Middle Ground Books is located at 606 Commercial St. in Emporia.
You sit in a backless barstool, grinning at a life-size cutout of a tuxedoed gorilla as a cool glass of lemonade/tea/water sweats in your hand. Your nostrils are full of the smell of paper and ink and binding glue from pages new and old. You see a beautiful painting made of coffee stains hung up behind the counter. You take a sip. What else would you have in your hand than a good book, and where else would you be if not the cafe of Middle Ground Books and Gifts, Emporia’s only bookstore?
The idea for Middle Ground began with a perceived need. When Megan Love and Debra and Lance Rundus moved to Emporia the summer of this past year, they noticed that the town did not have a bookstore and decided to do something about it.
“We have a huge collection of our own personal books which were not going to fit into the tiny house that we were moving to,” Debra Rundus said. “And so that also motivated us to think that we could start a bookstore here that had not only new books, but also used books, because our own collection was a good seed to start these books.”
In October of 2023, the three took the “Start Your Own Business” course offered through Emporia Main Street and educated themselves on the entrepreneurial world. They developed their team, contacting an accountant and a lawyer to figure out how to make their dream a reality. In less than a year, Middle Ground Books and Gifts had their soft opening with the launch of a poetry book from local writer Deb Irsik. Their grand opening in June saw about 150 people present, and Emporia residents continue to browse the store’s shelves.
The bookstore is a place for gathering, and it has much to offer groups of Emporia residents or college students. Stocked with tea, coffee and canned beverages, the shop is prepared for hangouts of all varieties.
“We’ve tried to create a space that has different lounging areas with comfortable seating with couches and tables,” Rundus said. “And we’re happy to have anyone come and, for instance, have a study group together when they’re preparing for an exam, or we have free Wi-Fi so you can come and do research or work on a paper, we’d be happy to have you hang out.”
Middle Ground doesn’t just sell books. The store offers a range of book-themed gifts, including stationary, bookmarks, plushies, loose leaf teas and drinkware with snarky literary comments.
“We try to carry a variety of things that would be interesting to readers,” said Rundus, “or that people who maybe aren’t readers themselves, but they have a loved one or a friend who is a reader, things that they could give them.”
The bookstore has already hosted a stop on Emporia’s First Friday Art Walk with local artist and Emporia State professor of biology Rachel Bowes, and the owners have high hopes for future events. The store is open to book launchings, book signings and is in talks to host a symposium on human creativity. Many of Middle Ground’s patrons share a love of Ian Fleming novels, inspiring potential ideas for a black-tie, James Bond themed event. One proposed event was an open mic night.
“We just haven’t figured out how to make that all work, but we did have (an open mic) as a fundraising event recently … we had a band, and then some authors read sections of their writing, and it was really well received,” said Rundus, “so we’re hoping before the end of the semester to have a monthly open mic night. So if there are students who like to write, they could come and present their work for public acclaim.”
Rundus believes Emporia needs a bookstore.
“It seems like an obvious gap in what was available to the community,” she said, “because it’s a university town, and there were already art galleries present, and there was a historic museum. But a bookstore promotes literacy for all ages, from birth right up and through old age, and it also provides a place for families and individuals and groups to gather.”