Family Roots & Literary Pursuits: A Brief History of Molly’s Books and Records in the 9th Street Italian Market

Family Roots & Literary Pursuits: A Brief History of Molly’s Books and Records in the 9th Street Italian Market

The 9th Street Italian Market in Philadelphia has a history of great inspiration and beauty. In the late 19th century, as the city’s cogs and gears churned away, Italian immigrants began settling in South Philadelphia. They brought with them a love for good food, and to make a living and find a place in the industrial powerhouse of a city, they began selling their produce and all else along the busy 9th Street. Fast forward a few decades and those Italian families will have transformed the street into something of a food haven. In small, family-owned shops, they sold fresh food and delectable cultural dishes. This market became a cornerstone of Italian-American culture in Philadelphia.

As time trudged on, the rise of chain stores and supermarkets almost threatened the charm of the market. However, the unique spirit and community that these businesses maintained with one another let it thrive through all that changed around it. The 9th Street Italian Market stands as a testament to the enduring magic of human connections and good food. It’s a place where cultures collide and coalesce, where you can experience Italian culture without an Americanized overcoat, straight from the hearts of its founding Italian immigrants. It’s a place where tradition meets modernity in a jumble of flavors and community.

Tucked away in this place, a hidden gem adds another layer to the market’s allure. Molly’s Books and Records is nestled within the Bella Vista neighborhood of the Italian Market, and it has a very special occupation in the market.

One is bound to wonder what a bookstore has to do with a place renowned for its culinary delights. To really understand just how Molly’s fits into the place, one must learn first of its owner and namesake, Molly Russakoff. She’s the heart and soul behind the establishment, and her story is woven into the fabric of the Italian Market.

Molly Russakoff’s connection to the market is tied to her family’s involvement in the bookselling business. In an interview with Tamala Edwards, Russakoff calls herself “a third-generation bookseller” (Edwards). She’s lived in the marketplace for over forty years, and her father, a book lover himself, owned his own bookstore on 10th Street called “Russakoff’s Books and Records.” In 1997, this place was passed down to Molly’s older brother, Joe Russakoff. Joe’s store now goes by the name of, “Mostly Books.” A passion for literature runs in Russakoff’s blood.

In February 2002, Molly Russakoff purchased the property that would become Molly’s Books and Records. Before this title, it went under several names and held a variety of products. It has been called Molly’s Books and Records since 2009. Just like the Italian immigrants who infused the market with their culinary traditions, Russakoff infused her store with a love for the written word.

One of the key sections of the store is its collection of cookbooks. The content is varied, having titles from a plethora of ethnic backgrounds—which is very intentional. Rusakoff manages this stock, as well as the other literature in the store. Through its content, she works to embody the spirit of the market; tradition is treasured and community is key. In Laura J. Miller’s book, Reluctant Capitalists, she writes that, “For those involved in the book business, furthering diversity is a form of social responsibility” (Miller 82). In Russakoff’s case, it is more than her responsibility—it is a key aspect of her store’s purpose. 

In 2010, the current co-owner of Molly’s Books and Records, Joe Ankenbrand, officially joined forces with Russakoff. Prior to their partnership, Ankenbrand had been a customer and friend. Unlike Molly, he did not spend his early life in the midst of the Market, but he appreciates its influence and atmosphere as much as any lifelong resident. He holds an unyielding love for music, particularly rock music from the sixties, and has been collecting records since 1964.

Ankenbrand took charge of the music section of the store, curating a selection that would resonate with fellow music lovers and collectors, while Russakoff tended to the literary treasures that lined the shelves. Together, they expanded their customer base, trying to achieve the making of a place even more diverse and unique than the one Russakoff started with. In an interview from 2015, Ankenbrand said, “When Molly and I started this place together, we said we wanted the best little store in the world” (DeMuro). 

In 2014, Joe and Molly’s partnership became one more intimate than business partners. They married right in the store—a self-governed ceremony among their family, in front of their store’s classic Jukebox. Their union was not only a merging of passions but also of hearts. They live upstairs from the store with their cat, Mrs. Stevenson, and Russakoff’s son, Johnny, who cares for the movies section and helps manage the store. What makes Molly’s Books and Records truly remarkable is not just the products on its shelves, but the love story that unfolded within its walls.

This timeline was created for the purpose of visualizing the events presented in this article.

A bookstore is as much about its content as it is about the atmosphere that’s created in its space. Molly’s Books and Records combines the passions of two beautiful people and the product is exactly what the partners hoped for. They run their store in a way that rejects the typical style of running a business, emphasizing the importance of preserving and sharing above all else. Their commitment to the Italian Market community runs deep, and they source most of their store’s needs locally, supporting their neighbors and fostering an everlasting sense of unity. “There’s something kind of indescribable about the personal connection that we feel with the other people on the street. We kind of feel like we’re all in it together” (DeMuro), said Ankenbrand, in a previously referenced interview. Also in that interview, he notes that oftentimes when he is buying stock for the store, he is shopping with specific customer requests in mind. In Miller’s book, she writes about the value and intelligence of getting a key customer’s insight on what to order in a publisher’s next print run. (Miller 77) Although a different scenario, the sentiment still sticks at Molly’s. Ankenbrand and Russakoff benefit by conversing with their customers, forming relationships, and shopping with their suggestions in mind.

Ankenbrand and Russakoff have refrained from online sales and take pride in knowing their top customers personally. Their online presence is very limited, and they like to keep it that way. Just like the rest of the 9th Street Italian Market, their bookstore provides an authentic and intimate experience that transcends the digital age, where the true value lies not only in the books and records on their shelves but in the genuine connections formed with their customers.

Molly’s Books and Records is a place where generations come together, where the love for literature and music transcends age, and where the Italian Market’s rich history continues to unfold.

WORKS CITED

Edwards, Tamala. “Married Couple Shares Their Love of Books, Music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc Philadelphia, 6abc, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/.

DeMuro, Catherine “Italian Market Q&A: Joe Ankenbrand, Co-Owner of Molly’s Books and Records on 9th Street.” 9th Street Beat, 3 March 2015, https://9thstreetbeat.wordpress.com/2015/03/03/italian-market-q-a-joe-ankenbrand-co-owner-of-mollys-books-and-records-on-9th-street/.

Genova, Ryan “CHS Grad Unveils Official Philadelphia Bookstore Map; 50K Now in Circulation.” Glenside Local, https://glensidelocal.com/molly-russakoff-chs-grad-unveils-official-philadelphia-bookstore-map-50k-now-in-circulation/.

“History of the Italian Market.” Italian Market, Italian Market Corporation, https://www.italianmarketphilly.org/history.html#:~:text=The%20market%20began%20in%20the,continuous%20market%20in%20the%20country.

Miller, Laura. Reluctant Capitalists. The University of Chicago Press, 2008. Web. 15 Oct. 2022.

Weil, Abigail. “South Philly’s Beloved Molly’s Books & Records Will Close After 35 Years.” Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, https://philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks.

IMAGES

Edwards, Tamala. “Married Couple Shares Their Love of Books, Music at Molly’s Books and Records in South Philly.” 6abc Philadelphia, 6abc, 3 Mar. 2022, 6abc.com/mollys-books-and-records-italian-market-south-philadelphia-art-of-aging/11617396/.

“History of the Italian Market.” Italian Market, Italian Market Corporation, https://www.italianmarketphilly.org/history.html#:~:text=The%20market%20began%20in%20the,continuous%20market%20in%20the%20country.

Weil, Abigail. “South Philly’s Beloved Molly’s Books & Records Will Close After 35 Years.” Eater Philly, 13 Dec. 2021, https://philly.eater.com/2021/12/13/22820597/mollys-books-records-italian-market-bookstore-cookbooks.

Bible Depot Helps Them That Help Themselves

With its vibrant blue exterior, Bible Depot catches the eye of passing visitors and locals alike. Well, the paint job isn’t the most eye-catching aspect of the outside of the store, not when ‘Bible Depot” is sprawled, with large white letters, across the side of the building that faces out onto Front Street. Though, its old yellow façade might have been more intriguing to the eye but more crowded aesthetically. Its doors have been open for going on 88 years, having opened in 1931 originally on Main Street but then moving in the early 1940s to where it is now on Front Street. Sunbury is not a particularly wealthy town, with the median household income averaging around $32,000, according to the Data USA (Data USA). But the amount of businesses on the main road is telling that businesses still thrive in this area.

Another large part of Sunbury is the community of churches, there are many Christian churches, as well as other places of worship in the area surrounding the bookstore. This store, everything it has done for the community, all of it, started with little bibles handed out by the Reverend who founded the store. And then, when the WKOK-AM radio station went on the air in 1933, Reverend Ney appeared every week to advertise for the store.

Shortly after Nancy assumed ownership in 1970, pastors from the local churches came into the store and threatened to boycott Bible Depot for carrying a controversial chick tract – a short evangelical gospel tract. Nancy said she spent a lot of time debating about whether to discontinue the chick tract or to continue to sell it and after a lot of praying she decided not to carry the chick tract anymore. The store was never actually boycotted, but this is a particularly outstanding instance of discomfort between the store and the community. But this store has built a strong community, one that has grown through the hardships of area floods and local controversy. This store has become a staple within Sunbury, a true symbol representing the community of which it is a part. Bible Depot tells us a story through its history from its simple beginnings with Reverend Ney handing out Bibles door to door to Nancy’s current ownership of this treasure hunt of a store.

The store controls its own narrative by the way it is set up to appease its customers. This store has become particularly significant as it is not only a store, but a home to its owner. Bible Depot represents an inspiring tale of small business culture through how a tiny, family-run bookstore became what it is today. All the customers who enter the store are welcomed graciously and are considered to be a part of that family. One of the most important things about Bible Depot is how accepting it is of a diversity of religious backgrounds and all walks of life. It is a place that is constantly changing, not necessarily always in terms of its physical appearance, but because of the people that visit and shape the store into the place that it is and the role it plays within the Sunbury community.

 

Our experiences visiting Bible Depot gave us a lot of insight into the type of identity and mission the store is trying to project. As you walk through the store, you are fully immersed in a collection that has been carefully curated by Nancy Ney to reflect not only her personal interests, but the interests of everyone in Sunbury and the surrounding community. Tim Cresswell helps us to understand Bible Depot as it is immersed in this community not just as a space, but as a place – a meaningful location defined by its physical location, its local and its sense of place (Cresswell). Using the historical contrasting ideas of place, mentioned by Laura Miller, as reactionary and exclusionary and as open and progressive (constantly contingent and in flux) it seems that somehow, Bible Depot fits both of these descriptors.

Bible Depot functions as a gathering place – a place for anyone to congregate and commune within a “family” setting. When we look at the world as a world of places we see “attachments and connections between people and place. We see worlds of meaning and experience” (Cresswell 11). Bible Depot is an oasis in which a world of meaning and experience has been created within its walls. Nancy herself told us that Bible Depot is a place full of miracles, a place where people may not necessarily come in to buy things but might just come in to have a seat and have someone to talk to, to comfort them and to give them a coffee. She claims that it’s a people place and that “we’re here to bless others with the blessings God has given to us and when we see a need, we ask God for guidance and we pray for people and try to give them guidance.” This home-like quality of Bible Depot establishes it as not only a store where customers come to purchase things they may need or want, but as an actual “place,” a gathering, a community.

Bible Depot is greatly defined by its history, its owner, and its customers, but the one thing around which all these influences is centered is the collection housed within the store. The diversity and seemingly chaotic nature of the collection is at first a little confusing to visitors to the store. However, the more you examine the way the collection is structured, you begin to see that it is, in fact, a type of organized chaos and that everything has been carefully selected and placed exactly where it is meant to be.

To understand the store’s collection, you first have to appreciate its definition of literature. To do this, you have to have a firm grasp on the concept of self-care. There is a common misconception that self-care is a very individualized process, only applicable or usable by one person for themself. However, the term itself implies some entity taking care of itself; this could be an individual or even a community. In the case of Bible Depot, the definition of literature endorses a narrative of self-care both at the individual and the community level. Because Nancy Ney has created a collection with the interests of her community in mind, her collection acts as self-care for that entire community. We can see this literature of self-care on the individual level through the books in the “main” book room, housing books on divorce, prayer, counseling, etc. Yet on the other side of the store, there is a room we frequently call the “children’s room,” containing anything from posters and board games to Sunday school supplies, activity books, sheet music, stickers, and more. It seems, at first, difficult to fit this room into the store’s literature as defined by self-care. However, this seems to be a room that subscribes more to the idea of community self-care. This room provides customers with ways to better their community either through music, through fellowship and games, or through sharing religion with children. Furthermore, in the front room in which the cash register sits, there are many display cases of jewelry and other trinkets of either something symbolically religious or engraved with a scripture verse. These, too, fit into the narrative of self-care as those who purchase these items are seeking to carry a piece of reassurance and hope with them, close to their hearts wherever they go.

It is true that Bible Depot is filled with many “things,” but these things are more than just mere objects lined up along shelves. In the fifth installment of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, a group of Hogwarts students, who lovingly call themselves Dumbledore’s Army, come across a room known as the “Room of Requirement.” This room somehow knows what its visitors need and upon entering the room, anything and everything someone needs is readily available within its stone walls. Sometimes more than one person may need the same thing and the room will adapt to those needs. All one has to do to make the room appear is walk past the section of blank wall three times concentrating very deeply on what they need. Bible Depot is, in a way, a Room of Requirement for the Susquehanna Valley community. Because the store provides self-help to both the individual and the community it holds anything and everything someone might neeed and specifically holds the things that people may not even know they need, but should have, whether that’s children or adults. It’s like a scavenger hunt resource room just waiting to be discovered by those who need it.

It is very difficult to walk into Bible Depot and not immediately feel imbued with the spirit and attitude with which the store is so heavily infused. While visitors to the store are, yes, surrounded by objects, they are also surrounded by “things.” Bruno Latour tells us that when we have little investment in something we are more likely to view things as mere objects and not as these multidimensional “things.” Though all the objects in the store have a monetary value assigned to them, they also have an inherent spiritual and personal value. Nancy Ney views all the objects in her store as “things” and has ascribed so much meaning and attachment to each thing that this kind of connection is therefore encouraged in every customer who walks through her doors. The contents of the store, as well as the store itself, are not mere tools, but are necessarily things that can provide fulfillment, enrichment, and meaning to our lives.

In Philipp Bloom’s book To Have and to Hold, he explains that “by surrounding ourselves with objects we hope to immerse ourselves in what is represented by them, with what they represent to us who are unwilling to accept that it will always remain elusive and cannot be locked into things” (Bloom 156). Here we see that Bloom has a bit of a different definition of “things” from Latour, one that probably aligns more closely to Latour’s conception of objects. However, Bloom’s idea is still valid. It is often not easy to distill the meaning of objects and therefore we must make the conscious effort to immerse ourselves in what is represented by them. Likewise, we must also examine what these objects represent to us though these representations may sometimes seem elusive and difficult to decipher.

This idea very much reflects our experience getting to know Bible Depot. At first it was exceedingly difficult to understand the meaning or purpose of any of the objects individually and consequently the message of the store and everything it stands for. But to find the answer, one need look no further than the heart of the store itself – the Bible Room. This room is the most important “place” in the store and is also home to the most important ”thing” in the store. The Bible Room is quite literally the heart of the bookstore situated just between Nancy’s home and the store around it. It is representative of the origins of Bible Depot and all the history that has accompanied it, as well as being the store’s namesake. When we consider all the ways in which Bible Depot is a gathering, a collection of “things” and a place in which literature is understood as a self-conscious narrative of self-care and reflection for the individual and the community, we can see that this small blue house on nestled along the Susquehanna River is much more than a store or resource. It is an oasis, a home, an idyllic escape and refuge for all who wish for or require it.

 

 

 Citations 

Text 

Benjamin, Walter. “Unpacking My Library.” Illuminations, edited by Hannah Ardent, Schocken Books, pp. 59–67. 

Bloom, Philipp. To Have and To Hold. Harry N. Abrams, 2004. 

Delaney, Carol. “Spatial Locations.” Investigating Culture, John Wiley & Sons, 2011, pp. 37–67 

Latour, Bruno. “Why Has Critique Run Out of Steam? From Matters of Fact to Matters of Concerns.” JSTOR, The University of Chicago Press, May 2004, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/421123?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents. 

Miller, Peter. “The Chronicle Review.” How Objects Speak, 10 Sept. 2014, s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/blackboard.learn.xythos.prod/57a9d55a4370f/585932?response-content-disposition=inline; filename*=UTF-8”How Objects Speak – The Chronicle Review – The Chronicle of Higher Education.pdf&response-content-type=application/pdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190501T184226Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIL7WQYDOOHAZJGWQ/20190501/us-east-1/s3/aws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=7b820ab50c309fb3a0250aac3974fb25cf3902ca4168533d961c5f7e262fe5a4. 

Rowling, J.K. Order of the Phoneix. Bloomsbury Publisher, 1997. 

Online  

Data USA “Employment by Industries” chart. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/sunbury-pa/ 

“Google Maps.” Google Maps. Google, n.d. Web. 1 May 2019, http://maps.google.com/. 

“Time Graphics.” Time Graphic. Time.Grapjic, n.d. Web. 1 May 2019, https://time.graphics/line/234320 

Thinglink,” Thinglink.com. Web. 1 May 2019 

Pictures 

Bucci, John. Bible DepotSunbury, Pennsylvania

Chobanoff, Anna. Bible Depot, 1 May 2019, Sunbury, Pennsylvania

WKOK Radio Station. <http://www.eagle107.com/Eagle_107/107_Station_History.htm>

The Qualifications of “Classic” Literature in D.J. Ernst Used and Rare Books

D.J. Ernst, an independent bookstore located on Market Street in Selinsgrove.

In Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, nestled on North Market Street, sits a bookstore that’s been serving its community for 44 years. In its display windows, used books surround electric candles, inviting passersby to peer in and, just maybe, walk amongst the books that line the shelves within. Hanging beside the receding door is a wooden, weather-worn sign, welcoming potential customers with the name of the bookstore: DJ Ernst Books, Used & Rare.

Donald J. Ernst—known to the students and faculty of the nearby Susquehanna University as “Homer”—has owned and operated the single-room store since he was a college student in the 1970s. Looking around the space, there’s an ever-present sense that this is a place in which time stands still, and the once-forgotten is given a spotlight. From the cloth-bound collections to the vintage orange-crate shelves to the old cash register that came with the store, DJ Ernst proudly shows its age and revels in its history.

Age, history, and a “classic” status are important features in the types of literature Ernst keep in his store. With the books being used or rare copies, it’s clear that many of these books have histories we can only begin to imagine. For DJ Ernst, literature is made up of well-written classics that both reflect Homer’s personal taste and the tastes of the communities he serves.

The Past

Donald J. Ernst (A.K.A. Homer)

The bookstore was first established on February 1st, 1975. Ernst’s father had always had a passion for literature as he enjoyed collecting and reselling books out of his house. He passed down this joy to his son as they began to bond over literature in the ’60s. As their passion grew, Ernst’s father decided to open the very store that still stands today and is now owned by his son.

In the text “A Global Sense of Place,” Tim Cresswell reiterates Massey’s definition of place as, “[a] site of multiple identities and histories” (72). From what was previously a women’s shoe store, to what is now known as DJ Ernst Books, it is safe to say this particular building has been filled with multiple identities and histories. To add to this, along with the building, Ernst was also left with an antique cash register that is still there today.

The contents of the store are in a way a part of a time capsule, one formed when Market Street started to slow down. Preserving “Old Selinsgrove” became the store’s aesthetic. The memorabilia hanging on the walls–the postcards, the pictures of his family, the articles cut outs from newspapers about his store, the multiple maps of Pennsylvania–are points in his timeline that makes up Ernst’s time as a bookseller. The antique cash register is a tribute to a time when Market Street was busy, before the mall was built on 11/15. It is one of the oldest stores on Market Street and it proudly shows.

One of Ernst’s many interests is used, rare books, and he’s not alone. Antique books are some of the staples of the store. Throughout the years he has managed to find a signed copy of a Robert Frost book, as well as a signed Walt Whitman Leaves of Grass. These old books help define what literature is in Homer’s definition.  To further explain what his definition of literature is, it is well-written classics and antique books that both reflect his personal taste as well as the tastes of those within the community. Ernst says he stocks books that he believes are interesting and are worth passing the knowledge on to others or are books everyone should read at least once in their life. I can agree with that.

A copy of Bookman’s Weekly Magazine, the publication Ernst and his father used to use to buy and sell used and rare books across the country.

While other stores in Market Street have struggled to stay open through the years, DJ Ernst has persisted. The store has expanded by creating an online presence. In the early 2000s when he joined Biblio and Abebooks, it allowed him to accept credit cards and to sell worldwide. He also created a Facebook page, where he posts books that he finds and updates his customers on what he has in stock. However, he never added a credit card scanner to the physical store. It was not part of the environment he wanted to have. Homer wants to keep the good parts of the history in his store and allow customers to experience it by purchasing the classics that he has for sale.

The Bookstore

The structure of the store is a clear layout of self-identity embodying a living and breathing time capsule of classics. Looking into this time capsule is a large “timeline” of Ernst finding out who he was, but also learning what has molded his experience into the bookseller that he is today.

Ernst’s store embeds various versions of his history through the structure and layout he provides within the store. At first glance you see a giant, awkwardly shaped display of books smack in the middle of the store. This shelf is made up of small and tall shelves, a table, and a couple of random wooden pieces placed nicely together. This system holds a variation of books that are displayed either facing you when you first walk in, spine out, or even the cover facing up. It is not the type of shelving you would see at a chain bookstore since they would display their books in rows and columns of straightforward shelving, but there is true character behind this funky shape that makes his system so attractive. It is almost as if each piece was put there at a different time in his life, expanding the ability to display his collection of books.

This giant mix-matched shelving is shifted a little to the left when you walk in. Peering through the right-side window enables the customer to face Ernst as he sits at his front counter.  As an assumption, Ernst was probably trying to find the best way to display the most amount of books that he had, so his system of this awkward shelving worked for him and his store. Ernst cleverly placed the shelving in the center forming a pathway around the perimeter of his store, which directs the overall traffic throughout the building. This is a creative way to keep the viewer intrigued and their eyes constantly active, making it easier for a consumer to get “lost” within the store. Regardless of if the customer was to start their journey on the right or left side of the store they always walked around the entire perimeter either once, or multiple times.

Most books are placed on the shelves, but there are also three rows of books stacked on the floor, spine up, and in front of the shelves filling the perimeter of the store. Whether you look up to the ceiling, or down to your feet the place is completely covered in books. Ernst talks about not really knowing how to be a bookseller when he started out and this experience stemming from a passion that he shared with his father. You can tell by the setup of the store that Ernst doesn’t look into the nit-picky details of how to organize the business; it is merely groomed out of that hobby that he formed the store from.

A few of the shelves that make up the History section in DJ Ernst, along with the fiction books on the floor.

Ernst mentioned how he is a “specialist in early Pennsylvania history and local history,” which is not apparent until truly digging into the identity of the store.  You can tell that he is proud of the accomplishments through the various newspapers and articles hanging around the room. Whether it is a shout out from the town’s newspaper, or him and his father inside the store, every moment has been captured and hung up. You can tell that Ernst holds things close to him through the way he has structured his store and his layout.

The chair that faces Ernst’s front counter.

An example of such would be how Ernst has placed the chair facing the front counter that he sits behind. He mentions that individuals from the Selinsgrove community always come in and sit on the worn-out rocking chair with a colorful knitted blanket to talk for hours. It could range from talking about Philosophy to WWII and even for some, a trip after the bar for a “how are you” conversation. And most times these community members leave his store empty-handed, but the openness that Ernst gives for a conversation and a place to sit back and relax makes the community feel welcome. He never passes on the opportunity to learn new things as he helps his customer’s branch out on topics that they are interested in. When thinking about this generation, it is known for basing basic communication skills off of technology whether it is texting or even email. Ernst holds onto the past when facing the chair towards his desk only forcing this “abnormal” form of communication to occur. Whether it is the structure of his store or the things that embedded within it, the history is apparent, and it is not going away as long as Ernst is there.

Within DJ Ernst Books, the collections of books themselves are perfectly indicative of the bookseller and

Just one of the many books Ernst keeps in his bookstore.

the community surrounding him. DJ Ernst Books is clearly not a typical bookstore, at least, not in the way modern consumers understand them to be in the world of corporate stores and standardized inventories. In true fashion of the personal bookstore, Homer doesn’t refer to popular bestsellers lists to stock his shelves. His collections differ greatly from the standardized models of corporate bookstores and his inventory is not motivated by profit or marketability. Personal bookstores almost always differ from corporate ones in this sense, as seen in Reluctant Capitalists by Laura J. Miller. Like many other personal bookstores, DJ Ernst Books is, instead, purely a reflection of the owner’s taste, interests, preferences, and distinct definitions of literature.

Those distinct definitions, however, can be difficult to discern with the way the collection is organized throughout. DJ Ernst has subgenres and niche categories galore, all fit in tightly with each other in this small space. If the collection is supposed to reflect the bookseller’s tastes in literature, the only thing that becomes clear upon entering is that DJ Ernst loves to read as many books as he can. Children’s Illustration Books are next to Ancient History, books on music are near books on war, and on the other side of the store, there are hunting books next to American Literature, as well as reports of historical explorations next to World Literature. Many people are so used to walking into a bookstore and finding nothing but modern bestsellers and the most popular books hot off the presses. DJ Ernst Books, however, overflows with books from a wide array of genres, time periods, and aesthetics.

The other thing that becomes immediately clear is that Homer has a deep respect for the book itself as a material. While there is an almost overwhelming number of subgenres, all of them are clearly defined in handwritten labels, and many other labels pasted throughout the space are handwritten warnings to treat the books with great care, as if they were made of glass. It’s clear that Homer values the book as a special kind of object, which is also evident in the aesthetics of the books he chooses to place on high, important pedestals and shelves. There are antique, leather-bound books, and more rare and ornate tomes presented in high places, in the center display for people to admire, or even in the back shelves away from customer’s hands. However, on the other hand, the simple paperbacks are lined up in rows on the floors in front of most of the bookcases.

Most notably is the sheer number of historical genres, especially on the left side of the store. From history books on the wars big and small, to Pennsylvanian history, and even a section just labeled “Europe,” it is clear that the past and knowledge are immensely important to Homer. This is clear in almost everything about this personal bookstore, such as the unchanged interior design and the ancient cash register on the counter. He has even kept a magazine from decades before where regional collectors and booksellers such as himself could keep in touch and share product, despite the magazine being obsolete now and many of those contacts outdated. This is why the bookstore isn’t categorized with genres like fantasy, science fiction, romance, or self-help. Homer isn’t interested in these kinds of books, and he doesn’t tend to stock them unless they stand out to him or he knows one of the regular customers might be interested. Instead, the definition of literature presented in this bookstore’s collection reflects the classics and the unique, especially if they are reminiscent of an older era.

Beside the door are books on hunting, fishing, and wildlife, all of which relate to the area’s interest in hunting.

In addition to the bookstore’s personal taste, Homer attributes a lot of his inventory to other people in the surrounding Selinsgrove area and many of his contacts who are collectors. DJ Ernst Books isn’t solely a reflection of the bookseller’s personal taste but also a reflection of the community it is so ingrained in. For example, if this was just a personal bookstore, there wouldn’t be any sci-fi paperbacks, seeing as how Homer doesn’t like the genre. This also explains the hunting books, the books about fishing and nature, as well as books written by faculty from the creative writing department at Susquehanna University. Ultimately, DJ Ernst Books is a personal bookstore whose collection reflects the personal taste and identity of the bookseller, just as people are products of their communities.

:

The Present

While the number of independent bookstores is on the decline, one that still remains today on Market Street is DJ Ernst Books.

A view of DJ Ernst from Market Street.

At D.J. Ernst Books, people don’t come just for the books, they visit for the conversations with Homer. Also, people visit for the unique and personalized experience that only an independent bookstore can create. In his book The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, Lewis Buzbee reflects on this idea. Buzbee explains, “My excitement at being in a bookstore comes from the place itself, the understanding that I can stay here for as long as need be” (4). Unlike other book merchants eager to make a sale, Homer doesn’t rush his customers. People are free to browse until the store closes. Buzbee as a bookseller reminds me of Homer, as both gravitate towards old paperbacks, talk freely with their customers, and create a helpful atmosphere in the store. When Buzbee talks about the “excitement” of the bookstore coming from the sense of place, Homer’s bookstore fits this description. The “excitement” of Homer’s bookstore is the atmosphere the store creates, a sense of home. It’s the comfortable and relaxed atmosphere of an independent bookstore that makes it feel homey.

When looking back on how Homer defines literature, Buzbee touched on another concept. His definition of good literature can be summed up in this quote: “I fall into these worlds again, not as much for the enchantment, but for the familiarity” (35). Homer believes that literature is defined as classic books, the “familiarity” stories that many generations have read. Similar to Buzbee, Homer believes in the power of the familiar, that these old books have a reason for maintaining their celebrated status. Homer has built his business around the classic paperback favorites that keep customers engaged with the store, the books that are the most “familiar.”

Another bookseller that reminds me of Homer is Kathleen in the film You’ve Got Mail (1998). Kathleen runs an independent bookstore and she knows all her customers by name. Although her store in the film appears nothing like Homer’s décor, they both appeal to a local audience. Kathleen runs a children’s bookstore and recommends her favorite books to her customers. Homer runs an independent bookstore that’s frequented by mainly college students and retired residents of Susquehanna. What makes these two booksellers similar is their passion for good literature, the quality content between the covers.

A more specific example of what Homer defines as literature is his selection of John Steinbeck novels. Homer himself has been recently discovering Steinbeck’s works. He stocks them now because he’s reading all the works and discussing them with customers. Buzbee commented on Steinbeck by writing that “John Steinbeck has always been a controversial writer. More of his works have been banned than those of nearly any other American writer in the last sixty years” (42). It’s this attention, this acknowledgment that Steinbeck’s books have been read by so many, that Buzbee uses to define the work as literature. Homer doesn’t care whether Steinbeck is “controversial” or not, because he enjoys the books and the response they receive from customers. Since people of all ages and generations have read Steinbeck and enjoyed his work, it is good literature to Homer. Homer defines good literature by how his customers respond to the work in question, his opinions on it, and the impact the book has had on the world. It’s the relaxed atmosphere, the familiar books, and the excellent customer service that makes Homer’s store so special to locals.

Conclusion

What makes a book or a type of literature a “classic” is highly personal. At DJ Ernst, that personal understanding of classic literature–old, rare, and well-written–mixes with the wants and needs of Selinsgrove residents, Susquehanna students and faculty, and the people of Snyder County. This store’s stock, then, creates a beautiful union between the past and the present that can stand the test of time.

Sources

Film:

Ephron, Nora, et al. You’ve Got Mail. Warner Bros., 1998.

Graphics:

Floor plan by Erin Reid, created via ThingLink

Map by Monet Polny, created via Google

Photos by Erin Reid, Valerie Erickson, Monet Polny, Laurel Jakucs, Ty Bricker, and Eneida Giboyeaux

“DJ Ernst.” New Timeline – Timeline, time.graphics/line/234048.

Text:

Buzbee, Lewis. The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop A Memoir, A History. Graywolf Press, 2008.

Cresswell, Tim. “Place: A Short Introduction” A Global Sense of Place. Off Our Backs: pg. 72. Print

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2014.

DJ Ernst Books: A Passion that Has Stood the Test of Time

On February 1, 1975, Selinsgrove’s most notable independent bookstore, DJ Ernst Books, was founded. Neither Ernst nor his father, who originally opened the shop, had any real experience in bookselling. Business was booming for Ernst as he learned the ins and outs of bookselling on the job, and in the early process established a community with other booksellers, as well as with the community of Selinsgrove.

In the first thirty years of business, DJ Ernst Books’ niche products were a perfect fit for the small town of Selinsgrove. The bookstore’s specialty was local Pennsylvanian history and featured genealogies and immigration records. Many residents came to the bookstore in search of their family history, typically older customers looking to understand the legacies they would eventually pass on. In addition, DJ Ernst sold antique books, out of print editions, and unique historical texts such as records of expeditions during America’s era of discovery. Ernst’s bookstore thrived off of intentional and specific clients, those that would come specifically to complete collections or find special editions of a classic novel. The owner recalled how familiar he became with his customers because they had such specific interests that the average book buyer did not typically have. At one point, Ernst sold an entire stack of history books to a customer for $3,000 in one visit. In that sense, DJ Ernst Books catered to the community’s interests in a way that not many other bookstores in the area had done before. DJ Ernst Books became the most prominent source for classical or antique literature. The bookstore established itself within the community of Selinsgrove, and while the town is still standing, that community of antique finders has not seemed to continue into today.

This is an example of an antique book from DJ Ernst Books on local history

Ernst attributes this change in clientele interest to several factors. He said that people now just are not interested in classical or antique literature. To prove this, he would mention the names of classic illustrators or authors that would have held literary weight thirty years ago, but mean next to nothing to a younger generation. Most of his clientele upon first opening were older and some have since then passed away. Additionally, they seemed to be the only demographic knowledgeable of older texts, the only ones who understand how rare signed illustrations by Andrew Wyeth or Harrison Fisher are. As a result, customers with those specific interests that he has always catered to are in low supply, just as old books are in low supply for him. In this day in age, booksellers online are peddling those niche products so that customers do not have to physically go out and look for them in shops like DJ Ernst Books. The internet has made a large part of Ernst’s business null, as the bookseller pointed out. Now those interested in history do not have to shop around in a number of bookstores to find what they need, instead, they can simply search for that information online.

Most notably, however, the Internet has made the community of booksellers in the area that DJ Ernst once thrived in much different and scarce. The shop owner clarified that 50% of his sales were, in fact, to other booksellers. He would go to auctions and sell his wares at book fairs and markets, but not anymore. At this point, as Ernst confessed, he doesn’t know what the market looks like anymore, and it is no wonder considering the fact that booksellers do not communicate with each other in the way they used to. In the 60s and 70s, Ernst connected to a network of other booksellers through a magazine called Bookman’s Weekly. It acted as a directory for booksellers in the area to communicate and cross reference each other’s products to find what they needed for buying or for selling. If you wanted to stock up on more texts about Jewish history, you would pick up Bookman’s Weekly and look for a bookseller who carried them. Then, you would call him or stop by his shop to make a personal connection through a mutual love of literature. Bookselling was a personal and community-based process, but now through the Internet, it is impersonal and detached. Those other booksellers are also not as common as they used to be, many of whom have retired or passed away. Of course, this is a recurring and natural change in the bookselling market. As Laura J. Miller states in Reluctant Capitalists, “commerce is culturally marked: the way it is understood and practiced depends on specific historical and cultural contexts” (9). As the modern world digitizes, it is an eventuality that booksellers such as Ernst will be affected by that change.

Milestone chart

Nevertheless, DJ Ernst Books itself has not changed much on its own in the forty years it has been in business. The most significant event in its history since its founding was a fire in the neighboring building, the event of which the owner himself had not mentioned, but documented extensively on the store’s Facebook page in 2015. On September 18, 1990 the Romig building on the corner of the street and to the bookshop’s right caught fire and was destroyed. Thankfully, due to an extra layer of brick wall in between the two buildings, DJ Ernst Books was left standing largely undamaged. The owner and a few friends were able to save two truckloads of books, paintings, files, and other products while the firemen did their best to protect what was left. The bookshop was left slightly worse for wear, suffering some water and smoke damage, but not enough to destroy the building itself. Even still, and even after a large fire threatened to destroy it, the interior of the bookstore has barely changed in design since the 90s. Ernst’s bookstore is very much a personal endeavor, so much so that the interior reflects the man who runs it. The owner feels no need to change it because his feelings towards books and a place for books has not changed.

Another significant change that occurred in the 90s was the introduction of the Writer’s Institute in Susquehanna University of Selinsgrove. Writing professors Tom Bailey and Gary Fincke immediately established a working relationship with DJ Ernst Books. Students and sometimes entire classes were sent to the bookstore by writing professors with book recommendations or with the goal of appreciating and supporting older literature. Although this productive relationship has since slowed due to many of those professors moving on from the university, there is still an established connection. Students sometimes visit the store of their own accord and the Literature Club on campus has many books bought from DJ Ernst.

During the site visit, the owner said something that has stuck with me since. He said that the changes to his bookstore will not mean anything to us because we can never know what the shop truly felt like in its prime and that we can never understand exactly how different it is now. I would argue that Ernst himself can never truly understand what the world was like in the antique books that he is so passionate about. Even still, he reads them and absorbs the information, appreciates them, and encourages others to get lost in the narrative of a time period before theirs. That is what literature is for, to read experiences outside of our own, and that is what my team was doing at his bookstore. We were absorbing his tales of the history of his bookstore and gained a new appreciation for not only the longevity of his unique business, but also for the man who has kept it running for decades. He mirrored the qualities of the ideal bookseller that Morely describes in Parnassus on Wheels, someone who values the content of a book much more than the profit he gains from selling it. This is evident in the fact that even though he makes very little overhead, he continues to sell quality books to those he calls “book people,” those who also value literature from all time periods. Even while other independent shops in town have closed and gone out of business, even while the world has changed how bookselling is conducted, and even while a disaster was a few inches away from destroying the entire building, this small bookstore has consistently been left standing.  DJ Ernst Books has survived fire, time, and outside change, and yet the heart of the business, the passion for quality books for quality readers, has not changed at all.

Photos

  • All photos courtesy of DJ Ernst Books Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/djernstbooks/photos/

Timeline

  • Timelines made using Time Graphics: https://time.graphics/updates/new/234798

Texts

  • Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. University of Chicago Press, 2014.
  • Morely, Christopher. Parnassus on Wheels. Ebook #5311, Gutenberg, www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5311/pg5311-images.html.

A Social (Mon)Dragon

Sarajane Snyder, current owner of Mondragon Bookstore, likes to talk about gardening, which reflects the large gardening section within the many shelves of the store. Sarajane even equates her ownership of Mondragon to that of a perennial. Perennials have three stages in which they grow; they sleep, they creep, and then, they leap. She has been the owner of Mondragon since 2017, and, in her third year, she wants the store to leap.

* * *

 

Mondragon first opened on June 20th, 2009,  by a retired Bucknell University professor. Charles Sackrey, professor from 1980 to 2002, opened the bookstore along with his friends as a way to pursue a passion of his in his older age. It was with his friends that he wanted to call this bookstore “Mondragon” after a town in Spain known for being a collective. In his classes, he would teach his students about economics (as that is what he was a professor of) with a sprinkling of economic philosophy. (Bradt). Specifically, on the Bucknell website, he is listed to have taught “Classical Marxism” and “Theatre and Economics.” (“Charles Sackrey.”) This is funny because he was known to talk to his customers about Marxist philosophy all the time. But, seeing as Marxist philosophy was his main focus as a professor, we can see this seep into the way in which he ran his bookstore.

 

Mondragon’s stocks come entirely from donations, as Sarajane has told us, even from the beginning. In the beginning, the books were mostly donated from Bucknell’s English and Creative Writing departments. When Sarajane took over, she kept this model of donations, her books mostly coming from friends and customers. Because of this, any amount of money on these used books becomes profit. So, quite often, customers are able to bargain the prices of their books. Sarajane believes in the power of books and the knowledge gained when read. If it was possible, she would make the store a complete not-for-profit business. From what my research has shown, Mondragon did start as a not-for-profit business, but eventually dropped that guise and started selling books at cheaper and more affordable prices. (Bradt).

 

Marx is known for his socialist ideals of commerce, which is very different from the average American bookstore. In Jack Perry’s “Bookstores, Communist and Capitalist,” he observes the differences between the Communist bookstores of Eastern Europe and the Capitalist bookstores of America. Perry often felt disappointed in the American bookstore. In an observation about American bookstores, Perry notes that “You do not stroll through sections of classics; you march through shelves of ‘Publishers’ Special Cut-Rate Editions,’ or ‘Lavishly Illustrated Editions Marked Down’— the determining principle being price, not content.” (109). That being one instance of many. In the Eastern European bookstores, Perry observes that, “Bulgarian bookstores were popular spots, so much so that often there were long lines outside.” (107). In addition to that, he notes that the literary community would aften flock to bookstores whenever a new book was added to a bookstore, especially ones in those countries. (Perry 108). This type of literary community’s actions can be attributed to the lack of diversity in choice within bookstores; primarily, bookstores would sell propaganda of the state, Marxist and Leninist philosophies, and religious texts. (Perry 107-8). Mondragon does not follow either of these bookstore formats; instead it seems to take a note of Marx’s socialist attitudes. Since the beginning, customers have been able debate over the price of a marked book. Sometimes, books would even be unmarked just so that customers have the ability to name their own price. This practice has carried over into Sarajane’s ownership of the store. In my group’s interview with her, she told us that she believed people should be able to enjoy literature. She told us about such business practices above as well as free books, magazines, CDs, and other types of media (which I will discuss later in this post). In all, it seems as if the goal of Mondragon is to provide literature for all.

 

Now that the (for now), let’s move into talking about the second class that Charles Sackrey taught, “Theatre and Economics.” What does a bookstore have to do with theatre other than it’s section on plays (which Mondragon notes that they have a great Shakespeare section)? Well, I guess it is mostly a conversation on the performance of a bookstore to its customers and what kind of works are promoted to the community. In a lot of ways, Mondragon takes some of its ethics from Niche Bookstores. In “Feminist Bookstores,” by Daphne Spain, she talks about the ethics of niche bookstores as such. In a case study on Sisterhood Bookstore in Los Angeles, Spain notes the history of this store. I think the most interesting thing Spain delved into in her observation was the expansion Sisterhood built to their store. Spain notes, “The renovation raised the back of the store two feet higher than the rest of the store. The result was a stagelike setting for readings and book signings. Its elevation made speakers visible from the front of the store, as well as to those outside. Sabina Tubal, the author of Sarah the Priestess, thought it made the back ‘look like

Every Thursday, Mondragon holds an art night where local artists and book lovers come together to create art using books.

a shrine’ to women.” (98). Sarajane has done something similar to Mondragon. Through events and decorations to the store, Sarajane has created a shrine to local creators. The first thing one sees as they enter the store is a wall that displays art created by local artists. When delving deeper into the store, there are art projects made from and devoted to literature hung up. Merchandising created from local artists for Mondragon is displayed with pride along doorways. When asked by our group about what Sarajane wants the store to be, she told us that she wants the store to be a hub to a community that she has the ability to grow. She wants to be able to display the works of local artists. When the weather is nice, she wants to be able to let local farmers, gardeners, and florists to be able to set up outside of her shop as a sort of fair. In the middle of our group’s interview, a customer came in to pick up fresh mushrooms grown by local farmers that get delivered to Mondragon for pick up. From what we got from the interview, it seems as if Sarajane was the one that started this platform for local artists.

 

Sarajane took over Mondragon in January of 2017. But to back up a little first. Sarajane grew up in the rural areas of

In the hall, Mondragon advertises local events. In the bottom left hand corner is the sign for the free magazines.

Lewisburg. After college, she returned to the area and wanted to help out at Mondragon in her free time. Eventually, Charles Sackrey let her take on more of a management position and, finally, the store. A lot of the “employees” carried over in the shift in power from Sackrey to Sarajane. By “employees,” Sarajane explained to us that the workers there are all volunteers carried over from the prior ownership, many of them older people in their retirement age. In return, many of them get a free book from the store. In her first year, she sorted the store into the modern Mondragon we see; she organized, categorized, and curated all the used books in the store as that was her big project of the time since there were many books cluttering the area. While curating these books, she started a section of books outside the store in the hallway of the building. She told us that people tend to take the books outside the store. Sometimes, they slip money under the door, but sometimes they don’t. She doesn’t really mind this and actually encourages it with the free magazines that she sets outside the store. In her second year of owning the store, she decided to attempt to take the ethics of the the town of Mondragon by creating a collectively owned store. She told us that this was an experience that inevitably failed due to personal reasons from the other owners. But still, Mondragon stayed open under Sarajane.

Tiger, the collectively owned cat, rests among the donated books at Mondragon

There is one thing that is collectively owned that works for Mondragon, and that is the cat. Tiger, a tabby cat, used to be owned by a single mother and her young daughters in one of the apartments upstairs. This family moved out early on in Sarajane’s ownership; the only problem is that the new place they were moving did not allow animals. So, Tiger moved down into Mondragon and stays there. She is technically owned by the family, Sarajane, and all of the volunteers that work there. Tiger has become a staple to the experience of Mondragon.

* * *

In Sarajane’s first year, Mondragon slept while she reorganized it into its modern design. In her second year, Mondragon crept into existence with in-store events, merchandising, and platforming. Now, in the third year, Mondragon wants to leap.

 

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Photos

Photos courtesy of Richard Berwind

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Information

Most information used in this blog was collected through an interview with Sarajane Snyder (Sited below). All other information collected will be cited under the “Text” section.

Snyder, Sarajane. Personal interview. 22 February 2019.

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Texts

Bradt, Christopher. “Check Out Lewisburg’s Most Eclectic Bookstore!” Bucknell University Press, Genesis Framework, 29 Jan. 2013, upress.blogs.bucknell.edu/2013/01/29/check-out-lewisburgs-most-eclectic-bookstore/

“Charles Sackrey.” Bucknell University, 1999.

“Feminist Bookstores: Building Identity.” Constructive Feminism: Women’s Spaces and Women’s Rights in the American City, by Daphne Spain, 1st ed., Cornell University Press, 2016, pp. 84–110. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt18kr5mx.8.

Perry, Jack. “Bookstores, Capitalist and Communist.” The American Scholar, 2001, pp. 107–111.

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Timeline

Timeline made using Time.graphics

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The Makings of Mondragon

During our second site visit to Mondragon Books in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, I’m not sure what I was expecting. The idea was to talk to the current owner, Sarajane Snyder, about the history of Mondragon. And I got some of that, but only some. Mostly we talked about books. No surprise there. However, a bit of Mondragon’s history leaked into those book-ish conversations, starting with the basics at the very beginning.
When Mondragon was first founded on some undetermined date in 2009, it was by Charles Sackrey, a retired professor from Bucknell University. Clearly, this idea is one that Sackrey wanted to influence his store. The idea was simple, brought all the way down to the bare bones of bookselling: Sackrey wanted Lewisburg to have a used bookstore. It had Barnes and Noble down the street, but no one would argue that there is a distinct difference between an independently owned, used bookstore and a large chain bookstore.
I say “undetermined date” because Sarajane wasn’t able to give us exactly when the bookstore was opened, just that it was “some time in 2009.” It’s interesting that a bookstore wouldn’t keep records of something like when it was opened, but more on that later.
In the mean time, Sarajane, a local of Union County, was living in California. She moved back a few years later and, looking for something to do, began volunteering at Mondragon. Shortly thereafter, Sackrey, now in his eighties, asked Sarajane if she wanted to take over the bookstore.
The rest is history.

Outside Mondragon

But the question remains: Why no are there no detailed records stating important dates for Mondragon, like when it opened, and when Sarajane took over?
Many answers may be found in the name itself.
An important note: the name “Mondragon” comes from a town in Spain by the same name, which is home to “the largest worker cooperative in the world” (“Mondragon Cooperatives: An Alternative to Spains Economic Struggle”).
Sackery may have founded Mondragon with this very goal in mind, to create a local, used bookstore that is owned by the people who shop and volunteer there.
Sarajane told us that, when Sackery ran the store, he was never in it to make money. He was doing it because he loved book, and because he wanted to share that love of books. In this way, Charles Sackery emulated the “myth of the bookseller” in the same way that Roger from Parnassus on Wheels by Christoper Morley does. Neither is solely in the book-selling business for the money. Both have a goal to bring books to as many people as possible, simply because they love books. Though, Sackery may not take this as far as Roger in Parnassus on Wheels does. At one point in the novel, Roger goes as far as to almost “allow” certain readers to only read certain things, at least at the beginning of their relationship with books. When talking about what books he sold to one of his customers, Roger says, “Last time I was there he wanted some Shakespeare, but I wouldn’t give it to him. I didn’t think he was up to it yet” (Morely, 38). Inside Mondragon, I don’t think Sackery ever got to that level, but there are certainly parallels between the two book-sellers.
Sarajane, on the other hand, runs the bookstore a bit differently. Though, it is important to note that she, too, is attracted to the idea of Mondragon being a cooperative, however, she explained to us that creating a successful cooperative comes with its own set of unique challenges.
Apart from that, Sarajane is well aware of the fact that the bookstore needs to make money. One of the first major changes she said she made to the bookstore was rearranging all of the books. A monumental task, in and of itself, barring the fact that she did it pretty much on her own over the span of several months. She said that it was because she wanted to make the bookstore more shoppable, which meant that a large part of the rearranging was putting like books together, and clearing out books that Sarajane didn’t think would be of interest to her customers.

As another way to bring more money into the store, Sarajane (with the help of a very talented friend) made wearable merchandiser for the store last summer, during one of Lewisburg’s many events. She outlined how much work making merchandise really is, how many hours were spent creating the design and actually putting that design into shirts, which is why they are no longer for sale. However, it was a small success that summer, and Sarajane explained the excitement she feels when seeing someone wear the shirt.

 

Mondragon Books shirt

The success of the shirts led Sarajane to explore other merchandising options. Again, with the help of a friend, Mondragon now has bespoke items like cards, bookmarks, and bumper stickers. All of these are items that can either be bought separately, or with a book or two.
None of these seem like major changes, but they are a step towards a new era for Mondragon. Still, there are some remnants of Sackery within those walls, from its relaxed atmosphere to the fact that records still aren’t kept in great detail (hence the fact that it was difficult to pin down exact dates when even these small changes were made to the store).
What hasn’t changed, and likely never will, is the community aspect of Mondragon. Or, as one could even say, the cooperative aspect. As my group stood there with Sarajane, a young woman walked into the store. She spoke to Sarajane as if they knew each other, asked if she was interrupting, and then said, “I just have some books in the back of my car.”
Sarajane ushered my group out, and we carried boxes of books from the woman’s car and into the store, where we were instructed to, “just set them somewhere.” Sarajane laughed and explained that this is how Mondragon works, and that the woman who donated books was also a regular volunteer at the store. We’d just gotten a real taste of Mondragon, and had been swept up enough to unthinkingly participate.
Cooperative, indeed.
It made me think of the feminist bookstore, Sisterhood, from “Feminist Bookstores: Building Identity.” The article talks about how all the business done in Sisterhood is up front, saying, “Simone and Adele conducted all their business at the counter…They made a conscious decision to avoid operating in back offices, believing it to be ‘too corporate'” (Spain, 100).
All of Mondragon’s history is tied up with its name. It began with the idea of being a cooperative, founded by a retired Bucknell professor who, in many senses of the phrase, embodied “the myth of the bookseller.” As ownership moved to Sarajane, the focus shifted a bit, to being more about keeping the bookstore open, though Sarajane is quick to say that Mondragon isn’t exactly profitable. Still, a sense of community lies within this place, one that encourages book donations and volunteering, so that the bookstore is supported by the people who use it (and therefore love it) most.
Given this history, Mondragon seems to be heading back in the community direction. Sarajane briefly mentioned right before we left about the possibility of turning the bookstore into a nonprofit. Possibly moving locations eventually, just to be closer to the center of Market Street.
No matter what happens, how many changes the bookstore goes through, it all seems to be headed in the right direction. A seed was planted by Charles Sackrey in 2009, and it’s time for that flower to bloom.
Works Cited:
Timeline embedded from time.graphics
Photos courtesy of Mac Bowers
References:
“Mondragon Cooperatives: An Alternative to Spains Economic Struggle.” The Borgen Project, 15 June 2017, borgenproject.org/spains-economic-struggle/.
Texts:
Morley, Christopher, 1890-1957. Parnassus On Wheels. New York: The Modern library, 1931
“Feminist Bookstores: Building Identity.” Constructive Feminism: Women’s Spaces and Women’s Rights in the American City, by Daphne Spain, 1st ed., Cornell University Press, 2016, pp. 84–110. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt18kr5mx.8.

The Longevity of Niche Bookstores

Comparison of the paint jobs of the building before and after 2013. Left image from Google Street View, right image taken by Brianna Simmons.

A Brief History of Bible Depot

Bible Depot opened in Sunbury, Pennsylvania in 1931 (exact date unknown) on Market Street, the hub of activity for the town. At some point in the 1940s, the owner, Reverend James C. Ney, wanted to expand and decided more space was needed to stock the store properly, so they moved location from Market Street to Front Street, still in Sunbury. With this new location, James C. Ney added onto the building to make it larger to fit more inventory, which is the building they are currently in. Recently, around 2013, they repainted their store from yellow and blue to blue and white.

Historical Floods: Susquehanna River at Sunbury, Pennsylvania chart

While being on Front Street, they are closer to the river wall that protects the residential and business buildings from the river rising, this doesn’t always help either as they have suffered from multiple floods. The worst of which is the flood of 1972, the only flood classified as “major” for the town of Sunbury. The bookstore has flooded multiple times, the water going as far as up to people’s knees, plenty of books were damaged as the store’s stock is housed on the floor to ceiling shelves. These damages were felt by the whole community as the town is mainly residential.

Bible Depot In Relation To Other Niche Bookstores

Nevertheless, Bible Depot has soldiered on and is still open despite setbacks prone to independent bookstores. Sadly, independent bookstores throughout the years have been subject to closing because of chain bookstores and online platforms for the sake of convenience. Especially niche bookstores, bookstores that tailor to a specific demographic, suffer the same fate as well. Two examples that come to mind are African American bookstores and feminist bookstores, both of which have a contentious history in the United States. The main reason being that their inherent political activism rubs people of the differing opinion the wrong way.

Looking at the African National Memorial Bookstore, a New York City-based African American bookstore founded in 1932, and New Words Bookstore, a feminist bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts opened in 1974, I draw comparisons to Bible Depot. All three of these bookstores serves a specific demographic of people as its main clientele, making them niche bookstores. The African National Memorial Bookstore served mainly African Americans of all ages during the rise of the Civil Rights movement. New Words Bookstore served women, as well as everyone in the education of women in literature and women who write. Bible Depot serves those who are Christian (mainly, there is a small Jewish section), this is their demographic.

The prominent difference between these three bookstores is that Bible Depot is the only one still open to this day. Which is surprising to me, considering the African National Memorial Bookstore opened just the year after Bible Depot. What is the reason for this? In a sense, it would make more sense for the African National Memorial Bookstore to still be continuing, for reasons such as it reaches a larger audience, positioning in a larger city, and more eye-catching advertising (their storefront was very busy). Nancy Ney, the current owner of Bible Depot, says that they don’t spend money on advertising so that the money can go directly back into the bookstore. They have a simple sign that has their name, hours, days closed, and some items they sell at the time of year (the most recent photo advertising their February items). So what are the differences between these two that led to Bible Depot staying open and the African National Memorial Bookstore closing?

Well, the African American bookstore had a contentious life with local police and even the FBI. “FBI agents were ordered to identify black bookstores’ employees and customers, track which books they sold, scrutinize finances, and determine any links they had to local or national Black Power or Communist organizations” (Davis, 63–64). Obviously, no such thing has been done to Bible Depot, this is simply to demonstrate the local and national discrimination that was done to all African American bookstores of the time. To compare the two, Bible Depot doesn’t have any political power rooting against it. The African National Memorial Bookstore lost its building due to rows with the local authorities. Being a black activist bookstore at the time was hard, especially since the government was actively wanting it to be shut down. Bible Depot is a different issue altogether, there is no point in which Christians have been as marginalized as African American people in the United States. This is a prominent difference between the two.

The successes of these bookstores are also linked to the time they were established and with what activist groups they were involved in. In the case of the African National Memorial Bookstore and New Words Bookstore, they were tied to political movements of the time, the Civil Rights movements and the women’s rights movements respectively. Turning to Bible Depot, this sort of political allegiance cannot be seen as with the other two bookstores.

Now, looking at New Words Bookstore in comparison to Bible Depot is different altogether. “New Words closed as a bookstore in October 2002 and reopened as the Center for New Words” (Spain, 108) which closed in 2009. This bookstore was a local hotspot for everyone, not only women. Though that might have been their purpose at first, New Words Bookstore became a place where a variety of people of all ages, ethnicities, and faiths to come and educate themselves. The bookstore also had a strong community built around it, for example, New Words Bookstore was “a politicized gathering space for the feminist community. It was an important social nexus for the exchange of information about significant events, such as an abortion clinic shooting” (Spain, 106). People would come and gather and talk about issues relating to the community they shared.

Bible Depot has a strong community as well, with twelve churches in a 1.5-mile vicinity they have a lot to offer their community. Also, all of their employees volunteer their time to be there and serve the bookstore. Bible Depot will also fully fund any vacation bible school and give supplies for teaching. They want to give back to the community that has served it for almost 88 years, though they have served the community in good faith for just as long.

Perhaps it is unfair to compare Bible Depot to these activist bookstores. It needs to be said that Bible Depot is not advocating for any reform to African American rights or women’s rights, but it does promote tolerance and acceptance. The bookstore has a variety of literature for people of all ages, ethnicities, and faiths (going back to the Jewish section), this can also be seen in New Words Bookstore. Promoting intersectionality in literature and community is an important thing and both of these bookstores try their best to promote that line of thinking.

But all of this still begs the question: Why did these two bookstores close while Bible Depot still continues to operate? There are a lot of reasons to look at: First, they have no authority begging for their close like the African National Memorial Bookstore. Second, they have no competition from big chain stores in the immediate vicinity. Third, they have a strong community behind them that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon. These reasons show the type of bookstore Bible Depot really is: a hub of activity for Sunbury, among its church community but also the entirety of Sunbury.

Bible Depot is truly a marvel of independent bookstores and niche bookstores in history. Their community has stuck with them through the years and it has gotten them this far. Hopefully, it also supports them for a long time in the future.

 

Sources

Chart

US Department of Commerce, and Noaa. “Historical Floods: Susquehanna River at Sunbury, Pennsylvania.” National Weather Service, NOAA’s National Weather Service, 19 Mar. 2016, 7:41:35, www.weather.gov/media/marfc/FloodClimo/MSL/Sunbury.pdf.

Google Street View Photo

Google. “Google Street View.” Google Street View Maps, Google, Sept. 2012, www.google.com/maps/@40.8647585,-76.7956673,3a,75y,102.56h,91.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sy09TqRQ3sY9gnpCcwi7Qow!2e0!7i13312!8i6656.

Photos

Photos were taken by Brianna Simmons

Text

Davis, Joshua Clark. From Head Shops to Whole Foods The Rise and Fall of Activist Entrepreneurs. Columbia University Press, 2017.

“Feminist Bookstores: Building Identity.” Constructive Feminism: Women’s Spaces and Women’s Rights in the American City, by Daphne Spain, 1st ed., Cornell University Press, 2016, pp. 84–110. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctt18kr5mx.8.

Timeline

“Free Online Timeline Maker.” New Timeline – Timeline, time.graphics/.

Quality Over Quantity the motto of DJ Ernst Books

 Ernst at DJ Ernst Books, 2013

While the number of independent bookstores is on the decline, one that still remains today on Market Street is DJ Ernst Books. The bookstore was first established on February 1st, 1975. Ernst’s father has always had a passion for literature as he enjoyed collecting and reselling books out of his house. This enjoyment to which he passed down to his son as they began to bond over literature in the 60’s. As their passion grew, Ernst’s father decided to open the very store that still stands today and is now owned by his son, Homer Ernst. In the text ‘ A Global Sense of Place’, Tim Cresswell reiterates Massey’s definition of place as, “ place as site of multiple identities and histories” (72). From what was previously a women’s shoe store, to what is now known as DJ Ernst Books it is safe to say this particular building has been filled with multiple identities as well as histories. Not to forget to mention that along with the store, Ernst was also left with an antique cash register that is still there today. The look of the store hasn’t changed, the exterior and interior remain the same as always. He has always stocked books that he believed to be the most important. DJ Ernst Books truly captures the informative bookseller image that Laura J. Miller writes about in her book Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. “Some consumers simply want a bookstore owner to be a sales clerk, while other consumers want to engage in conversation” (Miller 62). Ernst always made an effort to pay attention to topics that people were interested in and treats every customer a special individual. He also stresses quality over quantity due to the limited space within the store. When the store first opened, Ernst used to check on rare books at local estates for collections that he could add to his shelves. He described them as “gleaming and glittering” bookshelves. He also explained how he used to attend auctions, which are no longer popular.

Ernst reminisced on the bookstore’s profitable time period from when it first opened, as well as the 30 years or so after. With the Bicentennial that took place on July 4th, 1975, local history books and American history books brought in many sales. Many of his older customers were interested in genealogy books for researching their family’s heritage. People used to spend 200-300$ (even 3000$ sometimes) and stack them right up on the counter next to the antique cash register. Other books that were popular in the 70’s were 1700’s medical books. One thing that I found interesting was how back then, if a bookseller did not stock a certain book they would use a book magazine to find a store that specializes in that certain book to help redirect a customer. If you are not familiar with what a book magazine is, it is a form of connection or communication that booksellers used before technology came into place.

Throughout the 70’s and 80’s Ernst recalls many illustrators that came in and out of the spotlight during this time. The most popular selections that he remembers were Harrison Fisher and Arthur Rackham. Both of which I had never heard of before until i looked them up. After doing so I learned that they were known for their detailed artwork, but had different styles. Rackham is well known for many of the strorybook characters we all know and love even to this day such as Cheshire Cat and Peter Pan. Other illustrations he is famous for are Petruchio and Ophelia. Fisher on the other hand was more into realism and was famous for his dramatic feminine portraits. His most iconic portrait was “Fisher Girl” or also known as “Gibson Girl”. During the 80’s these collections of Fisher’s work were booming and people would go crazy for these.

One of  Ernst’s many interests are rare books. Throughout the years he has managed to find a signed copy of a Robert Frost book, as well as a signed Walt Whitman  Leaves of Grass. Most of these finds were spotted in the least expected places you’d think of. When asking him where he found these rare books, he said The Leaves of Grass he found at a yard sale. He also mentioned one of the hardest books he had sought out to find was ‘An American first edition of Winnie the Pooh’. Because the illustrator changed after the first printing, it made finding a first edition of the book incredibly hard to find. But none the less, if you don’t have the chance to check them out in person, Ernst’s website has a catalog of his book collection.

With his website he has also become accustom the generational change. He now also works off of a Facebook page he has created, posting and re-posting  books that he finds might sell. He also updates his customers with what he has in stock. Some of what he stocks in current day are used paperback classics, such as the works of Fitzgerald, Twain, Tolstoy, Hurston, and Christie. As I am in agreement, Ernst says he stocks these because they are the books that he believes everyone should read at least once in their life. He also not only stocks American literature, but also includes a whole variety of other literatures. One type of book he mentioned that was a big seller back in the day were Molly Maguire books. Relating back to the booming historical period, the Molly Maguires were an Irish 19th-century secret society active in Ireland, Liverpool and parts of the Eastern United States, and were best known for their activism among Irish-American and Irish immigrant coal miners in Pennsylvania. Therefore, their local significance brought in business to DJ Ernst Books.

Today the most frequent visitors brought into DJ Ernst Books are students from Susquehanna University. The start of the writing programs at the university are what begun students venturing into the downtown area where the store is held. But not only do the writing majors visit the store, but also other students of all kinds of majors. The stores affordable prices and classic selections make it a great place for students to buy their books. And being a Susquehanna alum himself, he proudly displays books written by professors of the university at the front desk. As People come and go throughout the town one thing that stands still in time is DJ Ernst Books and the collections that are stocked. It is a place where everyone can feel welcomed and can have the freedom to roam and find what interests them and continuing to share a love for literature and helping to educate others with the great classics to read.

 

 

 

Websites

“HARRISON FISHER.” National Museum of American Illustration, americanillustration.org/project/harrison-fisher/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Arthur-Rackham

https://time.graphics

Text

Cresswell, Tim. “Place: A Short Introduction” A Global Sense of Place. Off Our Backs: Pg 58-72. Print

Miller, Laura J. Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2006.

Images 

google image search

Bible Depot: 88 Years in the Making

Almost 100 years ago, a small business had a grand opening that not only changed their lives but affected many people around them. In 1931, Bible Depot, a Christian bookstore, was established by Reverend James C. Ney in Sunbury, PA. Unfortunately, Reverend James is no longer with his bookstore, but I was able to talk to his daughter in law, Nancy Ney, when I visited the establishment. I was so fortunate to sit down with Nancy and discuss the history of Bible Depot and the affects it had on its community. To think that Bible Depot has been around for 88 years is astonishing. Not only has it lived through major historic events, but it has grown internally and externally as a business and family.

Timeline of Bible Depot’s Important Events

A Building’s Life Story

Relocation in 1940 to Front Street

When Bible Depot was first established in 1931, it was grounded on Market Street in Sunbury, PA. This original location was inserted into the heart of Sunbury where the majority of the town’s population would visit and do most of their extra circular activities. This gave Bible Depot the advantage of traffic and interactions with the overflow from the movie theatre, shops, Weis and many more businesses along the street. It wasn’t shortly after when Reverend James C. Ney wanted to relocate due to the lack of space. Though it has always been a Christian supply store, they wanted a bigger floorplan to expand there inventory and selection.

Thinking about a new location, the owner specially scoped out this building on Front Street because of its busy traffic pattern and view of the Susquehanna River. Unfortunately, their move in 1940 was just shy of the new flood wall which was built along the river between 1947-1951. Though the view was taken away, this didn’t stop Bible Depot from staying. In fact, Bible Depot has been at this location ever since 1940. A major reason why the Reverend wanted to remain at 122 N Front Street was for the effects of this railroad town. By being emerged next to a railroad, Bible Depot was able to gain a wider range of customers and supplies. When I asked more about the building itself, I was moved by the transformation Bible Depot went through to uphold the look it wears today. As displayed in the photo above, the original façade was a pale yellow with painted on words and religious symbols. While talking to Nancy about the building, she mentioned how she often prayed about how to change or update the building while still keeping the emotional ties to the family. Though her and her daughter did not agree on a color at first, they compromised for the blue that still covers the walls to this day. After a couple months passed by Nancy Ney wanted to get a custom sign created for the street side wall but could not afford it at the time. Miraculously, after a customer came into the store and chatted with Nancy about her issue, he graciously offered to make her letters that spelt out “Bible Depot” for free. I may not be super religious, but when good deeds happen for deserving people, my spiritual levels rise and I get hope that someone of higher power is looking out for us.

It Runs in the Family

Reverend James C. Ney with his wife and grandchildren

Bible Depot has been family-run since it opened in 1931. Reverend James C. Ney started this business to bring awareness to Christianity in Sunbury but also to help support other religious groups in the community. According to Nancy, “he put everything into this store because he loved being able to share God’s words to those in need”. Once Reverend James passed away, the business was left in the hands of his family. It wasn’t shortly after when the Reverend’s son, David A. Ney, met Nancy and their relationship began. Around 1970, they began running the business together and would find ways to increase the value. Seeing how this was a house, David wanted to build an addition onto the building to give them larger retail space. When you walk in the front door, all the rooms to the right were added in the mid 1970’s. Today the second floor is split up into two rented apartments with a back entrance of the store. Once Nancy and David had kids, they raised them upstairs while still managing the business. Their children grew up tending to the store with their parents and playing when not at school. As Tim Cresswell mentions in his passage, Defining Place, “It is clear that places almost always have a concrete form”(7). It’s interesting to think that for Bible Depot, this may not be true. For it is a business, home, support group, etc. Yes, you can see physically see all of these attributes, but what is most important is understanding what they mean.

Nancy Ney outside the store with her children

In terms of business growth in Bible Depot, while it started and still is a Christian supplies store, it wasn’t always that diverse. Since Nancy never knew her father, she wasn’t quite sure what religious group she fell under. Right before her mother passed, Nancy was informed that her father was Jewish which sparked many connections in Nancy’s life. This was the cause of the Jewish sections and multiple cultural devices throughout the store. By integrating more books, products and services from other religions, Nancy was able to enhance the relationships with more individuals throughout Sunbury.

God is Greater than Highs and Lows

If you look at the sales charts for Bible Depot throughout history, there wouldn’t be drastic changes. This business has kept a moderate income throughout its 88 years of being in business. Other than the financial aspect of Bible Depot, there hasn’t been much chaos between the store and public. Although, roughly when Nancy began working here with her husband, there was an incident with the local churches during the 70’s which lasted for a couple of years. Wanting to spread the word of Christ, Bible Depot began to handout bibles to locals and prison ministries. The churches were not in agreement with their actions towards the prisons and started to protest the store. Though pastors come through regularly to buy supplies for their churches, the protestors did not seem to understand why she was passing out bibles to “criminals”. This protest soon seized and Bible Depot was back to its normal ways. In Reading ‘A Global Sense of Place’ by Tim Cresswell, he states that “some groups make quite positive and inclusive attempts to tap into a place’s history or promote a particular notion of place as an act of resistance”(75). Why the protest may have cause some negative feelings, it made Bible Depot stronger by reminding them why they do what they do.

Looking past their short discrepancies with the churches, Bible Depot has grown exponentially since then. This business is run strictly by family and local volunteers. All their income goes directly into the store and helping out the community. Free workshops are held on Market Street with free food provided by Bible Depot and local restaurants. They highly encourage people to attend Vacation Bible School in the area and if cost is an issue, they will happily provide bibles and any other supplies needed. Their demographic has grow in terms of race, gender, religion, etc. At the time of my interview with Nancy, she mentioned how she recently had roughly 45 customers in the store at once. The support Bible Depot and its customers have for each other have made this community stronger than it has ever been.

A Simple Gesture

Rocks from Bible Depot

The amount of history behind one business can be extraordinary, that is if you can learn about it. I do have to say, it was very hard to obtain information on specific dates and the building in general due to the lack of public access about their history. Bible Depot tends to put the majority of their funds towards the store rather than in advertising and social media. I am so grateful that Nancy Ney was so welcoming and took time out of her day to sit down and discuss the history of Bible Depot. Hearing stories from the woman who put everything into the store and has shared her life with this community was an unbelievable experience. Though it was difficult to come across information in the public domain, part of me believes that meeting Nancy was God’s doing. Being face to face helped me truly understand how important this place means to her, the customers and volunteers. As I was leaving my interview with Nancy at Bible Depot, she told me to pick a rock out of the basket on my way out. That simple gesture made a bigger impact on me than she may have ever know. From now on, I look at this rock and think of James C. Ney because without him, Bible Depot wouldn’t have reached the hearts that it has for 88 years.

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

faith fulness, gentleness, and self-control." Gal 5:22-23

Sources

Photos

  • N.d. Flickriver. Web. 26 Feb. 2019. <http://www.flickriver.com/places/United+States/Pennsylvania/Sunbury/>
  • Photos provided by Nancy Ney
  • Photos provided by John Bucci

Timeline

  • N.d. Time Graphics. Web. 26 Feb. 2019. <https://time.graphics/line/233654>

Interview

  • Nancy Ney. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2019.

Text

  • Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.
  • Cresswell, Tim. Reading ‘A Global Sense of Place’. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

Rearview Memories of BAM

When I have the chance to walk into the Susquehanna Valley Mall, I can’t help but to stop and take a moment to think. During this moment in time I see my past self walk through a crowded mall. I see countless people flooding in and out of bright and exciting stores. As I come back to reality and compare my own historical memories to the reality I am faced with now, I see the opposite. Now I stand almost alone in a mall that feels gloomy and filled with vacant space. Now people walk through as if there is a rush to get into the mall and get back out, because nobody wants to stick around in a place that feels so empty. In reading ‘Defining Place’ by Tim Cresswell, he states, “The museum is an attempt to produce a “place of memory…”(4-5) . In this reading Cresswell further explains what he means by the word place meaning a a mere memory. I can relate to this as the I feel as though the history of this Books-A-Million is my own “place of memory”. Both now and in this distant memory I find myself standing in front of a bookstore. The difference is, as a  child I stand in front of a Walden books. Today I stand in front of Books-A-Million asking myself how it all came to be.

 

The Susquehanna Valley Mall where Books-A-Million is located

Books-A-Million better known as BAM is a corporate chain bookstore that was founded in 1917 by fourteen year old Clyde Anderson. BAM originally made its first appearance in Florence Alabama. The bookstore has grown exponentially as a company in the past one hundred plus years. Today Books-A-Million is a store that many are familiar with and have had the chance to visit. This does not come as a surprise seeing as though the bookstore chain has 260 locations within thirty two states. Because of the amount of stores BAM has, it is the second largest bookstore chain in the United States. When I think about how large of a chain Books-A-Million has grown to be, I cannot help but to think about how hard it is to imagine that one of these 260 stores is located in a small cozy town of Selinsgrove. As I think back to the memories I have of the space BAM now occupies in the Susquehanna Valley Mall, I wonder how such a large chain has stayed in place  in a small town mall that seems to be on the downslide.

Books-A-Million store today

The Susquehanna Valley mall, the current home of the Selinsgrove Books-A-Million opened during the year of 1978. Though Books-A-Million was not one of the original stores that was in this mall, it serves as a window into the past of how Books-A-Million found its home here in 2011. When BAM had taken over the bookstore that preceded it, was not a takeover of stores that came as shocking to consumers. The Books-A-Million chain was beginning to take over many bookstores that were closing during this time. It was also a change that was physically easy seeing as the store that BAM bookstore was taking over was also previously a bookstore. It was almost as if this space within the Susquehanna Valley mall was created to remain a bookstore.

Walking through the Susquehanna Valley mall today I find BAM in the place where I used

Waldenbooks Closes in 2011

to find Waldenbooks. A smaller branch of larger corporate store Borders. I think about how the space has changed. I urge myself to spot differences. But, as my memories become blurry, I fail to spot the differences between a space that was and is home to the two bookstores. To me, Waldenbooks seemed to be a bit more low-key. Though it was also a chain bookstore as opposed to an independent bookstore, I felt there was more of a traditional bookstore feel. You could walk in and see books and feel as though you were in the right place if you were in search for a new read. Though my memories of this store could be changing over time, I feel I could remember the lighting being a little less fluorescent. I also can remember walking into the bookstore and finding primarily an assortment of books. Today you can find that more than half of the bookstore is trinkets and toys. My memory and the history of how BAM came to be, causes me to long for the time where this bookstore was focused on selling books. My memories lead to Waldenbooks because for as long as I can remember, Waldenbooks was seated in a corner spot of our small mall. In 2011 Boarders announced they would be closing their smaller mall chain stores, and later that year in October, Books-A-Million replaced Waldenbooks in the Susquehanna Valley Mall. It has been there ever since despite the closings of countless stores surrounding it. I can’t help but to wonder how it still stands strong among stores that seem to be on the downfall.

In the past it seemed that the mall bookstore was the place to buy books. From the opening of the mall in 1978 until the year of 2011, book buyers were able to come to the same spot in the Selinsgrove mall to buy books. Later in 2011, The bookstore name was changed but its identity of a bookstore remained stable. Luckily this move was not one that would leave a long lasting open space as in the future business closings in the mall. In ‘A Global Sense of Place’, by Tim Cresswell, Cresswell states, “The ‘permanence’ of place is a form of investment and fixity”. (58) I feel that this route from the reading really emphasizes the history of where BAM came from when entering the Susquehanna Valley mall. in other terms, BAM was a good investment when entering the mall because of its “fixity”. The store was previously a bookstore before BAM, it was not a surprise it became a seemingly permanent fixture. There are many reasons this also holds true. Perhaps it is due to the fact that the Susquehanna Valley mall was a meeting point that drew crowds in from each surrounding town. People from towns such as Lewisburg, Danville, Middleburg, and many more could be found at the very mall where the former Waldenbooks and the current Books-A-Million bookstore can be found.

Because of the small nature of our mall and the lack of consumers that visit the Susquehanna mall today, there are not a plethora of chances for our mall to host things such as books signings, guest visits, or other events in its past that make the small store stand out. Books-A-Million as a company puts together many different crowd drawing events that increase sales and consumers. These events are held in Books-A-Million stores that are in more populated areas. So, in the history of our Selinsgrove Area Books-A-Million we have had very few guest author visits and book signings. Growing up and visiting this mall often, I can not recall any personal experiences with Books-A-Million and book signings.

Overall my past experiences with this mall lead to a memory of a bookstore that many may overlook. However, my distant memories are flooded with wonder about how such a thriving corporate bookstore can continue to stay standing in a mall that is withering away store by store year by year. The history of Books-A-Million is one that exudes hope for the future as a company. But as for the BAM store I know and love, I prefer to think about it in my rearview memory: The full and thriving store that people from all surrounding towns come to visit and find the literature they love.

Sources

Timeline:

N.d. Time Graphics. Web. 26 Feb. 2019. <https://time.graphics/line/233654>

Pictures:
Mall Photo -http://www.wkok.com/susquehanna-valley-mall-not-being-sold/
BAM Photo -https://hiveminer.com/Tags/selinsgrove%2Csusquehannavalleymall
Waldenbooks Photo-http://peoriachronicle.com/2010/01/03/waldenbooks-in-peoria-to-close-this-month/
Text:
Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

Cresswell, Tim. Reading ‘A Global Sense of Place’. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

Data:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Books-A-Million