Library Express: Simply the Best

Library Express, located in Scranton, PA, is not only a bookstore, but a library as well. This dual purpose serves the surrounding community and its residents well, allowing people of all demographics to find what they are looking for, whether they are seeking to buy a bestseller or simply borrow a book that interests them. The offered variety of purchase and rental options at Library Express similarly reflect this urge to cater to all types. There are options to have a book mailed to your home if you are unable to go to the bookstore, online options for in-store pickup, and, of course, in-person options in the store itself. These options allow the community to utilize the bookstore in any way they are able to, and in any way they would like to (“Library Express Bookstore.”).  

In Place, a Short Introduction by Tim Cresswell, places are defined both as “spaces which people have made meaningful” and “spaces people are attached to in one way or another” (Creswell 7). These definitions allow people to make sense of the area they are in, especially the spaces most significant to them. These meanings applied to Library Express are various and change for each person. For some people, the location itself creates meaning, while other people create meanings through the environment of the bookstore and the community within it. Due to Library Express’ location in the Marketplace at Steamtown with a multitude of other stores, the location suggests business and a sense of constant activity. The immediate surroundings outside the mall include historical train museums and a multitude of restaurants. This physical sense of place allows the consumers at Library Express to have a meaningful area with everything they might want. In addition to the physical sense of place, the significance of the space itself is created through the large number of activities the Library Express hosts.  Included in this wide are open mic nights, technical assistance tables, and community discussions about topics such as parenting. Though these activities are not offered in the bookstore itself due to its small size, they are offered through the Lackawanna library system, which helps cater to people in multiple areas.   

Data from the US census and other surveys give further reasons that Library Express utilizes a great business model. In the surrounding area of the bookstore, the median income is far less than the state average, estimates reading about $41,000 dollars a year compared to $71,000 average (“Scranton, PA.”). With this, the employment rate of the same zip code is at a mere 36%, and 45% of their population 65 and older are in poverty. The obvious way to cater to this is to have multiple options for consumers. For those who cannot afford books due to poverty or unemployment, having the option to check out a library book is an excellent idea. By contrast, a significant amount of the population is comprised of well-educated people in their thirties who have the income to spend on books. The ability to buy books and browse in a store is appealing to this audience. In addition to this, the population of disabled people in the area is 23%, an almost 10% increase from the state average (Bureau). This is easily reflected in Library Express’ book mailing option for those who cannot be in the store itself. Because of this catering to their area, far more people are able to access books than they would otherwise.  

The idea of ‘place’ in a bookstore is easily reflected in Library Express. The dual library-bookstore combination allows consumers to feel at home and comforted as they recognize their own place in the order of things. As Creswell explains on page 2, place can be used in the context of social hierarchies in the world and “suggests that there are particular orderings of things in the world that have a socio-geographical basis”. This is a sentiment that is reflected through the comforting accommodations in Library Express. It is comforting to know your own place in the world and social expectations of you, and it is simultaneously comforting to have accommodations made to suit you. Libraries have been a part of the world for centuries, and the branching out of this model allows two communities to come together. The community of bookstore consumers can use a library model to explore multiple avenues of reading, and the library community is able to purchase a book they find especially good. Libraries and bookstores have opposite problems—people in libraries wish they could keep books and people in bookstores may not be able to afford the books they want. Library Express caters to all possible audiences by making books available in a multitude of ways, which ensures the people of the Scranton area are happy.