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TV poll names Logos in Kent best bookstore

November 22, 2007

By Matt Fredmonsky

Record-Courier staff writer

Logos Bookstore, located on West Main Street in Kent, has nabbed the informal title of "Best Bookstore in Northeast Ohio" thanks to one Cleveland television station and its viewers.

Cleveland broadcast station WJW Fox 8 announced the winners of its online contest, the 2007 My Fox Cleveland Hot List, this week. The list categorizes eateries, shops and entertainment venues in the region and picks a winner based on votes from viewers submitted through the station's Web site.

Fox 8 viewers identified Logos as their favorite bookstore in the area.

Logos co-owner Ann Kardos said there were no prizes associated with the contest.

"It's mostly the exposure, which is huge anyway," Kardos said.

Greg Easterly, vice president and general manager at WJW, did not have ad rates and daily Web site traffic counts available, but he said the feature is very popular with visitors during the voting process and the station is working to determine its online traffic count for the hot list now that the voting has concluded.

"The great thing about the hot list is the winners and all the businesses included get all this exposure for no cost," Easterly said. "It's great exposure for small businesses and we're happy to do it."

Logos beat out notable local bookstores including the Learned Owl Bookshop, located in Hudson,and The Blue Heron Bookstore, located in Peninsula.

"There were stores from all over northeast Ohio on the list, so it was very humbling," Kardos said.

The bookstore is part of the Association of Logos Bookstores, a non-profit trade association of 24 independent, Christian bookstores across the U.S., Canada and the Bahamas. The Kent store recently received a Tree City Award from the city administration, in part, for their move back to Kent from Stow in 2006 and for renovating and occupying a Victorian house on the city's west side.