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The Nature of Reading Bookshop 2026

Business Information
Name of Organization: 
The Nature of Reading Bookshop
Organization Type: 
Retail
Business Description: 
An environmental bookstore specializing in nature writing, climate change books, and seasonal reading. Selling books and bookish/nature gift items as well.
Contact Person: 
Hailey Brock
Title: 
Owner
Business Location: 
The Nature of Reading Bookshop
22 Main Street
07940 Madison , NJ
United States
40° 45' 34.9632" N, 74° 24' 58.824" W
See map: Google Maps
Phone: 
973-996-4700
Email: 
hailey.brock@thenatureofreading.com
Number of Employees: 
1
Website: 
thenatureofreading.com
Renewal Date: 
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Waste
Waste Reduction
Description of Action: 
How I limit waste at my shop: - I don’t print receipts; they are emailed or texted to customers if desired. - I recycle all paper and cardboard boxes in which i receive book deliveries. - I send out my books in plastic free packaging with water-based tape from a sustainable packing company. - I post items that I no longer need for the business on a local Facebook group so other community members can use them rather than throwing them away. - I have a centralized inventory control system so I don’t order more books than necessary. - If I get sent books from publishers that I cannot use, I donate them. - I use non-disposable cups at all my regular events, saving roughly 20 cups from landfill every month. - Rather than printing many flyers to give out that people will likely throw away, I print a single flyer with a QR code that people can scan with their phones.
Energy
Energy Efficiency
Description of Action: 
I have ten LED lightbulbs at my shop; every light has an LED light bulb. I tried to utilize the resource NJSBR provides, but my lease includes utilities so I do not have access to my electric bills as they are combined with those of the rest of my building. Therefore using information I could locate online, 1 LED light bulb running 7 hours a day for 260 days a year would use 18.2 kwh per year, whereas an incandescent light bulb burning for the same amount of time would use 109.2 kwh. Per light bulb, this is saving 91 kwh of energy a year—or 910 kwh for all ten light bulbs. This is a measurable benefit in my business. I would also like to note that my space is only 250-square feet and is equipped with an energy-efficient mini-split from Senville.
kWh Saved: 
91
Transportation
Transportation Other
Description of Action: 
We have an EV and I use it for all of the events that I do for the shop; on a daily basis, I walk to work and need no vehicle. It costs $8 to charge my vehicle, a Chevrolet Bolt, each week to get it to a full charge so it is ready for events. Estimating that a small gas-powered car of a similar to mine would hold 12 gallons of gas, that would cost a total of $43.80 to fill the tank each week. Therefore, every week I save $35.80 per week, or $1,861.60 per year. I believe this demonstrates significant cost savings.
Money Saved: 
1,861
Industry-Specific
Industry Specific Practices
Description of Action: 
As an environmental bookstore, my industry-specific practice is curating a book collection for sale in which 95% of the books focus on the natural world and/or climate change. Most bookstores have a general focus and include a variety of genres and opinions; I make sure to curate my collection with up-to-date climate information and within the displays at my shop I always highlight new climate change related books as well as new works of nature writing. Besides one or two small categories, the rest of my categories are nature specific, such as Trees & Forests, Indigenous Knowledge & Environmentalism, Our Oceans, Climate Change, and more. I always recommend nature books when people ask for book recommendations, and it is the mission of my business to gently lead people into taking action in the climate crisis through books that affirm that they can make a difference and through a deep love and appreciation for the natural world.
Community
Community Other
Description of Action: 
A large part of the core of my business is reaching out to my community to discuss ecological issues. Here are some of my practices: - Bringing my nature & climate change book inventory to outside events that I do at places like the Trailside Nature & Science Center & Reeves-Reed Arboretum, spreading awareness of the issues facing the natural world -Running three book clubs at the shop: Climate Change, Nature Writing, and Eco-fiction - Collaborating with the New Jersey Native Plant Society to host free public events and a book club that educate people on the importance native plants - Hosting free events with local nature-focused writers - Sending a newsletter to 900 subscribers (predominantly local) sharing environmental book recommendations
Finished Application: 
1
required_descriptions: 
5
Member Since: 
Tuesday, June 11, 2024

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