Books

Downtown Menomonie Opens a New Book(store)

Emily Anderson |

Opening its doors in May, Cogitare Books is a used bookstore in Menomonie.The store is located right off Main Street in a building known to many as “the old cheese shop.” Sandra Parks, co-founder of the store, is familiar to Wisconsin teachers because of her education-themed instructional materials and seminars for CESA #12 and the Eau Claire School District. Parks and Mary Ellen Kirby, the store’s other co-owner, met while Kirby was managing Park’s instructional materials business. The business, located in Florida, wasn’t Parks’ only venture. She also operated a used bookstore in Florida, but moved it to Menomonie to work with Kirby. In March the pair began planning and shortly after the idea for Cogitare Books was formed. Parks moved more than 3,000 books from her shop in Florida and Kirby got the office ready. Less than a month later, the store opened for business.