Five Years in Home Libraries
Celebrating 5 Years in business! Portrait - Lisa Flood Photography.
Foxtail Books is Five
Cheers! to five years designing home libraries. Five years connecting with readers, with book people, with the curious, the creative, and the clever. Five years designing rooms where books are accessible, but are also displayed beautifully. Five years learning new things about books and design and life, and sharing those things with others.
There was a time when exactly one person had ever paid me to perfect their home library for them. At the time I was a manager and librarian at my local public library, here in Jackson Hole; I finished the side gig on my weekend. I started to wonder if there might be more people out there who love books and might need a professional librarian’s help — or a designer’s eye.
In 2016 I launched Foxtail Books & Library Services, and gave myself the title of private librarian and book curator. I knew it would be a combination of curating and sourcing books, organization, project management, and interior design. I had no idea where that would take me. Since then, we have designed spaces, curated books, and solved problems in home libraries and private collections all over the country: in big cities, in small mountain towns, in beautiful estates, a ski chalet here and there, and one climate-controlled warehouse. On both coasts, over a dozen states, and, this year for the first time, across the pond (London). We have worked with new books, old books, one-of-a-kind art, and rare material.
It’s been such a pleasure to connect the dots of design, books, and space for our clients. When I tell people about my job, they often ask questions about the clientele. The common denominator I have found is a sense of curiosity. They also, if asked, would say that yes, they are life-long “book people.” Otherwise? Every project is completely different, I can only imagine what is to come next.
A thank you to clients & community
Foxtail Books is 5 Years Old
I could not have created Foxtail Books without the endless support of my family, and of course of my community (here in the Tetons and in the larger book industry). My wonderful husband, Lewis Smirl, believed in me before I did, cheered me on even as I insisted that I very well might fail, and schlepped countless boxes of books through the years. My parents Janice and Craig Shannon were the original entrepreneurs in the family. They continue to sell far more ice cream cones than I will ever sell books, but there is wisdom that carries over from almost any industry to another. I would never have gotten this far without their encouragement and advice.
So many dear friends have shown up for me, through the years, for the best parts and the hard parts, listened, and asked good questions. They have reminded me who I am when I needed it (and, by extension, what Foxtail books can be). I’m particularly looking at Amanda Chestnut, Allie Knetzger, and Joe Kelsey - (mostly because it would be dull to list all 25 of you. If this were a true list of credits, you’d also see a shout out the Instagram handles who are the kindest of regular supporters, but I will refrain. True friends in person and online: you know who you are).
Some of the support team
So many colleagues -- in design, in rare books, in libraries, and in the nonprofit world in Jackson -- have been generous with advice, ideas, and problem solving through the years. Please note the links on all of these businesses, owned by friends: David Toran (Toran Acounting) gets extra thanks for endless entrepreneurial wisdom from the very start. David taught me to take my dream seriously, and it worked.
I’m also particularly grateful to Pauline Towers-Dykeman (long-time ED of Teton County Library Foundation), Heather O’Donnell (Honey & Wax Booksellers), Molly Murray (Molly Murray Interiors), Morgan Jaouen (Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum), Maggie Moore (Artemis Art Advisory), Julia Ruther (Friends of St. Paul Public Library), and Emily Janak (Emily Janak Interiors).
Carmen Solari (Black Kettle Books) has been my amazing back-up brain, muscle, client contact, and project manager for all sorts of things when I couldn’t do it all myself. Ben Carlson (Benjamin Carlson Design) continues to do great things with the beautiful logo he created for me, years ago.
Onward and upward! Thank you all. I’m determined to pay all of this forward into the world of books, homes, and humans.
