A Day in the Bookstore
"You always have something I want!" said a regular customer today as he put the first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on the counter. "That's why I come here so much. I always find something I want. You have a customer for life in me." Of course, we love to hear comments like that and to see our regular patrons come again and again.
People love stories, whether in books, on cds and dvds, and whether they're fiction or true. And many people continue to love to hold and look at the "real" thing even when they can download electronic media versions. And they love a bargain. That's why shopping in the Friends bookstore is so much fun. And why it's gratifying to be a bookstore volunteer.
Another customer just bought The Conquest of Mexico, written in the 1930's. And we haggled a little over the price since it was an older book by a highly regarded historian and had missed being priced by our "specially priced" pricer who looks this kind of book up on line. In this situation, I asked for $4. When he grimaced a little, we discussed it further and he gave $3 for the book (rather than the more usual $2). He got a bargain and I got one more dollar for the library. That's where the bookstore's proceeds go...to support the library. That's what the Friends are all about...supporting BPL. We also love to see books and media go to good homes!! So it's a balancing act...we want our books to leave, but we also want to raise as much as is reasonable for the library, especially these days when BPL's budget has been cut.
For those who are interested...we put out lots of books today, including new cookbooks, more health-related books, travel, religion, political science, a couple of biographies, and lots of fiction. Would you want a book about the divas of daytime tv? We have it. Come see us!! And consider donating books and media. Your clutter is our riches.
People love stories, whether in books, on cds and dvds, and whether they're fiction or true. And many people continue to love to hold and look at the "real" thing even when they can download electronic media versions. And they love a bargain. That's why shopping in the Friends bookstore is so much fun. And why it's gratifying to be a bookstore volunteer.
Another customer just bought The Conquest of Mexico, written in the 1930's. And we haggled a little over the price since it was an older book by a highly regarded historian and had missed being priced by our "specially priced" pricer who looks this kind of book up on line. In this situation, I asked for $4. When he grimaced a little, we discussed it further and he gave $3 for the book (rather than the more usual $2). He got a bargain and I got one more dollar for the library. That's where the bookstore's proceeds go...to support the library. That's what the Friends are all about...supporting BPL. We also love to see books and media go to good homes!! So it's a balancing act...we want our books to leave, but we also want to raise as much as is reasonable for the library, especially these days when BPL's budget has been cut.
For those who are interested...we put out lots of books today, including new cookbooks, more health-related books, travel, religion, political science, a couple of biographies, and lots of fiction. Would you want a book about the divas of daytime tv? We have it. Come see us!! And consider donating books and media. Your clutter is our riches.
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