Johnson City Library resale shop is closing its red door
The Red Door Resale shop, 300 E. Pecan Drive, operated by Friends of the Johnson City Library is selling items at half-off to move inventory before closing at the end of the year. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
STAFF WRITER JENNIFER FIERRO
Now that the building loan for the Johnson City Library has been paid, the Red Door Resale shop, which supported the library, will close its doors after the holiday season.
That’s the word from librarian Maggie Goodman. The shop, which was operated by the Friends of the Johnson City Library, opened three years ago with the purpose of raising money to pay off the mortgage. It was paid off in January 2018.
From a financial standpoint, keeping the shop open didn’t make sense, Goodman said, because the cost to rent the space at 200 E. Pecan Drive had risen. Most of what was sold would be to pay the rent, she added.
“As the shop has made more money, (rent) has grown,” she said. “The Friends of the Library totally understand.”
The Friends group helped raise money for the library to offset costs in order to keep the library open.
Once the loan was paid, the money from the shop began benefiting the library in other ways, Goodman said, such as to purchase new shelves and furniture as well as technology.
“It has opened up a whole new way of looking at things,” she said. “You’re looking up and seeing there’s a whole new world ahead of you. We can upgrade, modernize, and remodel the rest of the library, so the library is more inviting, more versatile, and more ready to meet the needs of our community better.”
Goodman said the Friends of the Johnson City Library members aren’t opposed to opening the shop elsewhere if they find a partner and a spot that is beneficial to all involved.
“It’s a service to the community,” she said about the shop and its low prices. “It’s a help for families downsizing, for those who’ve had loved ones pass away.”