- Business or organization name
- The Marginalia
- Industry or business type
- Independent bookstore, specialty coffee shop, and community events venue
- Location and service area
- Portland, Maine. Primarily serving local residents, students, and visitors to the greater Portland area.
- Short description of the business
- The Marginalia is an independent bookstore and café in Portland, Maine, established in 2019. We specialize in thoughtfully curated new and used books, excellent coffee, and creating a welcoming space for readers, writers, and curious people. We host regular author readings, book clubs, and occasional community events. We're a small, locally owned business that believes a great bookstore should feel like a place to discover something unexpected.
- Main products or services
- New books – Contemporary fiction, poetry, independent publishers, art books, and nonfiction.
Used books – A rotating selection of affordable, carefully chosen secondhand titles.
Café – Espresso drinks, drip coffee, tea, and locally made pastries.
Special book orders – Customers can request books we don't currently stock.
Author events – Readings, conversations, and book signings.
Book clubs – Monthly community reading groups.
Gifts and stationery – Notebooks, greeting cards, and literary gifts.
- What makes them different
- We combine an independent bookstore with a genuinely good neighborhood café. Our selection emphasizes independent publishers, unusual finds, and books our staff personally loves. We're deliberately welcoming rather than intimidating, and our booksellers enjoy helping people discover something new. We also provide a gathering place for Portland's literary and creative community.
