Oblong Books & Music gets critical COVID-19 PPP funds

MILLERTON — As small businesses across the country press on to stay in operation during the coronavirus pandemic, the popular Millerton independent bookstore, Oblong Books & Music, was relieved to receive Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds from the federal government to help it stay afloat — critical since Governor Andrew Cuomo closed all non-essential businesses in March due to the outbreak.

Throughout the pandemic, Oblong Books & Music has done its best to adapt its business to changes imposed by COVID-19. Including store co-owner Dick Hermans and his co-owner daughter, Suzanna, 23 booksellers were employed at Oblong before the pandemic. Once the health crisis struck, Hermans said he was left with no choice but to let the majority of his employees go last month, leaving his daughter and three other booksellers to run the business —  even while the store itself is closed to the public.

Oblong now has four people covering his two stores over the course of a week.

Though he remained mum about the full amount he applied for, Hermans said he needed the PPP funding to provide all of his employees with full back pay for eight weeks. He also applied for funding to pay the rent for his store in Rhinebeck for eight weeks. With help from one of the bank officers at Salisbury Bank & Trust, Hermans completed his PPP funding application on Tuesday, April 14. By Monday evening, April 20, the loan agreement was complete and the funding was deposited into Herman’s bank account.

“It was incredibly quick and efficient and no hassle,” Hermans marveled, praising his bank. “From my end of things, they had a simple way to deal with this and were efficient and right on the case. I’m really grateful.”

As of Tuesday, April 21, Oblong Books & Music put all of its employees back on the payroll. 

As far as conducting business during the COVID-19 pandemic, Oblong currently offers contactless curbside pickup, an option that can be selected when customers place an order online. Once their order is ready for pickup, customers are notified by the booksellers and can pick up their items outside the front door at 26 Main St. Hermans mentioned that this method of doing business helps to save postage costs since the store was previously shipping orders to customers’ homes. He added that the store plans to phase in its home delivery service to customers who live relatively close to Millerton, which he said would be in a 15-mile or 20-minute radius from the store.

When asked how Oblong Books & Music has been able to manage during the past month, Hermans said the store made substantial income from two new books published by Rhinebeck authors Lucy Knisley and Hilarie Burton, with high sales for Knisley’s latest graphic novel, “Stepping Stones” and Burton’s book, “The Rural Diaries: Love, Livestock and Big Life Lessons Down on Mischief Farm.”

Reaching out to customers through its email list, Hermans said they’ve been sending out newsletters to customers weekly, to keep everyone informed about what’s happening at the bookstore and to promote new book titles. Along with book sales, the store has also had great run on its inventory of jigsaw puzzles — a hot item during the days of self-isolation and social distancing. 

While the store had to cancel its calendar of events due to COVID-19, Hermans announced that Oblong Books & Music will be hosting an online event at Bard College on Saturday, May 2. Featuring Bard Professor in the Arts and author Neil Gaiman and author N.K. Jemisin, the live webcast will be available at www.fishercenter.bard.edu. The first 250 people to order a copy of Jemisin’s new book, “The City We Became,” will also receive a signed bookplate.

“We’re trying to be as good a bookstore now as we were when we were letting people into the store,” Hermans said.