Even though the independent bookstore Bank of Books in Point Dume Plaza closed over three years ago, many locals fondly remember the community’s last bookstore—the site of book signings, poetry readings and many other events that brought neighbors together.
Though it lost its lease, Bank of Books continued to give back to Malibu—after the Woolsey Fire, the company, which still owns Bank of Books and Abednego Book Shoppe in Ventura, offered thousands of free books to anyone who lost their home. In fact, the family-owned company has donated over 300,000 books to individuals and other bookstores following wildfires and mudslides, setting up a community support department just for that purpose.
Then the store suffered its own tragedy—an individual apparently entered their warehouse storage area and destroyed over 500,000 books valued at $8 million. “It was a modern Fahrenheit 451, on the level of history’s largest book destructions,” the family claimed in a message written in an online fundraiser.
Clarey Rudd, the store’s owner, said the destroyed books comprised a large part of the support inventory for the bookstores and internet business. The losses included a lifetime collection of irreplaceable rare books.
Rudd has been selling books for 55 years—he worked in his parent’s bookstore, which opened in 1954, worked in bookstores in the Bay Area, Fresno, Palm Springs and Oceanside, and then owned bookstores from Malibu to Santa Barbara.
Bank of Books was recognized in the community—it was voted No. 1 Independent Bookstore in Ventura County for 17 years. Sir Anthony Hopkins once wrote, “Best bookstore I have ever been in, and I am a book geek.” Over the years, managers from Borders and Barnes & Noble joined the staff, along with Malibu’s Gidget.
Rudd wants to keep the store open and move forward, as well as seek justice for the damage done, which has put the future of the business at risk. An online fundraiser through GoFundMe has been set up at gofundme.com/f/gofundmecomfbook-lovers in an effort to raise money for attorney’s fees to recover costs from the party that allegedly destroyed the books.