A bookstore is much more than a place to buy books. A bookstore is a process of finding, selecting, and selecting books.
In this age of online retail, the brick-and-mortar bookstore is not only surviving, but thriving. During the COVID pandemic, more people started reading, and as soon as they were able to go out again, people rushed to bookstores. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked a customer in my store if they needed any help and they smiled and said: “I’m just happy to be in a bookstore again.”
What is it about bookstores that makes us happy when we visit them? What do readers want and need from bookstores?
Although you may go to a bookstore looking for something specific, often a bookstore is a place to be and browse without a specific goal.
A bookstore should have a welcoming atmosphere. It should have booksellers who are friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.
A bookstore is a community gathering place. Some small local stores are places to gather and find information, whether it is about local events, real estate, or other local news.
A bookstore is a place to meet people who care about books and to talk about them. A bookstore is a place to find something you didn’t know you were looking for.
Each bookstore has its own personality. Some are bright and modern. Some are small and cozy. Some are cramped and musty, with books kindly sitting on the shelves. Others are spacious and smell like new books. You know that smell. You may not be able to describe it, but you happily inhale it when you enter a bookstore.
The personality of some bookstores is defined by their theme: mystery bookstores, or feminist bookstores, or bookstores specializing in cookbooks. Some announce their politics up front. Some focus on fiction, while others offer you the latest beach books. Some bookstores carefully curate their collections, while others try to give you a little bit of everything.
What does a bookstore need from the community? Support. Bookstores need customers to survive.
What does a bookstore owe the community? Open arms. Helpful booksellers. Thorough and diverse selection. Focus on local topics and authors. And love: love for books and a desire to share the love of reading.