Inkberry Books to open in Cottonwood Square

Gene Hayworth, owner of Inkberry Books, will be holding a grand opening on Feb. 3 at the new location at 7960 Niwot Road, Suite B-3, in Cottonwood Square, the former location of HMK Jewelers.

Inkberry books will have a catalog of over 4,000 new, gently used, and out-of-print books along with book-related merchandise.

Hayworth had a lease at another location for the business, but ultimately decided to move it downtown.

“Originally the other space was a lot bigger so we had planned to have a wine bar and bookstore,” Hayworth said. “Unfortunately in this smaller place we can only do the bookstore. Our plan is to have events like readings where we serve wine at the reception.”

Hayworth’s full-time job is as a librarian at the University of Colorado since 2002, but he also owns a small publishing company in Boulder.

“One of the things I found for small presses particularly is that it’s hard to get books into stores,” Hayworth said. “So I was looking at bookstores as a way to get my books out into the marketplace. I think it will be a great opportunity for me to open my own store and stock with not only my books, but other ones as well.”

He said out of the 4,000 books, about half are first edition fiction, while the other half is non-fiction, including biographies, books on history, psychology and art.

Hayworth joined the Niwot Business Association in late 2017 in advance of opening Inkberry Books.

“One thing I’ve noticed (about Niwot) is that there is a really strong sense of community there,” Hayworth said. “It’s amazing to me how much work everyone does together. It really is a group of people that want the community to move forward.”

For now, Hayworth said there is still some painting to be done, along with finishing the shelves and bringing in some furniture for customers.

“I’m really excited about this opportunity,” Hayworth said. “I’ve met so many fantastic people and I’m looking forward to working with everybody there … I think I’ve just always had books in my blood.”

The first reading scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 17. The reading will be Dog Logic, by author Tom Strelich, a fictional tale.

For more information on Inkberry Books events or to sign up for notifications, visit http://www.inkberrybooks.com.