SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Más Libritos Bookstore in Springdale looks to form an inclusive community and provide diverse literature with their new, permanent storefront.
The Springdale bookstore held a soft opening on Saturday, June 10. Bookshelves typically carry a varied selection of books, whether it be a cookbook or a child's storybook. At Mas Libritos, one can find stories whose voices resonate with the community.
“It's very inclusive and carries all the authors that I love to read, which are Latino or Hispanic background authors, which is something that is very, very hard to find here in Northwest Arkansas," said Tania Castellanos.
Castellanos was the first public customer on Saturday's public soft opening. Bookstore owner, Diana Dominguez had previously held a pop-up next door at Bites and Bowls.
“The relationship that we have with Diana is not only like a partnership, but a mentorship on helping her not make the mistakes we made when we started, saving some time and resources on that aspect, and just build community together," Owner and Co-Founder of Bites and Bowls, Sandra Carrasco said.
Dominguez said of her permanent storefront that, “This place also holds a really special place in my heart, because it was the first pop-up that I had. And so now to see it evolve, within like three to four months to a physical location is pretty incredible."
Claiming to be the only bookstore of its kind in the area, much of the diverse literature offered is hard to find. Dominguez explained the importance of having a bookstore like this saying, “There's book bans kind of happening all over the United States. So, it's something that we're also facing here in Arkansas."
"It might be sectioned off as like African American or Black literature or even Latinx literature. But within my collection, it's all mixed in. We're all at the center of our collections," Dominguez added. "Seeing people's joy and bringing this type of literature here is just an emotional thing for me."
For avid reader Dominguez, her bookstore is a place where all are invited, and reading is encouraged, sharing the love of reading in every story.
"Just know that there is diversity. And that there is more than one way of doing things," said Carrasco.
Castellanos bought two books while shopping early Saturday morning. Heading to church afterward, she planned to give one book to her niece.
"I'm trying to teach her as she grows up to always be inclusive about all the authors that she reads as well as all the social media or just any other type of exposure that she has, to know for it to always be diverse," Castellano said. "It's also very important for our allies to come and get educated on all the authors on all of the great tropes that all of these books have to offer."
Mas Libritos event was only a soft opening for the public. There are plans for a grand opening celebration on Friday, July 14. You can follow Bites and Bowls or Mas Libritos for more updates. Mas Libritos bookstore is located at 1602 E Robinson Avenue in Suite D.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.