Fit snug between a hair dresser’s and one of my favorite restaurant’s BJ’s, is a small independent bookstore named D.J. Ernst Books. This bookstore fits perfectly into the small, quaint town of Selinsgrove. Although, don’t be fooled Selinsgrove has more to it than just tiny old Market Street. They also have a variety of clothing stores, food stores, a mall and other restaurants as well as fast food stops, just a few minutes down the road. Located only a few blocks away is Susquehanna University. D.J. Ernst Books offers a diverse interesting stock of out-of-print, used, and antiquarian books which some students take advantage of when buying books for classes. Susquehanna students also bring in business to not only the bookstore, but also other local shops on Market Street.

D.J. Ernst Books however, is not the only literary establishment in town. The Rudy Galnett Memorial library is only a minute or so away. Although, I would not necessarily say it is a competitor to the bookstore. From my perspective, I look at libraries as more of a place for communal gathering or a place to gather information. Whereas a bookstore such as a D.J. Ernst is more of a place for having a miniature adventure and/or experience while discovering books. By discovering those new books, someone will one day be able to look back and think of D.J. Ernst books, as Tim Cresswell  quoted, “a place of memory”(5). The store is very welcoming to all its customers and gives you sense of comfort when entering. I noticed the featured displays out front have three main focuses: genealogy, classic literature, and Agatha Christie, non of which surprised me knowing the history that this town holds dear to their hearts.

Much of Selinsgrove is  populated with mainly white residents (89.9%), although it is slightly diverse. The town is also made up of 4.89% Hispanic, 2.5% African Americans . Although there are different cultures that surround the town, for the most part, I would say many of D.J Ernst costumers share a common liking for American literature. Not only is the bookstore home to many classic books, but there are also tons of other genres that can catch the interest of just about anybody.

The bookstore shares a block with a multitude of places to dine such as a Subway, a cafe, a tavern, and several pizza shops. Not only are there plenty of places to eat, but there is also a bank, boutiques and even a bakery to buy those delicious sweets.

Walking down the street I notice that classic small town, old brick look. The town looks as if it could be a set to a movie. I also came into focus on all of the interesting styles of architecture, most of the buildings have a very sharp, clean edge to the framing of the buildings and some even have bay windows that stand out, almost as if the stores are trying to draw you in from the outside. Although many of the buildings stand unite to one another, there are some buildings in the mix that have a different architectural build, making them stand out differently. In my opinion, what makes Market street so unique is the mix between the traditional business style, and the modern businesses along with the new styles they incorporate. Many of the buildings are split into two sections, the bottom half holds a business and the top half  holds a type of apartment style housing. The sidewalks are not often crowded, but there are almost always cars driving through Market Street. Similar to the way people adapt, although it may not be as notable to us but, “places are constantly having to adapt to conditions” (58) which is exactly what I’ve noticed throughout Market Street. Some changes such as  new renovations on buildings, new stores possibly coming into town and fliers advertising events trying to engage the community. Despite the fact of everything around it changing, one thing that remains ageless is the quaint bookstore of D.J. Ernst Books.

Citations

Photos:

(D.J. Ernst books) google image search – https://www.google.com/search?q=dj+ernst+books&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS756US756&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0mozu5a3gAhUDZd8KHUYhBt8Q_AUIDygC&biw=1218&bih=690#imgrc=r5EfkAr2MT6KyM:

(Market street) google image search – https://www.google.com/search?q=market+street+selinsgrove&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS756US756&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjk3q6Hm6_gAhUrUt8KHcTnBNoQ_AUIESgE&biw=1440&bih=690#imgrc=zaj_22rGjQHUtM:

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