and we continue to move forward with confidence towards bringing this bookstore to life.

On Sunday April 7th we will partner with the Matthews Opera House in Spearfish, SD for an unforgettable “Writers Night”—a fundraiser to benefit Henry’s Books that will showcase local creative writers and songwriters. This event will include live performances, a raffle, and a few fun surprises to revealed closer to the event. We hope as many people as possible join us for this very fun continuation of our crowdfunding efforts!

Here is a visual breakdown of the goals we need to meet in order to make our bare minimum goal of $45k.

Every single person that contributes to the campaign will be honored on a special sponsorship wall in the bookstore—those that donate over $200 will additionally be given special signage and recognition for the lifetime of the store.

Community involvement is at the heart of every element in our store and this kind of contribution model allows us to partner with community members in the most meaningful and intentional way.

Sponsor a Book:

Have a favorite book you want us to carry for foreeeever?
We can make that happen!

  • When you sponsor a book, we will ensure that the book of your choosing will be on our shelves for the lifetime of our bookstore. Not only will your sponsored book have you name on it, the book will also be prominently displayed alongside other sponsored books. It is our hope that you select a book that is especially meaningful to you in one way or another.

  • When you sponsor a book, you receive:

    Signage in your name

    Store credit for a free book

    Our exclusive custom enamel pin

    A signed thank you card

  • If you’d rather sponsor something else in the store (with your name prominently displayed, of course) we’ve got plenty of other options to choose from! The shelves, tables, counters, and chairs are also available. Check out our sponsorship store for all the details!

 FAQs

  • For our crowdfunding efforts, we are allowing anyone to sponsor different elements of our store. In return, we granting those sponsors permanent, eye-level signage in their name, plus other items that included store credit, tickets to our launch party, and swag items.

    It all boils down to this: many people contribute small amounts towards something that they believe strongly in so that it can come to fruition.

  • Our campaign took place from September 6-October 5.

  • Staying true to our goals and commitments during our Kickstarter campaign, our goal is between $32k and $45k.

  • Should we exceed our initial funding goal, the additional funds will be reinvested into the bookstore to enhance the overall shopping experience. This may include additional inventory, professional services, continuing education and training for staff, shop maintenance, and other expenses.

  • We hope to open our doors in the heart of downtown Spearfish, South Dakota.

  • Our official open date will depend greatly on the timeline and success of our crowdfunding campaign. We are hoping to open late in 2023 or sometime in the Spring of 2024.

Before launching this whole project, we put in a significant amount of research that includes other Kickstarter campaigns that funded the opening of small independent bookstores.

Take a look at just a few of the campaigns we were most inspired by as we did the groundwork for our own campaign for Henry’s Books.

Lofty Pigeon Books

This Brooklyn-based bookstore came to fruition through 847 backers that pledged $109,101 to help bring this project to life.

Boneshakers Books

Located in Minneapolis, this group saw 57 backers pledged $5,450 to help bring this project to life.

All Good Books

This neat shop in Columbia, SC brought their store to life with the help of 627 backers that pledged a total of $77,379.

The Bluebird Books Bus

This unique, mobile bookstore was made possible by 67 backers that pledged $3,430 to help bring this project to life.

Parentheses Books

Located in Harisonberg, VA, this store was helped by 365 backers that pledged $55,804 to help bring this project to life.