A third space and free-speech refuge: Redbud Books fulfills Bloomington’s need for both

On a rainy Wednesday night, Redbud Books on West Kirkwood still glows. Music hums through the space. Cozy lamps shine over reading nooks. The bright green floor-to-ceiling bookshelves are packed full, each section sporting hand-written labels with names including “queer studies” and “Black thought.” Open for just over a year in March, Redbud Books is a nonprofit, volunteer-run bookstore managed by a collective of twelve community members. The store is a project of The Center for Sustainable Living, a Bloomington organization centered around sustainability-focused community projects. Next door sits Middle Earth, a project of Bloomington Cooperative Living. Read the rest at https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/03/redbud-books-bloomington-third-space at idsnews.com Written, shot and edited by Danny William