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'Work of love' bookstore in Elgin closes Saturday

An Elgin bookstore known for hosting book clubs, book signings, children's programs and being engaged with the community in creative ways will close Saturday.

“It has been 16 years and it's just gotten a little more difficult to go up and down steep stairs with boxes of books in my hand,” said Judi Brownfield, owner of Books at Sunset at 1100 South St.

“As much as I love it, it's been a work of love rather than profit.”

Brownfield and her husband, Mike, opened the bookstore in 2000 in a small shopping center on Elgin's west side, filling the small, cozy space with a wide selection of new and gently used books, most of them paperback, along with rare and out of print titles.

By the time Brownfield started clearing out her inventory about a month ago, the store contained about 100,000 books, she said. Customers poured in Wednesday, a day after an email blast announced the impending closure.

Many shared their favorite memories of the bookstore, such as whimsical, fairy-themed children's programs and a trip to Black Point Estate in Lake Geneva, she said.

“I have been video recording some of the stories,” she said. “It will make me feel good when I am more older and more gray, sitting in my rocking chair.”

The bookstore was a labor of love from the beginning, as Brownfield's husband took time off work to build shelves inside the store.

“I love being in the neighborhood,” Brownfield said. “I love the children coming in. I love the families. I love the conversations in between tall stacks of books.”

Brownfield said she believes deeply in the value of literature not just through books, but also cinema and theater. “The core is conversation that brings people together.”

She was a key organizer for grand events held at Marcus Elgin Cinema for the showings of “Contagion” in 2011 and the remake of “Nightmare on Elm Street” in 2010, both of which included scenes shot in Elgin.

Brownfield also collaborated for literary events with the Elgin Area Historical Society Museum, and hosted a fundraiser at Marcus Cinema for the children's art organization Hamilton Wings and the former Elgin Opera, which she called “wonderful organizations.”

Next week, she plans to donate unsold books to area libraries, local schools and the Community Crisis Center in Elgin, she said.

Once the bookstore is closed, she will continue organizing red carpet events for the Elgin Film Festival and serving as casting director for the yearly “Nightmare on Chicago Street” event, she said. “It's been wonderful all these years.”

  Judi Brownfield gives a hug to Penny Gralewski of Elgin Wednesday at Books at Sunset, which closes Saturday. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com
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