thumb|Boxcar Books in 2011 '''Boxcar Books''' was a non-profit, independent bookstore, infoshop, and community center in Bloomington, Indiana. Collectively run by volunteers, Boxcar Books was "one of the highest-volume zine sellers" in the United States.<ref>Reynolds, Adam. ''[http://www.magbloom.com/2012/09/boxcar-books-a-b-town-store-like-no-other/ Boxcar Books: A B-town Store Like No Other]'', Bloom Magazine, Retrieved 26 November 2013</ref> According to its website, the store existed to "promote reading, self-education, social equality, and social welfare through increased accessibility to literature and workshops."<ref>[http://www.boxcarbooks.org/Statement Boxcar Books Mission Statement]</ref> Boxcar Books was for a time also the home of the [http://www.pagestoprisoners.org/ Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project], a non-profit books to prisoners organization that distributes books and reading materials to prisoners.<ref>McDowell, Mercedez. ''[http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=3690 Be an Advocate with Boxcar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235428/http://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=3690 |date=2013-12-02 }}'', Retrieved 27 November 2013</ref> By the end of 2017, Boxcar Books had closed their operations. <ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.boxcarbooks.org/closing-statement/|title=Closing Statement|date=2017-12-02|work=Boxcar Books|access-date=2018-08-18|language=en-US}}</ref>
==History== Boxcar Books and Community Center was founded by Oliver Haimson and Matthew Turissini in 2001. The bookstore included a wide selection of new and used nonfiction books with a particular focus on gender studies and "green" lifestyles. In 2008, the bookstore moved to a location closer to Indiana University.
==Events== In addition to poetry readings<ref>Osman, Rachel. "[https://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=93765/ Poets present work at Boxcar Books] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203022320/https://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=93765%2F |date=December 3, 2013 }}", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 27 November 2013</ref> and community events, Boxcar Books regularly used to host the Writers Guild of Bloomington "Prose Reading & Open Mic"<ref>[http://writersguildbloomington.com/ Writers Guild of Bloomington webpage]</ref> on the first Sunday of the month and the "Bloomington Writer Project"<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bloomingtonwritingproject.org/ |title=Bloomington Writing Project webpage |access-date=2013-11-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203014833/http://www.bloomingtonwritingproject.org/ |archive-date=2013-12-03 |url-status=dead }}</ref> every Tuesday afternoon. The bookstore held an annual fundraising event for itself and the Midwest Pages to Prisoners Project called the "Rock n' Roll Prom."<ref>McRobbie, Josephine. [http://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/boxcar-books-fundraiser-doubles-rock-roll-prom/ Boxcar Books Fundraiser Doubles As “Rock ‘N’ Roll Prom"], Indiana Public Media, Retrieved 27 November 2013</ref>
==Target of hate groups== Boxcar Books was the target of protests by a white supremacist hate group called the Traditionalist Youth Network.<ref>Wildeman, Mary Katherine "[http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=95177/ Student activist promotes 'traditionalism'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203045025/http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=95177%2F |date=December 3, 2013 }}", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 26 November 2013</ref><ref>"[http://antiracistaction.org/?p=267 TRADITIONALIST YOUTH NETWORK PROTESTS AT BOXCAR BOOKS IN BLOOMINGTON, IN]", Retrieved 26 November 2013</ref><ref>Mettler, Katie. "[http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=93696/ White supremacists protest bookstore] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202230914/http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=93696%2F |date=December 2, 2013 }}", Indiana Daily Student, Retrieved 27 November 2013</ref>
==See also== * Feminist bookstore * Bluestockings Books * Iron Rail Book Collective * Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse * In Other Words Women's Books and Resources
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [http://www.boxcarbooks.org Boxcar Books] - official website
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Boxcar Books}} Category:Infoshops Category:Defunct feminist bookstores of the United States Category:Mass media in Bloomington, Indiana Category:Socialism in Indiana Category:2017 disestablishments in Indiana Category:2001 establishments in Indiana Category:American organizations established in 2001