Anita L. Raskin, Savannah's 'Book Lady,' dies at 80

SAVANNAH - Anita L. Raskin, a children&#39;s book author, book store owner and Savannah Public Library board member, died Friday. She was 80. <br> <br> Since the 1970s, Raskin has been known as ``The Book Lady.&#39;&#39; She spent thousands of hours searching for rare and out-of-print books at garage and estate sales. <br> <br> Over the years, she recorded numerous books on tape for the blind. <br> <br> ``She was a lovely person who loved books,&#39;&#39; said fellow book proprietor Esther Shaver. ``That&#39;s the whole reason she opened a bookstore. She wanted to share her knowledge and everything she could get her hands on with everybody else.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Raskin, a former president of the Georgia Poetry Society, was the author of the 1965 children&#39;s book ``The Saving of Bonaventure,&#39;&#39; which was about the importance of preserving several historic locations in Savannah including Bonaventure Cemetery, where Raskin was buried Monday. <br> <br> In 1978, she turned her hobby into a business by opening the store ``The Book Lady.&#39;&#39; She became a nationally respected book dealer. The shop remains open today. <br> <br> ``More than just the founder, Mrs. Raskin was the book lady, the heart and soul of this store for the past 25 years,&#39;&#39; reads a sign on the door of her shop, which will remain closed until Friday for her memory.