Meet
OUR TEAM
Dr. Kristin Tardif is the owner of Bookish Fort Smith. In addition, she is Professor and Lead Faculty for the Organizational Leadership program at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith, a published author, and was formerly an executive with Nestlé Foods. Always being an avid reader herself, when the opportunity arose, Dr. Tardif purchased Bookish and started a new chapter in her life, no pun intended. Her heritage is Swedish, and she has woven two meaningful symbols and customs from Sweden into our bookstore’s culture. The first is the Dala Horse, which stands for hospitality. The second is the tradition of Fika, a time to enjoy coffee or tea with sweets. Fika is cherished as a moment of rest with friends, acquaintances, or even new faces. It is a pause for relaxation and connection, and is offered at Bookish every Friday afternoon. Dr. Tardif’s primary mission for Bookish is to be a curated bookstore, offering a thoughtfully selected collection of books rather than focusing on mass-market, high-volume inventory. But most importantly, prioritizing Bookish Fort Smith as a welcoming space where everyone can experience the warmth and wisdom that books provide.
Grace Andrews is the manager and social media marketing coordinator for Bookish Fort Smith. Her background is in the film industry, working both in front of and behind the camera for film and TV productions. Social media has been a prominent creative outlet for Grace throughout her career. She formerly had a blog and worked with multiple small businesses to help develop their social media presence. Additionally, Grace has had a passion for reading from a young age and always had the idea in the back of her mind to one day work in a bookstore. When the chance occurred to work at Bookish, Grace married her passion for reading with her social media and production knowledge, and is now creating content for the cozy side of the internet.
Karen Haggard is a retired librarian who manages content for Bookish. She began her library career doing story hours and programming in public libraries, moved to middle and high school libraries, and retired from the UAFS library. She has always loved reading and has a TBR (To Be Read) list she will never finish. She loves connecting people and books, matching a reader with just the right book. Ask her about her latest favorite read or tell her about yours. If you don’t share the same taste in books, she’ll still be your friend!