Seminary Co-op
Encyclopedia
Seminary Cooperative Bookstores, Inc., founded in 1961, is a cooperative
bookstore with three branches in the Chicago
area. Its flagship, known colloquially as the Seminary Co-op or simply the Sem Co-op, is located in the basement of the Chicago Theological Seminary
, next to the campus of the University of Chicago
, and stocks the largest selection of academic volumes in the United States
throughout an extensive maze of shelves.
The Co-op also operates 57th Street Books, also in the Hyde Park neighborhood, which stocks popular volumes, and the Newberry Library
Bookstore, which sells books, cards, and gifts on Chicago's North Side. The Seminary Cooperative Bookstores sell shares of stock for $10 each; a purchase of three shares constitutes a membership, which provides a 10% discount. Profits are typically reinvested into the Co-op's reserve funds, as distribution of profits would be negligible.
Currently, the Co-op has over 53,000 members, 3,500 of whom are located overseas. The following countries have at least 100 members: Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Australia. The following countries have at least 50 members: Taiwan, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, France, Brazil, and Korea. Other nations with significant membership include Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, India, and Argentina.
In 2007, the Co-op did more than $5,000,000 in sales, achieving a net profit of $20,173.
In September 2008, the Co-op launched The Front Table, a web magazine for book lovers and Co-op members. Barack Obama
's patronage of the bookstore garnered attention in the wake of his election.
Cooperative
A cooperative is a business organization owned and operated by a group of individuals for their mutual benefit...
bookstore with three branches in the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area. Its flagship, known colloquially as the Seminary Co-op or simply the Sem Co-op, is located in the basement of the Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary
The Chicago Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ. It prepares women and men for leadership in the church and society through Master of Divinity , Master of Arts in Religious Studies , Master of Sacred Theology , Doctor of Ministry , and Doctor of Philosophy programs...
, next to the campus of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
, and stocks the largest selection of academic volumes in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
throughout an extensive maze of shelves.
The Co-op also operates 57th Street Books, also in the Hyde Park neighborhood, which stocks popular volumes, and the Newberry Library
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...
Bookstore, which sells books, cards, and gifts on Chicago's North Side. The Seminary Cooperative Bookstores sell shares of stock for $10 each; a purchase of three shares constitutes a membership, which provides a 10% discount. Profits are typically reinvested into the Co-op's reserve funds, as distribution of profits would be negligible.
Currently, the Co-op has over 53,000 members, 3,500 of whom are located overseas. The following countries have at least 100 members: Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and Australia. The following countries have at least 50 members: Taiwan, Spain, the Netherlands, Italy, Israel, Hong Kong, France, Brazil, and Korea. Other nations with significant membership include Sweden, Switzerland, Norway, Ireland, India, and Argentina.
In 2007, the Co-op did more than $5,000,000 in sales, achieving a net profit of $20,173.
In September 2008, the Co-op launched The Front Table, a web magazine for book lovers and Co-op members. Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's patronage of the bookstore garnered attention in the wake of his election.