The Tulsa-City County Library (TCCL) and the Junior League of Tulsa (JLT) launched a pop-up retail shop, replete with photo-booth, on the occasion of the Junior League Holiday Market held this weekend at Tulsa County's Expo Square. The Pop-up shop titled the Intergalactic Spaceport & Emporium, will open in its permanent home, located near Harvard and 32nd Place, sometime in 2017. The store will serve as the front-end operation for a nonprofit after-school writing and tutoring center. Proceeds from sales in the store will benefit the after-school program. The shop sells such diverse items as T-shirts, socks (it's cold in space), coffee mugs, travel posters, space robots, galactic sand, gravity, etc. While not affiliated with 826 National or the Pirate Supply Store, both started by author Dave Eggers, the combined operation is modeled after 826NYC. Four TCCL staff and two JLT members have attended 826 National training.
Shaffer had opportunity to work with Eggers, his colleagues at 826NYC and the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. while he worked at the Brooklyn Public Library in 2005. A satellite after-school writing and tutoring center they started in the basement of the Williamsburg Branch Library still operates today, having served over 16,550 students to date.