The bookstore is a favorite with book lovers near and far.
By Nate Paige
The 1960s warning “Don’t trust anyone over 30” can’t possibly apply to Loganberry Books. The beloved Shaker Heights staple turns 30 this November 11 and is as trustworthy as ever.
For store owner Harriett Logan, the milestone is worth celebrating. “We’re going to start with a big party on December 7,” says Logan. “We will have hourly author signings, book talks, live music and food, a ticketed party with raffles, and celebration – in our own nerdy, bookish way.”
Located in the eclectic Larchmere neighborhood, it’s hard to miss, with artist Gene Epstein’s wall mural of a shelf of books covering the east side of the building. And the origin of the store’s name? It was Logan’s nickname in college.
But Loganberry Books was never just a bookstore. In its original location at 12635 Larchmere, Logan shared the space with Dede Moore, who sold Oriental rugs.
“Together we looked at a lot of locations and chose Larchmere for its focus on antiques and collectibles and for the independent vibe on the street with its lack of chain stores,” says Logan.
It’s remarkable how many people, daily, are here for the very first time.
In 1994, the East Side was brimming with bookstores: Appletree Books, Barnes and Noble, Borders, Mac’s Backs, and Waldenbooks to name a few. Logan wasn’t intimidated by that because she already had a built-in clientele.
“When I opened Loganberry, it was 95 percent used and collectible books, so I was not really competing with them. But I started getting new books; offbeat, academic press kinds of things that my customers enjoyed. And when we moved to this location in 2003, we had a local demand for new books – at least hyperlocal. And we morphed and figured it out, and it has grown exponentially since then.”
The current location, 13015 Larchmere Boulevard, is three times the size of the original space with space for local artists, the Loganberry Books Annex Gallery. “Each month we celebrate a local artist and let them curate their own show. And we use that space for our holiday shop, Otis’ Old Curiosity Shop, where we pull out all the stops and bring the full gift-giving glory – reminiscent of Don Drumm’s Craft Studio and the TwigBee Shop at Higbee’s,” she says.
The gallery is a huge part of the store’s vibe, which Logan describes as “low-key, funky, smart, open to freedom of expression and celebration of difference. And we have the attitude of the more the merrier, so you can find your niche.”
Logan notes, “It’s remarkable how many people, daily, are here for the very first time. Some of them are, of course, out of towners; yet some live down the street. The idea of being a destination location has come to fruition, and we have a deep depth of stock – more than 130,000 volumes at this point.”
Logan is still mapping out additional events to occur through 2025 to commemorate this milestone anniversary. “I haven’t quite solidified that, but there’ll be lots of merch with ‘30’ branding. We’ll totally play up our 30th birthday.” Trust it.
