Portables gift shop is closing

Portables Gift Shop, run by Friends of Porter Public Library volunteers, has generated over $600,000 in donations for the library since 1983. It will be closing in January 2023. Photo by Jennifer Cirincione

The Friends of Porter Public Library regretfully announces the closing of our volunteer-run library gift shop Portables. It has become increasingly difficult to manage Portables on a volunteer basis and, unfortunately, the economics do not support a paid position to take over management of the shop.

Portables Gift Shop will have a Going Out of Business sale, beginning Jan. 2, 2023; the shop will offer a 50% discount on all items from Monday, Jan. 2, through Sunday, Jan. 8. The discount percentage will increase weekly until closing, either Jan. 31 or when all items are sold, whichever comes first.

Portables Gift Shop, started by Sharon Didion, has been in business since 1993. It has generated over $600,000 in profit which has been given to the library. The shop carries jewelry, apparel, candles, greeting cards, and hundreds of unique gifts.

Manager Barbara Gauthier encourages holiday shoppers to visit and says, “Please stop by and say goodbye while sharing your memories of Portables with us. We appreciate your support over the years and will miss seeing all of you. Thank you from all of us.”

The current Portables space will become the new location for the Friends’ used bookstore, the Book Nook. The bookstore will open in the new location as soon as renovations are completed; until then, used books, DVDs, and CDs will be available in the current Book Nook location and on its $1 shelves in the library lobby.

The Friends of Porter Public Library would like to sincerely thank Portables Gift Shop customers for their patronage and deeply thank the dedicated staff of Friends members who have volunteered their time and support over the years.

Elaine Willis

Elaine Willis is the Public Relations Associate at Westlake Porter Public Library.

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Volume 14, Issue 24, Posted 11:24 AM, 12.20.2022