Betti’s Opens New Chapter in Familiar Bookstore Location
Almost exactly a year since acquiring the building at 3956 Spenard Road, Emily Klopfer cut the ribbon at the renovated space on October 23, 2026.
Photo Credit: Jamey Bradbury
The co-owner and namesake of Betti’s, Anchorage’s newest independent bookstore, didn’t make any remarks at the store’s grand opening on October 23, but that’s not too surprising: she’s a dog.
Betti, an Alaskan Klee Kai (miniature husky) and bookstore “Pawfice Manager,” ceded the floor to her co-owner Emily Klopfer, who welcomed a crowd of patrons to the bookstore’s official first day of business.
Opportunity for Artists and Readers
“This is an absolute dream come true, and I am so touched and honored that you are all here to celebrate with me, my family, my staff, who is here, especially my general manager [Kylie Welch], who’s been with me from the crazy beginning,” Klopfer said.
The grand opening featured opening remarks from Anchorage Chamber of Commerce Board Chair Sheron Patrick, live music, a raffle, and free books for all children in attendance, sponsored by fuse and traverse, an Anchorage environmental services firm.
Betti’s is located on Spenard Road in the building previously known to locals as The Writer’s Block Bookstore and Café. When that shop closed in the wake of owner Vered Mares’ departure in 2025, the neighborhood lost a vital community gathering place. Klopfer, who had long dreamed of owning a bookstore, hopes to rekindle the community spirit of The Writer’s Block, with an emphasis on supporting local artists.
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October 2026
“It’s an opportunity to provide a space for artists because I know it can be hard to find a place where you can either perform your theater piece or read from your work or perform your music,” says Klopfer, who is active in Anchorage’s theater scene herself, having performed in plays at Cyrano’s Theatre Company and Anchorage Community Theater. She currently serves on the Anchorage Community Theater board.
Although the previous owner also hosted events regularly, Klopfer had to reimagine the space. She was familiar with the layout of The Writer’s Block, which had emphasized its café, with tables arranged near a small stage where musicians and writers frequently performed.
Klopfer, though, sought to ease customers into the events she plans to hold. “I wanted people to be able to walk in and shop, if they wanted to shop, and not feel pressured because there’s suddenly an event.”
She moved the performance area to a corner of the bookstore, near the children’s picture book section. Where the stage used to be, she added bookshelves, dedicating spaces to young adult books, Alaskan authors, and genres like horror, mystery, and fantasy. Movable bookshelves on casters allow the small staff to reconfigure the store’s layout as necessary to accommodate larger events.
The store also gained additional space with the removal of a long counter where previous staff served up coffee, drinks, and baked goods. After some light remodeling, a single pass-through window will eventually allow staff to serve customers coffee and other café items, but food service at Betti’s is on hold until Klopfer can refurnish the kitchen area with new equipment.
Although the bookstore’s food permit has been approved, and Klopfer is pursuing an alcohol license for beer and wine, Betti’s isn’t likely to feature as robust a menu as the old Writer’s Block offered. At Betti’s, the emphasis is on the books—particularly kids’ books.
In addition to an abundant picture book section, Betti’s has dedicated several shelves to middle grade and young adult fiction and nonfiction. Klopfer plans to devote the store’s daytime hours to kid-friendly programming, including story hours and puppet shows, while evenings will focus on events for adults, like open mic readings, music performances, shows, and workshops, like the improv event put on by ComedySportz Anchorage this past June. The store also offers a reservable room for book clubs and other community groups.
Publisher and Performer
A former adult bookstore reconceived by the previous owner as a more respectable establishment has been reconfigured yet again to emphasize children’s literature.
Photo Credit: Jamey Bradbury
Klopfer’s attachment to children’s literature runs deep. During her time in New York publishing, she worked in the children’s department of Bloomsbury Publishing; later, she worked at a New York children’s bookstore. The Alaska-born and -raised bookstore owner was “born a reader” and remembers trips to the old Borders bookstore on Dimond Boulevard as a special treat.
“I lived through the time period when kids’ books were becoming more and more popular. For me, bookstores were always comfort spaces and always exciting,” Klopfer says.
Betti’s is a kind of homage to the family that raised her to love books. Named both for the dog and for Klopfer’s grandmother, the store features quilted art made by Klopfer’s mother and stained glass created by her aunt.
Her family is also part of the inspiration behind Betti’s commitment to community, which was evident in the yoga classes, radio plays, and readings the bookstore hosted even before it officially opened its doors.
“The community has given me so much. My family’s entrenched in it,” Klopfer says. “To be able to live up to my grandmother’s legacy in any way, shape, or form—because I know she did a lot for the community, too—I’m just excited to have the space to do the things I’ve always dreamed about doing for the community.”