Giving Used Books A New Life
I felt the eclectic, cool vibe at {open} from the moment I walked in. The front foyer holds a collection of old communication items: typewriters (really old, the kind where the keys jammed together if you typed too fast), a dial phone (I explained to Kelsey that phone numbers with zeros were irritating because you had to wait for the dial to go all the way back to zero), real record players, and cameras that weigh more than the modern laptop. The space opens up into bookshelves full of used books with a music section in the back and artwork along the walls.
I spent quite awhile wandering through the shelves because they were inviting. I talked with one of the owners, Shea Gauer, about his book buying philosophy and the books on the shelves are chosen for their subject matter and their aesthetic appeal (the rest are donated to a thrift store). It works, the look of the bookshelves pulled me in, I wanted to examine every spine on the shelf. My idea of a good used bookstore is one where I trip on books that surprise me. Some books are more appealing when they’re a little worn. For me, it was an Old Modern Library edition of The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams. If I saw the same book on my grandmother’s shelves, I wonder if I would be as interested in it? Probably not, but that’s the beauty of a used bookstore, they make old things appealing again. {open} has beautiful complete sets of books including Winston Churchill’s works, Balzac’s writings, and O.Henry’s stories. There is children’s section with original Nancy Drew and Bobsey Twins books. Unfortunately, my kids are still in the new and flashy stage, worn cozy books aren’t quite as appealing to them, yet.
{open} also recycles old books in a unique way giving then a new life. When Shea finds a book with a nice cover and maybe an interesting illustration but really no sellling appeal onesoever, he cuts off the front and back cover, the title page, maybe a few other pages, adds blank sheets, binds them all together and the resulting journal is truly unique. We bought one, but I think I’ll drop back there for some fun Christmas gifts.
Music the Old Fashioned Way
As I wandered through the shelves, a young couple was deciding which record albums to buy. Not CDs, the real 33 rpm record albums. {open} has Read the rest of this entry »
The American Booksellers Association 
One of the great side benefits of writing a blog and roaming the Internet world is the terrific people you meet with similar interests. Several weeks ago, Kelly O’Connor McNees wrote about bookstores she loved, so I asked her to write up her favorite for us. In the meantime, she landed a book deal and we’ve been cheering for her over here at Bookstore People. She can’t publicaly release the details about the book, yet, but I’ve heard some and I can’t wait. It will be published by Amy Einhorn books in 2010. Kelly also is a freelance editor who helps authors through the submissions process. To find out more, visit 
Claire
Kim
