The Galaxy Bookshop in Hardwick has been a community fixture since 1988, founded by Linda Ramsdell. In 2014, Ramsdell decided to sell the store, offering it to longtime employee Sandy Scott. Unable to afford it alone, Scott partnered with Andrea Jones, an avid customer and English teacher at Hazen Union School. Within three months, the two became co-owners.
Jones and Scott, who call each other “work wives,” each bring different strengths. Scott has bookkeeping experience and institutional knowledge; Jones contributed a passion for reading and teaching. They work together only on Thursdays, which they describe as their favorite day.
The bookstore has faced hardships. A 2022 fire in an upstairs apartment triggered the sprinkler system, causing severe water damage. The store operated out of borrowed spaces for six months and raised over $20,000 through GoFundMe. Flooding in 2023 and 2024 also cut downtown access and hurt sales. “People always step up and show us how much they love this store,” Jones said.
Jones and Scott see themselves as stewards, not permanent owners. “The Galaxy is bigger than us,” Jones said. “I wanted to make sure there was a bookstore in my community.”
Originally reported by VTDigger.
Photo: Artaxerxes (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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