Kristen Gilligan and her husband, Len Vlahos, are the future owners of the Tattered Cover, and their plan for the well-loved business already is emerging, according to a lengthy feature in the Denver Post.

The highlights include an effort to connect kids with authors, a partnership with Denver’s Youth One Book One program and the creation of a popular new “teen advisory board” at one store, as the Post reports.

I’d recommend you read the full piece and the Post’s earlier feature on the new ownership, both by reporter Emilie Rusch, for a good sense of how this Denver institution is changing.

Personally, I think the store’s move toward youth programming reflects some broader trends in the literary world.

Libraries and bookstores alike have expanded their missions far beyond the provision of printed books in the last decade or so. Tattered Cover already has made itself a gathering space, complete with regular events and a coffee bar.

This latest strategy could strengthen the business’ connections with kids and families alike, perhaps giving them another reason to put down their Kindles.