Viewpoint's 50th Birthday!!

Happy 50th BirthdayWe’re so excited to celebrate 50 years of Viewpoint Books in Columbus. Founded in October 1973 by Charles and Rae Edwards, Viewpoint is Indiana’s second oldest continuously operating independent bookstore. In 1979, the Edwards’ daughter, Susan, and her husband, Terry Whittaker, would leave their careers in social work and move south from Elkhart, Indiana to assume ownership of the store. They lovingly shared their passion for reading and literacy with our community – through good times and great challenges – for nearly 40 years until they sold the store to current owners, Beth and John Stroh, in 2016.

We are grateful to the Edwards and Whittaker families for creating such an amazing gem of a bookstore in Columbus. We are thankful you – our loyal customers – have chosen to support and sustain it for nearly five decades. We think that’s worthy of a BIG celebration … and you’re invited!

We’ll announce special birthday events and specials throughout the year, but here are two to start! 

The 2023 Viewpoint Book Challenge

Read 50 books to honor the 50th birthday of Viewpoint Books! We know that’s a big undertaking, but the rewards will be big, too. What’s in it for you? If you join the challenge:

  • You may select one of your challenge books from our collection of Advance Reader Copies at the store. They are FREE, and you’ll get to read a book that won’t be published for months. 
  • All books purchased at Viewpoint to meet the challenge will be 20% off. 
  • Ten of the books in the challenge will be children’s books chosen by Beth. If there’s not a special young reader in your life, you’ll earn a 20% off coupon if you return those books to us for our “Books for All” literacy program. (We’ll allow children whose families can’t afford for them to shop at school book fairs to “purchase” your gently used book with a voucher we give them.)
  • The rest of the books will be chosen by you to fit the challenge criteria (such as a genre, number of pages, etc.) We’ll offer suggestions for some categories – a popular book from the 70s, for instance – but the choice is up to you!
  • You’ll earn gifts as you complete stages of the challenge, and if you finish the whole challenge, you’ll earn a $50 Viewpoint Books gift card AND be entered into a drawing to receive one of ten additional $50 gift cards that we’ll award in January 2024.
  • You can start the challenge any time in 2023, but the sooner the better if you want to complete it. 

The Birthday Book Bonus Punch Card

Buy books every month and get a bigger discount as we get closer to our October birthday bash. Here’s how you do it!

  • Buy a book in January and pick up your Birthday Bonus Punch Card. If you have trouble keeping track of it, we’ll keep it at the store for you. 
  • In January, you’ll get 5% off a book of your choice. Return in February, and you’ll get 10% off a book you want. In March, select a book and receive a 15% discount. Get it? You add 5% more each month, and by October, you may select a book for 50% off.
  • To party with us this way, you must shop once a month – in the store, by phone, or online – starting in January 2023. Don’t delay!

Our 50th Anniverary!

Happy 50th Birthday to Viewpoint…and thanks to all of you for making it possible!