By Quinn O’Hara

Last Friday, December 15th, Audrey Kiem, the owner and founder of the recently opened 4th & Court Bookstore, gave a presentation to the Clay Center Rotary Club about her business.

She told the club her inspiration for the store came from Yellow Brick Realty owner Angie Frigon, who held a three-day pop-up shop event in August of this year.

During the event, Kiem says the responses from the community are what inspired to make the store a permanent fixture of downtown Clay Center:

Since then, 4th & Court has grown to host several monthly events including a writing club and a board game night. They also host several local artists and creators who sell their own pottery, woodworking projects, and paintings.

Kiem says roughly 70% of the books in her store are donated by the community, and the remaining 30% are purchased herself from other used book vendors.