We tend to think of books in museum shops as only art books and monographs. A visit to Manhattan’s Miracle Mile on Fifth Avenue between 82nd and 105th Streets proves otherwise. www.ny.com/museums/mile.html.The charming museum shop at el Museo del Barrio, 1230 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10029 at 104th Street carries fiction and non-fiction by and about Latinos. The adult books are in English or Spanish and many of
children’s books are bi-lingual. Approximately 30% of merchandise is books under headings such as Latino Interest, Puerto Rico, Women’s Studies, Spirituality, Cookbooks, and Music. Museum shop manager Ilana Stollman accepts books from all publishers. She has little experience with self-published books but is not averse to stocking them. Send her review copy or book catalogue. 212-831-7272, x130. www.elmuseo.org.
The Museum of City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10029 (212-534-1672) is between 103rd and 104th Streets, three blocks north of Mt. Sinai Hospital. The museum shop is about 98% books, covering five boroughs, although children’s books include more general topics. A lot of books are oversized and there are no guidebooks. www.mcny.org.
The Cooper Shop at Jewish Museum, 1 East 92nd Street, (212-423-3211) has a host of books on Judaism. You must send your books to Israel Jaronoski, book buyer, for him to make a decision. I hope you have better luck reaching him than I did (212-423-3312). www.thejewishmuseum.org.
The Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, 2 East 91 Street, and National Academy of Design, 1083 Fifth Avenue, (212-369-4880) are often confused in people’s minds because of similarity of names. But, according to John M. Ravet, manager/book buyer at National Academy of Design, two are “radically different.” “I answer this question several times a day,” he says. The Cooper-Hewitt is applied design, he explains, while National Academy, which was founded in 1825, follows a “traditional definition” – drawings, paintings, sculpture, etchings, architecture. The Academy also focuses on its 2100-member artists and architects - past and present. Small press, self-publishers and overseas press are welcome to submit books. “We tend to focus on books that are not found elsewhere. That’s why we have small publishers.” John adds that while monographs are plentiful, biographies of members are especially needed. You’ll find a list of them at www.nationalacademy.org.
