Fire in the Village

Last night, the Von's bookstore building in the West Lafayette village went up in flames. The fire started in the attic, and students living in apartments above the store were evacuated. The building is a total loss. The bookstore's contents are completely lost due to water damage. UPDATE 12/1: The books were not damaged by smoke or water, so the bookstore should open soon!

Von's is an institution in West Lafayette, being an independent bookstore and head/bead/trinket shop. Its collection of serious literature, including philosophy, is outstanding. Von's has received predictable competition from the B&N and Borders stores that have opened recently, as well as online bookshopping.

I order my books for my graduate classes at Von's as I can do so much later than at the student bookstore/Purdue T-shirt shop. And I like for my students to get into a real bookstore.

However, I must admit that I rarely BUY my own books at Von's. I most always order online. BUT, I like the IDEA of an independent bookstore existing in a college town. And latest news is that the owner, fully insured, will probably rebuild.