- Rachel Pastiva
Rachel Pastiva has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in creative writing and a master’s of library and information science. She has been a bookseller for over 20 years: at Borders Books & Music, as the bookstore manager of Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, and currently as the director of the Friends of the Ann Arbor District Library. Rachel was on the board of the Ann Arbor Book Festival for three years, an adviser to the Board of the Kerrytown BookFest for one year, and facilitator of a book club about consciousness and spirituality for almost ten years. A great lover of her adopted home of Ann Arbor and the state of Michigan, she enjoys reading books related to regional history, historical fiction, psychology, spirituality, consciousness, health, social sciences, and any other topic that jumps off the shelf at her while perusing Ann Arbor's independent bookstores. - Karen Alvarez
Karen Alvarez has a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master’s degree in medieval studies. She is a self-described history geek whose favorite activity is visiting museums and historic buildings. She began her career as a museum assistant and eventually became a grant writer for nonprofit organizations. She loves traveling and often seeks out independent bookstores wherever she goes. Her reading interests run the gamut, but her favorite subjects are history, literature, and historical fiction. - Betsy Bloom
Betsy is a website programmer and did our recent website redesign. She fell in love in Ann Arbor when she was an English Lit. major in the 80's. After 30+ years living other places, she has returned to Ann Arbor and is excited to be part of the literary and bookstore culture! She enjoys reading historical fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, and books that take you to a different place and time.
- Growing Our Board of Directors
The Ann Arbor Book Society (AABS) is a young 501(c)3 nonprofit determined to grow a sustainable organization that celebrates and supports the Ann Arbor area's unique book community for decades to come. A dedicated and engaged board of directors is the key to a healthy and successful organization, and we are seeking individuals to join our board who have passion for our mission and are willing to put time and energy into supporting it.
OUR MISSION
The Ann Arbor Book Society fosters an appreciation for and access to books for all. We celebrate and sustain Ann Arbor's dynamic book culture through advocacy of its diverse book-related institutions and communities; connect local readers, and make Ann Arbor a book lover's destination.
OUR CORE VALUES
Advocacy
Community
Integrity
Passion
Inclusivity
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Since our founding in the summer of 2016, we have accomplished the following:
Distributed over 17,000 Booktown Maps to help local and visiting book lovers navigate the unique selection of bookstores and other places to find books in Ann Arbor
Sent monthly e-newsletters with a 75% open rate to our always growing list of email subscribers featuring the latest local book-related news
Launched a website featuring the following:
- An all-inclusive monthly calendar of local book events
- Bookstore Directory
- Local Author Directory
- Annual Local Book Events Directory
- Bookstore Timeline
- Pages dedicated to Ann Arbor book history, book reviews and other local book-related news of interest
OUR GOALS
In 2023 our goals are to:
- Add a book forum to our website
- Expand our board of directors
- Recruit more sponsors for our Booktown Map so we may print and distribute 10,000 maps this year
Our board generally meets virtually for one hour once a month, with the intention of meeting in person for two or three meetings a year. Board terms are two years, with a three-term limit. Interested in learning more about becoming a board member of the Ann Arbor Book Society?
Click Here to Learn More About Joining Our Board
Board and select volunteers at our Strategic Plan Retreat, Westgate AADL, January 2023.
- Jeanne Joesten
Jeanne was one of “those” English majors who spent 10 years after college working at jobs that were just jobs. But when she moved to Ann Arbor in 1985, she found her niche, career, and many of her best friends working at the first Borders Book Shop for 16 1/2 years, and then for 9 years working at the Borders Corporate Offices where she remained until the bitter end. In 2013 Jeanne was hired as one of the original employees at Ann Arbor’s Literati Bookstore, where she wore many hats. After delaying her retirement several times, she finally took the plunge in July of 2023, in large part to tackle the many unread books she has accumulated in her library after 25 years working in bookstores. Jeanne reads mostly fiction (both classics and contemporary), with a smattering of poetry, biographies, memoirs, political science, and history thrown in when the spirit moves her. - Kathy Brzezina
Kathy Brzezina has been an avid reader since childhood and has spent most of her life working with books. She’s worked for independent bookstores, Borders, and Barnes & Noble. Since 2017, Kathy has been employed by the Ann Arbor District Library, and has enjoyed the transition from selling books to serving the public. She loves traveling and has wandered the galleries of the world’s greatest art museums. She is currently an inveterate reader of mysteries and books about her favorite artists.
Rachel Pastiva
Founder
Karen Alvarez
Karen Alvarez has a bachelor’s degree in art history and a master’s degree in medieval studies. She is a self-described history geek whose favorite activity is visiting museums and historic buildings. She began her career as a museum assistant and eventually became a grant writer for nonprofit organizations. She loves traveling and often seeks out independent bookstores wherever she goes. Her reading interests run the gamut, but her favorite subjects are history, literature, and historical fiction.
Betsy Bloom
Website ProgrammerBetsy is a website programmer and did our recent website redesign. She fell in love in Ann Arbor when she was an English Lit. major in the 80’s. After 30+ years living other places, she has returned to Ann Arbor and is excited to be part of the literary and bookstore culture! She enjoys reading historical fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, and books that take you to a different place and time.
Jeanne Joesten
Jeanne was one of “those” English majors who spent 10 years after college working at jobs that were just jobs. But when she moved to Ann Arbor in 1985, she found her niche, career, and many of her best friends working at the first Borders Book Shop for 16 1/2 years, and then for 9 years working at the Borders Corporate Offices where she remained until the bitter end. In 2013 Jeanne was hired as one of the original employees at Ann Arbor’s Literati Bookstore, where she wore many hats. After delaying her retirement several times, she finally took the plunge in July of 2023, in large part to tackle the many unread books she has accumulated in her library after 25 years working in bookstores. Jeanne reads mostly fiction (both classics and contemporary), with a smattering of poetry, biographies, memoirs, political science, and history thrown in when the spirit moves her.
Kathy Brzezina
Kathy Brzezina has been an avid reader since childhood and has spent most of her life working with books. She’s worked for independent bookstores, Borders, and Barnes & Noble. Since 2017, Kathy has been employed by the Ann Arbor District Library, and has enjoyed the transition from selling books to serving the public. She loves traveling and has wandered the galleries of the world’s greatest art museums. She is currently an inveterate reader of mysteries and books about her favorite artists.