Meet Your Board Candidate: Sally Sue LaVigne
SALLY SUE LAVIGNE
Sally Sue Lavigne is the owner of The Storybook Shoppe, South Carolina’s oldest children’s bookstore, located in Bluffton. After 13 years as a substitute teacher, she turned her passion for inspiring young readers into a thriving bookselling career. From hosting Local Heroes Storytime to organizing the annual holiday pajama and book drive, Sally Sue champions literacy and community engagement.
Interview:
Why do you want to serve on the SIBA Board?
I believe to be a good community member you have to give back. Serving on the SIBA board will give me the opportunity to share the knowledge and experience gained in 10 years of bookselling and shop ownership to make our community stronger and perhaps just a little bit easier for others.
What do you think are the most important challenges facing independent bookstores in the SIBA region?
The book bans in our country are especially devastating for bookstores in the SIBA territory. Southern states lead in the number of book bans on both the state and local levels. Booksellers across SIBA face daily challenges including community scrutiny, lost opportunities for author visits, and in extreme cases violence and property damage.
What do you think are the most important priorities for the SIBA organization?
As membership grows, it is important that SIBA remains sensitive to the cares and concerns unique to the diverse regions across our large territory. Every member bookstore should feel seen and heard.