Printers Inc. Bookstore

Printers Inc. Bookstore
Private subsidiary
Fate Out of business
Founded 1978
Defunct 2001
Headquarters Palo Alto, California, United States
Number of locations
 2
Products
  • Books
  • Magazines

Printers Inc. Bookstore (1978–2001) was an independent bookstore in Palo Alto, California, not far from Stanford University. It is referenced in section 8.14 of Stanford alumnus Vikram Seth's 1986 novel, The Golden Gate.[1][2]

Printers Inc. was founded in 1978 by "alumni" of Kepler's Books in nearby Menlo Park.[3][4] The original store was located on California Avenue in Palo Alto. A second store was located on Castro Street in Mountain View, California.[5] The Printers Inc. Cafe, next door to the bookstore, is under separate management.[6]

In December 1998, Printers Inc. announced that it would be closing.[6][7][8] The local community protested the closing, however, and in March 1999 Printers Inc. found new management.[9] This management lasted until 2001 when Printers Inc. Bookstore closed for good.[10][11][12][13] The Printers Inc. Cafe remained open.[6][14]

The 2006 documentary Indies Under Fire tells the story of Printers Inc. and other independent bookstores impacted by the new economy.[3][15][16] Director Jacob Bricca stated that he made the documentary after Printers Inc. closed: "I took the [store's closing] very personally [...] I grew up in Palo Alto and spent many hours reading and hanging out at Printers Inc. I saw the strong connection the community had to the bookstore and, like others in the film, was very distressed at its closing."[17]

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Coordinates: 37°25′39″N 122°08′40″W / 37.4274°N 122.1444°W