Library Express Bookstore: buy or borrow!

Library Express Bookstore: buy or borrow!

The Electric City Trolley Museum. Image courtesy of Jim Cheney.

Scranton, Pennsylvania is well known as the Electric City. According to Google, it is known for its Steamtown National Historic Site. Some may know it from their Electric City Trolley Museum which has vintage trolleys. Others may only know Scranton from the US adaptation of the television series, The Office, which is set at a fictional paper company in Scranton. Or perhaps people may know Scranton just because of the colleges that are located there.

Head down to Scranton for a day or a weekend trip, and stop by the Marketplace at Steamtown where you may find whatever you need. As stated on the Marketplace at Steamtown’s website it is the “home to lifestyle services, professional offices, retail shops, and entertainment.” The Marketplace at Steamtown has many different stores for just about anyone. If you need to do some errands you may find what you need there. If you want to go to the gym after work, you can stop by Crunch Fitness. If you are a book lover who happens to be taking a trip to Scranton, be sure to stop by the Marketplace at Steamtown where they have a bookstore known as Library Express. This unique place is not only a bookstore, but it also functions as a branch of the Lackawanna County Library System. Much like a regular public library, Library Express will loan books to the members of its community. However, Library Express also allows you to go in and wander around so that you can buy yourself a new or used book as you would do at a regular bookstore.

Streetside view of the entrance of the Marketplace at Steamtown. Map courtesy of Google Maps.

The entrance of Library Express Bookstore. Image courtesy of the Library Express Bookstore Facebook page.

Library Express is located on the Second Floor of the Marketplace at Steamtown. Its storefront is paneled with oak, and it has large windows that have decorations that match the seasons. As seen in the picture below, the window display matches the current autumn season matching people’s love of fall foliage. When the bookstore is open its doors always remain wide open which allows anyone to stroll in. This provides a sense of feeling welcomed and may encourage people to enter the bookstore. Since Scranton has several universities, Library Express is very useful for college students. They can go to the bookstore and either buy the books that they need for school, or they could possibly just borrow them and give them back once they are done with them. Right next door is Lackawanna’s Dress for Success, a second-hand clothing store that all women to feel empowered by providing them with professional attire that allows them to thrive at work. There is also a little food court that has food that ranges from Auntie Anne’s Pretzels to Ruano’s Pizza & Pasta to Amori Sushi. So take a stroll inside the Marketplace at Steamtown, where you can have some lunch, and then go grab yourself the book you have been wanting to read. Plus if you happen to also like The Office then you can stop to check out the Scranton Welcome sign that is seen during the opening credits of the television series.

Library Express Window Decorated for the Fall. Image courtesy of the Library Express Bookstore Page

In Tim Cresswell’s “Defining Place” he talks a lot about what a place can be, whether it is a specific location, locale, or a sense of place. There are many things that are considered places such as your bedroom, a garden, a gym, Scranton, Marketplace at Steamtown, Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, etc. As Cresswell would say what makes these all considered places is that “they are spaces which people have made meaningful” (7), and that is what these places are to people. These places including Library Express provide people with what they may need or want. Library Express is a place that is meaningful to bookworms who cannot help but stop by and buy a new or used book. It is also a meaningful place for college students to stop by and possibly borrow a book if they do not wish to buy it since they already spend a lot of money just to go to their university.

According to the 2020 Census Bureau, the city of Scranton was predominately White (71.3%), the second highest demographic was Hispanic (9.51%), the third was Black or African American (5.39%), then following was Asian (5.07%). With three more demographics: Multiracial (Hispanic) at 3.17%, Multiracial (Non-Hispanic) at 3%, and Other (Hispanic) at 2.01%.

The age of the population is approximately 33% 65 years old or older and 15% at the age of 25 or younger. However, in the neighborhood that Library Express is in, about 35% of households whose incomes are less than $15K in a year.

In Laura J. Miller’s Reluctant Capitalists Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, she mentions how the right kind of businesses are “nourished by its vital connections to a locality” and that they “can rise above profit considerations to provide community service as well as customer service” (122). This is exactly what Library Express does. The Library Express being a branch of a public library and bookstore allows it to provide not only for the community but also for a regular customer who may not be part of its neighborhood community.

Sources:

Texts

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: An Introduction, 2013, p 7.

Library Express Facebook Page. Facebook. (n.d.). https://www.facebook.com/LibraryExpress/

Miller, Laura J. “Serving the Entertained Consumer: The Multifunction Bookstore.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 122.

Mixed-use Facility: The Marketplace at Steamtown: United States. Steamtown. (n.d.). https://www.themarketplaceatsteamtown.com/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

We brighten the lives of women across the world. Dress for Success Lackawanna. (n.d.). https://lackawanna.dressforsuccess.org/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Images

The entrance of the bookstore: https://www.facebook.com/LibraryExpress/ Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

The window display: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=881111396810461&set=pb.100047348262907.-2207520000&type=3 Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Cheney, Jim. “17 of My Favorite Things to Do in Scranton, PA.” Uncovering PA, 14 Aug. 2023, https://uncoveringpa.com/things-to-do-in-scranton-pa Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Maps

Streetside view of the entrance of the Marketplace at Steamtown https://maps.app.goo.gl/8fpjpofh9HFcFUrm9

**Map created on https://mymaps.google.com/ **

Statistics

Households by IncomeClaritas, https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

Scranton, PA. Data USA. (n.d.). https://datausa.io/profile/geo/scranton-pa#demographics Accessed 18 Sept. 2023.

The Capital’s Culture: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Brings Life Into Harrisburg

The Capital’s Culture: Midtown Scholar Bookstore Brings Life Into Harrisburg

Midtown Scholar Bookstore, located in the bustling city center of Pennsylvania’s capital, has become a staple in the Harrisburg area since its doors opened in 2001.

Tim Cresswell talks about political geographer, John Agnew’s, “three fundamental aspects of place as a ‘meaningful location.’” These aspects are location, locale, and sense of place. It’s already been said that Midtown Scholar is located in Harrisburg, PA, but what does that mean for its locale? What is “the actual shape of place within which people conduct their lives as individuals,” (Cresswell p. 7)?

Midtown Scholar is within the 17102 zip code, which houses roughly a sixth of the overall population of Harrisburg, PA (Data USA and Claritas). This segment of the population is made up of mostly people 25-years-old and up, with the majority unmarried and living alone (Claritas). It is also a diversified area regarding race and ethnicity, as shown in the graphic on the left.

Keep in mind that this is only a small segment of the population which can find enjoyment in Midtown Scholar and all it has to offer. However, these are the people that make up the immediate surroundings, and therefore have a level of influence on how people from beyond that area feel about entering it. Laura J. Miller states, “Suburban women would take periodic shopping trips to the city, and commuting men would pick up items on their way home from work. Some suburbanites minded the inconvenience, especially those who saw the city as a place of iniquity and danger,” when discussing the post-World War II era, within which shopping in the city became less necessary for the suburban areas surrounding them (Reluctant Capitalists, p. 89-90). Despite being many decades since this change began, there is still quite the stigma around city areas, and Harrisburg is no exception. Although some may harbor this tainted idea of cities, the neighborhood Midtown Scholar is housed in has been referred to as “an up-and-coming neighborhood” by Jim Cheney in his September 2023 review for Uncovering PA.

Looking at the map of midtown and downtown Harrisburg, one will find several locations (marked in purple) that were built, like Midtown Scholar (marked in red), for the artistic, cultural, and historical betterment of the community. Midtown Scholar sits in the same strip as the famed Broad Street Market, known for its numerous vendors and fresh foods, and the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, known for its live music performances. Also not far are the Susquehanna Art Museum and Midtown Cinema. Just on the other side of Forster Street, a main road running through Center City, anyone interested can visit the State Museum of Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania State Capitol Complex, Capitol Park, or The Forum Auditorium, all beautiful representations of the art, architecture, and history of the Harrisburg area. And if that all is not enough to fill the day, taking a quick trip through the Strawberry Square shopping center could kill some time as well.

The bookstore also makes a point of being involved with the community surrounding them. Jim Cheney’s review also states, “The local arts scene is quite prevalent in the store, with local artists, authors, and speakers frequenting the Scholar’s stage and the work of local artists hanging on the walls.” Anyone who visits the About Us: Community page on the Midtown Scholar website can see their preference for local representation in their featured events and works.

To have such a hand in the community, the store must understand who this community is and why their influence on the store and its influence on them is culturally significant to the Harrisburg area. In this way, the community and the store formulate their sense of place. The community and the locale and how it all interacts shows how, “places must have some relationship to humans and the human capacity to produce and consume meaning,” (Cresswell p. 7). Featured on the Midtown Scholar website, along with their mission statement, is part of a review left by Carson Vaughan in his article “The Independent Bookstores Every Booklover Should Visit in the U.S.” (Vaughan, 2017) for Travel + Leisure back in 2017 (the original article is no longer on the Travel + Leisure site). In it, Vaughan remarks, “Today, The Midtown Scholar has become a veritable marketplace of ideas… Come for the literature, stay for the conversation.” This is the sense of place Midtown Scholar has built for itself over the course of its (so far) 22 years.

Citations
Texts

Cheney, Jim. “Visiting Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Harrisburg’s Best Destination for Literary Lovers.” Uncovering PA, 6 Sept. 2023, uncoveringpa.com/midtown-scholar-bookstore.

“Community.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, www.midtownscholar.com/community. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Cresswell, Tim. “Defining Place.” Place: A Short Introduction, Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA, 2004, p. 7.

“History and Mission.” Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe, https://www.midtownscholar.com/history-and-mission. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Miller, Laura J. “Designing the Bookstore for the Standard Consumer.” Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption, University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 2007, p. 89-90.

Vaughan, Carson. “The Independent Bookstores Every Booklover Should Visit in the U.S.” Local Color XC, Local Color XC, 30 Jan. 2017, www.localcolorxc.com/travel-blog/2017/1/27/local-color-xc-in-travel-leisure.

Images

H, David. Inside Midtown Scholar Bookstore. 13 Feb. 2022. Yelp, https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/midtown-scholar-bookstore-harrisburg?select=6VTVMd9GRzFXoRWIjrXsDA. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Schindlerdigital. State Capitol building in Harrisburg Pennsylvania. 15 Sept. 2018. Wikimedia, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:State_Capitol_building_in_Harrisburg_Pennsylvania.jpg. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Stats

Harrisburg, PA. Data USA. https://datausa.io/profile/geo/harrisburg-pa. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Population by Race & Ethnicity. Claritas, https://claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Maps

“Midtown Scholar Bookstore.” Google Maps, Google, www.google.com/maps/@40.2698301,-76.8890499,3a,75y,231.75h,98.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1srbbfijdcvJQOKjpdNqUABA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu. Accessed 19 Sept. 2023.

Neumyer, Olivia. (2023) Midtown Harrisburg Art/Culture Scene, Google My Maps. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1i6ufKyiP25OTPeo8WR6njjFNgehCwG4&ll=40.264298356631905%2C-76.88645563397043&z=16. Accessed 19 September 2023.

Gentrification & Reclamation: A Look at Harriett’s Bookshop

Gentrification & Reclamation: A Look at Harriett’s Bookshop

The Historic Neighborhood of Fishtown is Being Aggresivly Developed

But A Simple Bookshop May Just Restore Agency to the Community

Fishtown is considered the hub of Philadelphia’s trendiest artistic and cultural pursuits. From small coffee shops to independent art galleries, to local bookstores, the neighborhood is filled with attractive, interesting, fresh businesses. Geographically, Fishtown sits right along the Delaware River and the Delaware Expressway, making it a community rich with commuters and travelers alongside its regular residents. But there’s another side to Fishtown. Named for the historic residents of the area—mostly Irish Catholic fishermen and fishmongers—Fishtown is home to a whopping 37 registered historic sites, with likely far more gone unrecognized. The dichotomy of old and new creates a palpable tension.

Approximate location of Fishtown, also known as Lower Kensington

Philly’s overall population has struggled with gentrification because of the city’s deep historical roots, and the large population of lower-income people, people of color, and queer people who are disproportionately affected by the rising costs of rent and cost of living created by gentrifying development. For many, Fishtown serves as a potent example of the effects of development, and the loss of history.

On the outskirts of Fishtown, close to Delaware, lies Harriett’s Bookshop, owned and curated by author and educator Jeannine Cook. Harriett’s promotes the voices of Black American authors, primarily women, and believes in a strong sense of activism, art, and literature. The more I learned about Fishtown, the more I realized that there couldn’t be a better place for a bookstore that so valued the cultural development of its neighborhood, and the uplifting of marginalized voices therein.

Harriett’s storefront on Girard Ave sits on the southeast side of Fishtown, close to the river. The street is rich with businesses, with a healthy mix of generational ma-and-pa businesses like plumbers and cornerstones, and trendy hotspot cafes and photography studios. The majority of the buildings along Girard Ave are small, residential apartments and townhouses, built out of brick and colorfully painted wood. The street feels older, and genuine, making Harriet’s clean, san-serifed name stand out distinctly.

So Harriett’s exists right in the crux of the two markets of Fishtown: young, hip, trendy newcomers, and the older natives of the historic land. Because of this, Harriett’s needs to find ways to toe the line, to respect history but still look forward to the future. And it does just that.

Jeannine Cook chose the name Harriett’s Bookshop to honor Harriett Tubman, an incredible abolitionist human rights activist who moved hundreds of enslaved Black Americans to freedom in the North. Cook designed Harriett’s as both a “monument to [Harriett Tubman’s] legacy and also for folks to have dialogue around important issues.” In this way, Cook has constructed a definition of place quite in the same way that Tim Cresswell does in Place: A Short Introduction. Cresswell describes the location of the Twin Towers in New York City as containing the weight and power of the events of 9/11, in the sense that events, and public perception of those events, impose an incredible amount of energy to a place. Cook has attached the emotional and historical weight of Harriett Tubman’s legacy and the power and history of Black American Women to this bookstore. She’s created a hub of social and cultural understanding and an area of conversation in a neighborhood that marginalizes Black and African American citizens.

Graphic Pulled from Claritas, Titled Population by Race and Ethnicity

Philadelphia’s racial demographic breakdown, according to Data USA, tells a story that Fishtown in particular doesn’t. Philly has a huge percentage of Black or African American residents (around 40.1%), with the remaining population primarily White (34.1%), and then Asian (7%), with 15% of the city being ethnically Hispanic. Fishtown, however, is broken down as being predominantly White, with a dwindling population of other racial groups. Cook carefully curates Harriett’s book stock to reflect living artists of color, usually women, as well as artists of the past who have been historically underrepresented. She stocks Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, Zora Neale Hurston, and Alice Walker. Harriett’s Bookshop creates an environment that plays against the historic assumptions of elitism in bookselling that Laura Miller presents in Reluctant Capitalists. Miller writes about the transfer of agency in defining the literary cannon from elitist booksellers to the people, that the industry has transitioned to “the consumer having the right to freely choose cultural goods without interference from cultural elites.” Cook’s curation almost reflects the curation of those cultural elites from bookselling’s past, but instead seeks to center the work that those elites would not have honored, work that has gone long unrecognized, work that uplifts the people of color in the community of Harriett’s.

Additionally, Harriett’s serves a demographic of people who are slowly losing their homes by creating a new sense of home for them in the bookstore–the low-income community of Fishtown. While household incomes average high in the neighborhood, there’s a large number of people who make less than $15,000 annually, an income that is practically unliveable in Philadelphia.

Graphic pulled from Claritas titled Households by Income

Cook creates a sense of welcome and hominess in Harriett’s by having wide open spaces with comfortable seating, and always burning Frankincense to create a calm, comfortable environment that people can enjoy even if they can’t buy a book. She hosts frequent cultural events and has been known to hand out free books. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cook set up a table outside where people could purchase books on an honor system. All of these things contribute to a relationship of trust and respect between Harriett’s and the people who live in the community around the bookstore. In a neighborhood that reflects Cresswell’s darker effects of place, where older neighbors might think that “‘Our Place’ is being threatened and others have to be excluded,” Harriett’s creates a unifying, respectful, peaceful energy that relaxes tensions and relieves stress. It truly serves as an example of how a bookstore can reflect the best of a community.

“Throughout the whole process [of opening], I kept thinking, ‘What could I give people that wouldn’t cost a lot but would potentially have a positive effect on their lives? Even if they decide not to buy a book, they get the frankincense, and they remember that they can come back to this space for that vibe.” –Jeanine Cook

Works Cited:

Claritas. “Claritas.” Claritas.com, 2018, claritas360.claritas.com/mybestsegments/#zipLookup.

Cresswell, Tim. “In Place/out of Place: Geography, Ideology, and Transgression.” Journal of Architectural Education (1984-), vol. 51, no. 2, Nov. 1997, p. 138, https://doi.org/10.2307/1425455.

“Defining “Historic Fishtown.”” Hidden City Philadelphia, 17 May 2016, hiddencityphila.org/2016/05/defining-historic-fishtown/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2023.

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

“Philadelphia, PA | Data USA.” Datausa.io, 2017, datausa.io/profile/geo/philadelphia-pa.

Poitevien, Jessica . “This Philadelphia Bookstore Honors Harriet Tubman’s Legacy with Literature, Art, and Activism.” Travel + Leisure, 20 Oct. 2022, www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/harrietts-bookshop-philadelphia. Accessed 17 Sept. 2023.

Sasko, Claire. “The Coolest Addition to Philly’s Indie Bookshop Scene Is Opening in Fishtown.” Philadelphia Magazine, 17 Jan. 2020, www.phillymag.com/news/2020/01/17/harrietts-bookshop-fishtown/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2023.

Gentrification & Reclamation: A Look at Harriett’s Bookshop

Fiercely Independent: the Artfulness of Mondragon Books

On a rainy day in March, I walked into Mondragon Bookstore to see the owner, Sarajane Snyder, and a shop volunteer using the front room to look through books while listening to a country-sounding record. Some stores would allot off-time for reorganizing, but Mondragon is transparent with its customers. There is not a veil between the owner and the consumer, speaking to the general notion that Mondragon’s shelves are never finalized and are always evolving to educate the multitude of visitors that enter the shop.

Even though Snyder created a hand-drawn map for Mondragon’s interior, the owner was quick to note that she is always thinking about changing the shelves (Snyder). Currently, the map is cluttered with general categories that are surrounded by smaller hand-written footnotes regarding quirky store details. Her clear distaste for the pristine is evident in the visual qualities of the map, which is reflected in the rest of the store. While there is a general organization, the “stuff” of the bookstore is artfully displayed in a jumbled yet pleasing way. Corporate bookstores may rely on organization and cleanliness, but Mondragon is a unique space that has the personality of an independent shop.

Although independent bookstores have a certain rebellious nature to them, this is a relatively new concept, as outlined in the book Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption by Laura J. Miller. In the latter half of the twentieth century, it was much easier for chain stores to succeed in the marketplace, so independent stores had to come together to fight for the lack of justice (Miller 175). Mondragon echoes this notion still because it is clear that the store takes pride in its uniqueness. There are piles of books on floors and tables that are not shelved in a seemingly organized manner. This demonstrates Snyder’s lack of needing to follow corporate bookstore rules and allow Mondragon’s interior to reflect the aesthetic that independent stores are supposed to embrace.

A pile of books on a table that are not neatly shelved.

In the front hallway of the shop, I was first greeted with local magazines and pamphlets advertising the greater Central Pennsylvania area. Those wanting to find more information about local happenings do not have to actually enter the main part of the store to receive information, demonstrating that local organizations have a symbiotic relationship with the greater community and rely on each other to survive.

Hall Books are accessible 24/7 and are sold at a cheap price.

Past the local section of the hallway rests a couple of shelves filled with cheap books. These books are strategically placed outside of the main part of the store because Snyder is aware that these books are unlikely to appeal to most people. Additionally, the owner knows that people will come in during off-hours (the hallway remains unlocked) and steal books, but she is not overly concerned about it. Snyder is fully aware that the store will not be making a huge profit off of them.

Snyder’s willingness to let books go is unlike traditional means of collecting. To an extent, the bookstore is similar to a museum space because both are in the business of preserving culture. Arthur James Clifford discusses the ways in which society impacts culture in the book The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-Century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Most collectors try to tie in each item of a collection to a specific narrative that is not always accurate (Clifford 244-246). Instead of trying to fit each book into some important narrative, Snyder understands that she does not have use for all items of the past. The collection of books in Mondragon is living and not bound by social or cultural constructs. This is what allows her to let go of certain items and not hold onto something for its supposed intrinsic value.

A painting by Joanne LaNois in the front room of Mondragon.

Following the front hallway, the front room of Mondragon is the temporary home to a hodge-podge of items. In a room filled with books, I instantly noticed the paintings on the wall first. Both panels are by artist Joanne LaNois and include visually abstract representations of the figure that exist in some unknown space. These paintings symbolize the bookstore because shop visitors enter into an unknown, cluttered space full of colors and differently sized shapes. The paintings portray the idea that the visual qualities of the interior are just as important as the actual books. Mondragon has a certain aesthetic, and the items in the shop give it character.

The books in the front room are reflective of Snyder’s core beliefs. While I would consider most of these books to be coffee table books, they are about bettering oneself and learning to be self-sufficient. Snyder used to work on a farm and is highly interested in being able to provide for herself (Snyder). This front room serves as Snyder’s “friend trap,” seeing that Snyder’s ideal friend would probably not want to leave this room without reading more.

Following the front room, there is a side room that consists of books about travel, history, and economics. On their face value, most of these books seem boring, even Snyder mentioned that she wants to change this part of the store (Snyder). Regardless, she did manage to enliven the space by placing small collages on the selves. These collages are made up of old books that Snyder allows visitors to destroy during art nights on Thursdays (Snyder). Again, this demonstrates that Snyder uses books for aesthetic reasons and is not overly concerned with just preserving them.

In the middle of the side room, there is a desk by the window that faces the street and invites visitors to sit down and read a book. The books may not be interesting to the average consumer, but they serve as a decent backdrop for those wanting to sit at a desk and feel as if they are in a cozy, contemplative space. This is another example as to how the bookstore is not just about preserving the merchandise but being a visually appealing place for consumers.

A desk with a view.

To get to the next room, visitors are guided by the connecting hallway to the middle room. This room looks like the course catalog for a liberal arts college because there are sections for fine arts, philosophy, religion, and theater. It is a room dedicated to teaching, as are most of the books in Mondragon’s collection.

Another hallway full of books leads to the back room. Here, one is able to find all the books filed under fiction, one of the most popular book categories. Instead of being able to easily locate the ever so popular fiction books, visitors have to navigate through the entire store and see everything that the shop has to offer. It is a smart marketing ploy, but it also allows consumers to learn more about other types of books while walking through Snyder’s visual aesthetic.

The fiction section located in the back of the shop.

Overall, Mondragon’s interior is organized in a unique way that does not follow the clean structure of a corporate bookstore. While there are general categories, Snyder wants the space to give visitors a unique store experience that is welcoming and focused on bettering oneself. Corporate bookstores make the book-buying process easy, while Mondragon encourages visitors to think about the space and learn from their surroundings.

Sources

Interview

Snyder, Sarajane. Personal Interview. 22 February 2019.

Images

Photos of Mondragon Books courtesy of Samantha Thompson.

 Text

Clifford, James. The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1988.

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

 

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

Mondragon Cooperative: Homesickness, Karl Marx, and the Basque Country

When I first heard the name “Mondragon,” I instantly thought of a mythical being, akin to something I would read in a story about hobbits. I quickly learned that Mondragon’s name is more meaningful than a fictional beast.

The term “Mondragon” is specific in meaning because it is the name of the world’s largest owned co-op located in Mondragon, Basque Country, Spain. Instead of relying on a capitalistic hierarchy, the Mondragon Corporation is jointly owned by the workers (Guadiana).

Mondragon Co-op Bookstore and Meeting Space was opened on June 20th, 2009 by Bucknell professor Charles Sackrey. Sackrey was a tenured professor that did not open the bookstore for financial gain but to have discussions with customers about Marxism (Snyder). As the original name suggests, the store was a meeting space filled with books. Unlike the interior now, Mondragon in its earlier state was not optimized for profit. The interior was inherently Marxist because the store emphasized the notion of wanting to be a place for bettering oneself and not a place of capitalism.

Even though the shop has ties to Spain, its history is inherently linked to Bucknell. Sackrey was able to open Mondragon because he did not intend for it to be his primary source of income. He was a tenured professor, so he was financially secure and able to explore other endeavors. Sackrey was likely looking to have more meaningful discussions beyond the classroom and wanted to find other like-minded people- or those willing to challenge him- in the Lewisburg area (Snyder). Regardless, it is impossible to separate Mondragon from Bucknell because it began as a side project by a professor.

Current owner Sarajane Snyder keeps the store open for similar purposes. In an interview, Snyder stated that she is originally from the Lewisburg area but moved away as a college student and later worked on a farm in California. While still living on the West Coast, she realized that she was homesick and decided to return to Central Pennsylvania.

At around the time Snyder moved back, Sackrey was looking to gift the Mondragon Bookstore to a new owner. Sackrey was dealing with health issues, and Snyder just so happened to be looking for a job. Sackrey first asked if those currently working at the bookstore wanted to own the shop, but no one was interested. Soon after, Snyder was named the new owner after inquiring about the position (Snyder).

 

To most business professionals, a change in ownership would be a monumental date, usually marked by some sort of celebration or grand re-opening. While that is typically the case, Snyder does not remember the exact day that she took over Mondragon. I found this to be frustrating when trying to solidify important dates. Nevertheless, the lack of commemoration surrounding this day is indicative of Mondragon’s co-op nature. Snyder did not “take-over” the business in a capitalistic sense seeing that the shop does not revolve around a traditional business hierarchy. While Snyder is “in-charge” of Mondragon, she acts more as the conductor of ideas. Snyder relies on Mondragon’s volunteers and store-visitors for business inspiration. This was made apparent when she asked us, students in a two-hundred level literature class, about ideas for her business.

Another interesting component to the change in ownership is that there was no true business plan. Snyder said that she is still trying to figure out a plan but having a successful business strategy is more of an afterthought than the actual purpose of the shop (Snyder). Mondragon is an establishment that is meant to bring together like-minded people and allow for the exchange of ideas.

Although the details surrounding the relatively-new ownership are murky, it is clear when the change of hand began. Mondragon became more active on social media by the end of 2016, clearly marking Snyder’s influence on the bookshop. Additionally, the handing down of the store resulted in an in-store revitalization- and a shortening of the store name to Mondragon Books.

Snyder remarked that the bookstore’s layout and cluttered nature is reflective of what her personal home and office space looks like. There is a general organization to the building, yet it feels busy due to the packed nature of the store. The store itself is a work of art that is constantly changing and adapting to new ideas. Snyder mentioned that she is still trying to fulfill her role as owner and learning as she goes, and the space reflects that idea (Snyder).

The connection between art and literature is not a new idea, as mentioned in the book Sunwise Turn: A Human Comedy of Bookselling by Madge Jenison. The author describes the interior of the independent bookstore she opened with Mary Mowbray-Clarke. Jenison writes, “We had both been talking and thinking a great deal about color since the big post-impressionist show of 1915; and one theory… was that a room should be built from a full prism- that a full chord of color would make a room more alive and complete and restful than two or three contrasted notes can do” (Jenison 17).

As demonstrated by the passage, bookstores are romanticized spaces that are able to encompass the owners’ tastes and appeal to the general public. Mondragon implements this same idea because it is essentially an apartment filled with books, art, and vinyl records. It is appealing to customers because it feels like a home, yet the space is active and promising of an educational experience.

When Snyder first took on the ownership role, she had not worked in a bookstore before. Although that was the case, she did have prior experience selling books. As a young adult, her parents requested that Snyder pair down her book collection. To carry out this request, Snyder bought a stall at an antique market and began her bookselling endeavors there (Snyder).

Mondragon serves as a larger extension of this antique market stall because it is an extension of the bookstore owner. Snyder started out by selling books from her own personal collection and still relies on her intuition when it comes to sorting out books for Mondragon customers. Mondragon receives its stock through book donations, so Snyder is constantly rummaging through piles of books to determine what does and does not deserve shelf space (Snyder).

Snyder calls the store a “friend trap” because she is trying to attract like-minded people through her choice in books. Snyder encompasses the essence of the didactic 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). Snyder recognizes that some consumers want to anonymously buy books, but she wants her store to be a place of discussion. Snyder encourages conversation and wants to meet people that are interested in the same subjects that she is interested in. This was evident in the short period of time that I was speaking to Snyder because she was excited to have students in the shop. Though, she did mention that she was paid for speaking at Bucknell and half-joked that she wanted to be paid for this too. Again, this comment emphasizes the bookstore contradiction of wanting to serve the public for the greater good and needing to make a profit to survive.

Through talking with Snyder, it is clear that Mondragon demonstrates the greater idea of the personal bookstore. A personal bookstore reflects the owner’s taste, which is evident in its layout and book selection. Mondragon is atypical because personal bookstores are usually named after the owner. Even though “Mondragon” is not the name of a person, it is reflective of everyone that works there because it is meant to mirror a co-op. While the bookstore is owned by Snyder, it is comprised of volunteers that impact the store just as much as she does. She jokingly added that she practically volunteers herself.

Even though Mondragon has changed a lot within the past few years under new ownership, the creation of the store is tied to Bucknell. Lewisburg is home to Central Pennsylvanian residents, but Bucknell is the main reason why Sackrey was able to open Mondragon in 2009. The bookstore may be independently owned, but its history is inherently connected and influenced by its college residents.

Many thanks to Sarajane Snyder.

Sources

Interview

Snyder, Sarajane. Personal Interview. 22 February 2019.

Images

Photos of Mondragon Books courtesy of Samantha Thompson. 

Mondragon Books. <https://www.facebook.com/MondragonBookstore>

Text

Jenison, Madge. Sunwise Turn: A Human Comedy of Bookselling. New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1923.

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

Web Page

Guadiana, Marcelo. “Mondragon Cooperatives: Improving Spain’s Economic Struggle. Borgen Project, www.borgenproject.org/spains-economic-struggle. Accessed 26 February 2019.

Comics Cradled in History

Lewisburg Opera House

The Opera House post fire

In 1868, Henry G. Schwartz, the architect responsible for many of the houses lining South Third Street in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, drew up designs for, and subsequently went about building, the Lewisburg Opera House, known at its birth by the simple moniker The Music Hall. From the group of local businessmen who came to own the building, investor H. Eyer Spyker rose to prominence, assuming control of the Opera House amidst his improvements to the House between 1894 and 1907. The recent development of railroads allowed theatrical performing companies to tour the country’s selection of theatres and draw in spectators, and the Opera House was no exception. Thirty-nine years after its original construction, however, the Opera House was the site of a terrible blaze. On December 27th, 1907, The Lewisburg Opera House burned to the ground. All that remains now of the once beautiful building is a single brick cornerstone, standing alone next to the municipal parking lot on South Third Street.

The street is home to a number of modern attractions. Just across from the remains of the Opera House, located at 26 South Third Street, is Comics Metropolis LLC, a comics shop opened in 2016. It’s a quaint building, and unless you know it’s there, you may very well miss it. It looks just like the houses further down the street, because that is exactly what it was before owners Albert and Laura Payne purchased it, and refashioned it as the welcoming nerd haven it now is. Nearby, there exists a particular location that seems as though it would offer a rather large clientele base for the store in question: Bucknell University. Bucknell is a mere four-minute drive, or, for those finding themselves bereft of a car, or merely seeking to get in a little exercise, a fifteen-minute walk, from Comics Metropolis. The “official” Bucknell Barnes and Noble branch exists much closer to the comics shop, and the shop may serve as a welcome nearby distraction from the rigor of shopping for college textbooks (and may also be a little more forgiving on the wallet).

The presence of Bucknell offers another layer to the identity of Comics Metropolis’s space. Later in his book, Cresswell examines the ideas of Doreen Massey. The third point of her’s that Cresswell highlights is the most pertinent: Massey states “a need for a clear sense of boundaries around the place separating it from the world outside” as an issue with reactionary definitions of place (Cresswell, 72). Massey, in the essay sampled by Cresswell, challenges readers to reexamine the way they think about globalization. Boundaries are an intensely present aspect of humans identifying their place in the world, both physically and situationally. States and countries have borders to physically allocate each territory particular allotments of space; that space in turn becomes synonymous with a particular place identity. Bucknell helps define the place of Lewisburg, helps define the space within which Comics Metropolis is contained, and offers an interesting factor to the identity of Lewisburg’s and Comics Metropolis’s places. According to Data USA, and as of 2016, 2,336 of the 5,757 person population of Lewisburg (40.6% of the population!) is within 18-24 years old. Of course, not all of these individuals are attending university, and indeed, many of those that are may not even be attending college at Bucknell or in the Lewisburg area, but the fact stands that almost half of the population of Lewisburg falls within the age range stereotypically assumed to be the main demographic consuming comics-related paraphernalia.

A 2012 survey taken to examine the consumer base of DC Comics (courtesy of comicsbeat.com) highlights a discrepancy in the argument I allowed: based on the survey’s findings, the two age groups that afforded the largest procurement of DC Comics releases were 25-34 years old and 35-44 years old (37%-42% and 27%-35%, respectively). College-age consumers come in at third place. Perhaps it is too large an allowance to say that Comics Metropolis is playing to the demographics of Lewisburg, as nearly sixty percent of Lewisburg’s population (58.3% to be precise) falls within these top three age ranges, but then again, its entirely possible that this is exactly what was aimed for. With such a large percentage of the population falling within the targeted demographic for one of the world’s leading comics publishers, there certainly is no shortage of business opportunity.

The final important idea of place to discuss is brought forward by Laura J. Miller in her book Reluctant Capitalists. In the chapter four section “The Critique of Standardization”, Miller uses the example of 1920’s ‘book-of-the-month’ clubs, which were critiqued for “driving Americans to read the same works, perpetuating literary standardization, and sapping the population’s individuality” (Miller, 106). I find that this “sapping of the population’s individuality” is not present in Comics Metropolis’s neighborhood. The uniqueness of building a bookstore in a house adds to the personality and individualism of the store, and makes it a perhaps welcome alternative to Bucknell’s Barnes and Noble, which is a product of standardization and capitalism. The lack of ‘retailization’ (I just made that word up I think) of the surrounding area lends Comics Metropolis an air of homeyness/personality. It makes it more welcoming, like you’re stepping into someone’s house rather than a place of business (helped, of course, by the physical location of the business itself). The fact that the bookstore is kind of removed from the commercial hub of Lewisburg makes casual browsers feel less like they are there to spend money, and makes the atmosphere more relaxing.

Comics Metropolis’s place is, at its core, a space for people to have a small escape from the consumerism of even just the main street of Lewisburg by stepping down a smaller street into a residential area populated by colorful houses (follow the street view above to the right and you’ll see what I’m talking about) and the churches mentioned earlier. Itself a house, Comics Metropolis holds the strength of the independent bookstore that standardized chains bookstores can never hope to compete with: a unique environment present only in this very particular store, and that alone is an intensely powerful draw.

 

Sources:

“Article 17.” Union County Historical Society, www.unioncountyhistoricalsociety.org/OnceUpon/Article17.pdf.

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

Cresswell, Tim. Place: a Short Introduction. Blackwell, 2010.

MacDonald, Heidi. “DC Retailer Survey Results: Older, Male, Middle-Class, Avid.” The Beat, 10 Feb. 2012, www.comicsbeat.com/dc-retailer-survey-results-older-male-middle-class-avid/.

“Lewisburg, PA.” Data USA, datausa.io/profile/geo/lewisburg-pa/.

Sex, Birth, and Death: The Rise and Supposed Fall of the Independent, Liberal Bookstore

The idea of driving to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania seems like a hassle to most Susquehanna University college students because it is a whopping twenty-five minute drive to get there. Admittedly, I had only been there a handful of times, but I wish I had understood what the town has to offer before my senior year of college.

On a rainy day in February, I embarked on a trip to visit Mondragon Books, a small, independently owned bookstore on the main street of Lewisburg. Upon entering the building, I initially noticed the Basquiat-like drawings on the walls encouraging me to pick up a book and read. This request was not hard to fulfill seeing that there are books everywhere. I quickly noticed that the space is not limited to just literature but is instead filled with art, records, maps, and Victorian-inspired furniture. While the store may seem like a Marie Kondo nightmare, Mondragon Books represents the mismatched identity that Lewisburg is learning to adopt.

Before Bucknell was introduced to the town, Lewisburg was a small town located in the heart of Central Pennsylvania that prided itself on being Victorian. There are still remnants of that identity because the town is filled with elegant architecture and local shops. Although that is the case, Lewisburg is presently known as a college town to the 3,264 students residing at Bucknell. Due to this and the other surrounding schools, education-related professions, followed by administrative work, are the two most popular occupations.

What is most interesting about the town is that it has a high level of specialized occupations, including the arts. I found this to be intriguing because I generally associate art professions with liberal politics. In the 2016 presidential election, Lewisburg was a red town in a red county, as were most counties in central Pennsylvania. Yet, the presence of a college and its outside students forced the town take on an artsy façade. This allows for certain business, such as Mondragon, to exist in a conservative area.

Pennsylvania Electoral Map

But, maybe I am too quick to judge this town as putting on a liberal façade when there truly are parts of Lewisburg that are liberal in nature. According to Doreen Massey’s definition of a place, a place is not static and is, instead, affected by movement (Cresswell 69). The college students exemplify this notion because they are not necessarily living in Lewisburg year-round. Regardless, they are an integral part of the town and change the definition of Lewisburg.

While the town has been able to retain a rich sense of culture through its independently owned shops, it does have a younger feel to it. Down the road from Mondragon Books, there is a Chipotle-like restaurant called Mercado Burrito. This is not a chain restaurant, but it closely mimics trendier food places that are popular amongst college students.

Students haven’t just influenced the shops but also the general environment. I was happy to notice that Lewisburg recycles, and they want visitors to recognize this. A block away from Mondragon was a completely-filled recycling container. In our current political environment, where global climate change is debated, it is refreshing to see recycling placed at the forefront of a red county.

Although the college has shaped the town, there are other aspects of it that are more reminiscent of a conservative identity. For example, there are plenty of churches in the surrounding area. As a student of art history, I have spent a lot of my time examining religious structures, but the quaint architecture in Lewisburg stood out more to me than the churches. This is partially due to the main street in downtown Lewisburg being filled with small boutiques and restaurants. Religious structures exist near the main street shops but not on the main street. The small shops serve as a distraction from the historically conservative area. It could be a ploy to seem more appealing to potential students visiting Bucknell, but it may also serve to demonstrate how the student life is starting to dominate the space.

Mondragon understands the dichotomy of culture and specifically caters to the college audience. In a way, the bookstore acts as an extension of the college itself. On the outside of the shop, there are holiday lights that students typically decorate their dorm rooms with. This is again seen on the inside, giving the space a homier vibe akin to a residence hall. Additionally, there are signs that promote equality and acceptance throughout the bookstore. Again, this contrasts Lewisburg’s conservative population, but it is not meant to target that audience.

In the book Reluctant Capitalists: Bookselling and the Culture of Consumption by Laura J. Miller, the author delves into the idea that there are three different types of consumers. The three types of consumers are: those that shop for the lowest price, those that exclusively shop at independently owned stores, and those that don’t put much thought into their shopping habits (Miller 16). Mondragon knows that their customers are broke college students, so they appeal to two types of consumers. They are an independent bookstore, so they inherently attract shoppers that like small businesses. Second, they price their books lower than the prices of a chain bookstore. College students can find a wide variety of books without having to pay ridiculous prices for them, appealing to economic shoppers.

Mondragon, and even Lewisburg, may seem out of place in a generally conservative area, but it is important to understand that cultures can clash. While locals may view the town as historical, college students may think that Lewisburg is a quaint town with a vibrant art scene.  Mondragon may not be a conservative space, but it still wants to emphasize Lewisburg’s locality and charm. It is clear that the stores in Lewisburg take pride in being there, and Mondragon is no different. They want customers to know they are an integral part of the community because they dedicate precious shelf space to local magazines and advertisements. Mondragon is not trying to rage against the conservative culture but, instead, has learned to form its own identity within Lewisburg.

 

Sources

Images

Mondragon Books and Lewisburg photos courtesy of Samantha Thompson.

Pennsylvania 2016 Election photo < https://billypenn.com>

 Maps

Google Maps: Lewisburg, Mondragon Books, Mercado Burrito, First Presbyterian Church, Holy Protection Church, Beaver Memorial United Methodist, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church.

 Text

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

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

A Bookstore Fit For A King

Exterior of John King Books

It’s hard to miss the four-story high, industrial building as you walk down West Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. Located just off the M-10 Lodge Expressway, the bookstore is nestled between Downtown Detroit, an area with museums, historical sites, and restaurants, and the West Side Industrial, a business district with apartments and condos lining the riverfront. Decorated with an enormous image of a glove, an image reminiscent of the original purpose of the building, both your curiosity and feet pull you through the front door of John K. King Used & Rare Books.

As soon as you walk in, you’ll notice boxes of free books. Continuing up the stairs and into the distinct sections, you’ll notice that books cover every wall, every floor space of the store. The first floor consists mostly of books on Michigan, art, and classics, a selection of genres that will immediately draw in any kind of customer.  John King Books isn’t simply a bookstore.  It’s a destination for both tourists and residents of Michigan with a unique sense of “place” that can be found nowhere else here on the outskirts of Downtown Detroit.

John King creates his bookstore’s “authentic sense of place” through the eclectic mix of books in his store.  Here is where his visitors will find exactly what they didn’t know they needed – there is something for everyone.  When we think “independent bookstore” we think “smallness…, being locally based, and limited in geographic scope,” visualizing a small bookstore with a collection that’s impressive in diversity but not size (Miller 165).

We don’t picture John K. King Used & Rare Books.

With four floors filled to the brim with books and a spare building for its rare books collection, John King Books is anything but small.  A landmark in its own right, the bookstore gets a myriad of visitors.  Both proud residents of Michigan and curious tourists walk in ready to find their next literary treasure.

John K. King Used & Rare Books isn’t located in an area bustling with businesses; it’s fairly isolated on a street corner.  Although the store’s website, and Google Maps, claims it’s in Downtown Detroit, some sources place the store in West Side Industrial, such as real estate websites Zillow and Trulia, as well as this map created by compiling various sources.  Regardless of which neighborhood John King Books officially belongs to, the store acts as a bridge between the two neighborhoods.  The West Side Industrial area immediately surrounding the store appears empty and devoid of culture, but John King Books is within walking distance of the museums, theaters, and art galleries in Downtown Detroit.

You may choose to visit the downtown area to experience some culture, but once you get closer to the border between the two neighborhoods, John King Books is the only culture you’re going to get.

John King Used & Rare Books doesn’t have the best relationship with the neighborhood in which it resides.  King originally chose the location on West Lafayette because the building was large enough to hold his enormous book collection, but he didn’t seem to take the actual neighborhood into account.  The books are what matter to King; the neighborhood is simply an afterthought.  Most bookstores strive to be involved with the neighborhood surrounding their bookstore, but King takes a different approach.  While he places those free books in the store’s lobby for people who can’t afford books, he otherwise doesn’t involve himself with the community surrounding the bookstore (May 3, 2016 interview).

Aside from the specific neighborhood, King doesn’t even have an appreciation for Detroit itself. According to King, the city does not treat small business owners well, and it makes King’s work difficult. He told the Detroit Metro Times, “If I were going to start a bookstore in a major city, Detroit would not be on my list of cities to open—and not because of people, but because of the city.”  Although Detroit may not be the most ideal location for a bookstore, King’s passion for bookselling keeps him at West Lafayette Boulevard.

Despite King’s lack of involvement in the community, John K. King Used & Rare Books has grown into an icon of the West Side Industrial area, with its claims to fame as the second best bookstore in the world in 2014 according to Business Insider, and one of the world’s coolest bookstores in 2014 and 2015 according to CNN.  John King Books isn’t the first bookstore to serve as a staple for the surrounding community, though.

Before West Side Industrial there was Corktown, and before John King there was Ethel Claes.

Ethel Claes (right) and her mother Hilja
Ethel Claes (right) and her mother Hilja

Back in the 1950’s, neighboring residential area Corktown encompassed the present-day West Side Industrial district.  It was during this time period that Detroit city planners decided to convert part of Corktown into a light industrial zone.  A woman named Ethel Claes stepped up to rally the residents of Corktown and fight for their homes.  Claes ran a bookstore called The B.C. Claes Book Shop out of her Victorian home with the help of her mother, Hilja.  While the shop had previously been known as a popular stop for Midwest rare book collectors, it was now known among the Corktown community as a “rallying point” for the fight against city planners.

As can be seen today, the Corktown residents failed to save the 75 acres of residences that were bulldozed and replaced with West Side Industrial.  Claes’s leadership and spirit can still be credited with preventing the loss of even more land and preserving what now makes up Corktown today.  John King Books has replaced The B.C. Claes Book Shop as Corktown/West Side Industrial’s local literary gathering place.  While it may not be the center of a significant fight against the city, the store’s identity as a spiritual descendant of Ethel Claes can be easily seen as it brings people together from both within West Side Industrial and outside the area’s boundaries.

Since it is located in a light industrial zone, there aren’t really any residents for John King Books to fight for, unless you go down to the Riverfront apartments.  West Side Industrial today is vastly different from Claes’s Corktown of fifty years ago.  It can then be assumed that a vast majority of visitors to the store come from outside to West Side Industrial, and they’re coming to the area with John King Books as their destination, not the neighborhood.  “Space” is acknowledged as being innately present in all areas of reality, but it is up to us as humans to assign significance and establish “place” (Cresswell 11).  John King Books has carved out its own little “place” in the insignificant “space” of West Side Industrial thanks to the patrons it draws to its doors.

The buildings that would become home to John King Books as they were in 1966
The buildings that would become home to John King Books as they were in 1966

Now let’s take a look at the history of the store itself.  King’s business hasn’t always operated out of the dilapidated factory it’s known for today, and his bookstore actually led a pretty mobile life in the beginning.  Initially established in Dearborn, Michigan (1971), John K. King Used & Rare Books only operated for a few years before packing up and shipping out to the Michigan Theatre Building (1977) in Downtown Detroit.  Unfortunately, this new location didn’t last long, either, as the store’s growing book collection demanded more room.  When the Advance Glove factory building at 901 West Lafayette came up for sale in 1983, King didn’t hesitate to purchase the four-story complex for his expanding bookstore venture.  Now in 2016, John K. King Used & Rare Books is still conducting business from the same glove factory, and King himself now has various awards in honor of his bookstore.

John K. King SignKnowing the history of John King Books is insightful into King’s business, but that sense of “place” is what truly helps you understand its impact on the bookstore.  “Place, in whatever guise, is like space and time, a social construct” (Cresswell 57).  When you take the opportunity to look at John King Books’s place within the industrial district of Detroit as a social construct, you begin to see the outside influences that define it.  While the physical location of the building certainly makes a difference, the social workings of the surrounding area largely affect how we perceive John King’s bookstore.  When you juxtapose what is essentially the only major independent bookstore in the area outside Downtown Detroit, you get an idea of how vital this store is to the distribution of literature in the area.  This outlet of books is really the only resource available to local residents looking to satiate their literary curiosities.

The ownership of John King Used & Rare Books has been consistent over the many years it has been in business.  Today, John King represents the store behind him.  He is passionate about the collection of books in his store.  “Every passion borders on the chaotic, but the collector’s passion borders on the chaos of memories” (Benjamin 60). King’s store certainly appears chaotic, and this chaos can also be seen in King’s personality.  In interviews, King isn’t forthcoming about specific dates in the store’s history; he doesn’t seem to keep track of when the store started and when it moved.

So what does King remember?

John K. King
John K. King

King recalls his childhood, which he spent exploring used bookstores in Detroit. He was attracted to the stuff inside the bookstores: both the books and the “various characters” he met (Detroit Metro Times).  From a young age, King had a passion for used bookstores, so it seems only natural that he decided to open his own store as an adult.

King also recalls the estates where he acquired the stock for his store.  When he gets a call from a lawyer or an heir offering up an estate to be sold, he buys what he thinks he can sell, transferring ownership of the specific collection.  “Ownership is the most intimate relationship that one can have to objects” and the collector lives in those objects (Benjamin 67).  When King acquires books for his store, he establishes this intimate relationship.  The store’s shelves hold King’s personal collection, the books he deems worthy of stocking, and his presence is alive in the store.

John K. King Used & Rare Books is a reflection of King’s tastes and tendencies. It’s a little disorganized and scattered, but full of valuable books.  And, with the store named after him, it’s no surprise to discover that King is an active member of the store’s own little community.  He works in the store consistently, spending his days buying books, arguing with people, and discussing literature (May 3, 2016 interview).  He is a recognizable figure in the store as the owner of the large collection that fill the store’s four floors.

This independent bookstore boasts an incredible amount of variety within that ever expansive stock.  While you won’t have any difficulties finding your classics or historical accounts, you would also be hard-pressed to find a subject not covered somewhere within this plethora of books.  All of these different genres coming together to compose an overall organized layout is the pure epitome of order and disorder.  The nature of the collector forms a “dialectical tension between the poles of disorder and order” (Benjamin 60).  To an outside spectator, the arrangement of books in John King Books may seem like nothing more than chaos, but in the right eyes, his bookstore maintains perfect order.

As you observe the contents contained on each floor of John K. King Used & Rare Books, you’ll notice a trend as you ascend the building.  Though the material covered in the books of the ground floor is conventional, an obscurity of genre is gradually explored as you go up each level.  By the time you actually reach the top floor of King’s bookstore, you’re confronted with literature pertaining to odd topics, like alternative medicine and the Kennedy family.  It’s hard to see the logic and reasoning behind this array of literature, but John King does have a method to the madness.  Even if you are unable to understand the order in the store’s disorder, the bookstore is still fulfilling its greater purpose.  By hosting this wide selection of literary genres, King is not only providing his customers with variety, but connecting them to worlds they would have never imagined.

While some people think “literature” is only restricted to the classics like Charles Dickens or Walt Whitman, John King and his bookstore suggest that the term “literature” can be applied to all writing.  The store’s layout only places emphasis on certain genres from a business point of view by placing the more popular genres like Michigan history and juvenile literature on the first floor.  The rare book room housed in the second building also places more monetary value on the physical books but not necessarily on the words they contain.  Fiction and non-fiction are mixed together on each one of the store’s four floors, and the store shows no shame in selling everything from True Crime to Civil War to Classics to Self Help books.

The website for the store’s rare book catalog claims: We are particularly interested in books concerning Military History, Michigan and Detroit, the Auto Industry, Signed books, First Editions, Stationary[,] Steam Engineering, Bible Reference, Chess and Checkers, Slight-of-Hand Magic, Incunabula and Early Printings, etc.”  The store seeks to offer customers a myriad of genres, while still helping them find something they can’t find anywhere else.  There are little to no restrictions on genre or form of writing for the literature sold at John K. King Rare & Used Books.

John King Books presents itself as a place where people can get lost in literature.  Customers are encouraged to lose themselves in the stacks, browsing every shadowy corner with minimal employee interference.  The top three floors each have a telephone that customers can use to call an employee for assistance, a necessary fixture since the store doesn’t have any employees wandering among the stacks hoping to help.  John King Used & Rare Books is a store where you can stay for an extended period of time; it’s not a store where you can easily just pop in and out with your book.  The store is an inviting oasis, a safe haven for those who love books.

Since John King Books doesn’t use computers to inventory the stock, customers can’t request for a bookseller to simply look up a title or author digitally.  Without this digital crutch that so many bookstores have become accustomed to, customers and booksellers alike have no choice but to wander through the stacks and search for their request themselves.  The store’s large and diverse collection offers you the chance to find not just the perfect book for your needs, but also yourself.

john king books exteriorYou might fear that the changing techniques used by booksellers to rack up profits will drive John King Used & Rare Books out of business, but the owner isn’t worried. “We were here before Borders, we were here during Borders, and we’re here after Borders,” King told the Detroit Metro Times.  The store has proven itself capable of surviving the shifting technology of bookstores, and it if can outlast a successful chain store and the shifting political climate of Detroit, then the store doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

One strength the bookstore has that allows it to survive is its international presence.  King is proud of the fact that he ships books all over the world, which illustrates the store’s desire to be more than a community bookstore.  John K. King Used & Rare Books doesn’t strive to provide literature to locals; it strives to provide literature to readers, wherever they may be located.

As King says, “we’re not a community bookstore, we’re a destination bookstore” (May 3, 2016 interview).

 

Sources

Text

Benjamin, Walter. Illuminations. Ed. Hannah Arendt. Trans. Harry Zohn. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1968. Print.

Cresswell, Tim. Place: A Short Introduction. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub, 2004.

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

 

Websites
John K. King’s Used & Rare Books Website. Rarebooklink.com.

http://www.rarebooklink.com/cgi-bin/kingbooks/index.html

DeVito, Lee. “John K. King Used & Rare Books.” Metrotimes.com. 2014.

http://www.metrotimes.com/detroit/john-king-of-john-k-king-used-and-rare-books/Content?oid=2143899

John K. King Used & Rare Books Official Website. Kingbooksdetroit.com.

http://www.kingbooksdetroit.com/

Szewczyk, Paul. “Corktown History.” Corktownhistory.blogspot.com. 2014.

http://corktownhistory.blogspot.com/2014/08/john-k-king-books.html

 

Media
“John K. King Used & Rare Books.” GoogleMaps. 2016.

<https://www.google.com/maps/place/John+K.+King+Used+%26+Rare+Books/@42.3276753,-83.0571661,3a,75y,148.83h,92.46t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s4sPzMkqbArS7Novd013pSA!2e0!6s%2F%2Fgeo2.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fpanoid%3D4sPzMkqbArS7Novd013pSA%26output%3Dthumbnail%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26thumb%3D2%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D204.04396%26pitch%3D0!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x883b2d3898055011:0x9cb2ad271d9156f2!6m1!1e1?hl=en>

“John K. King Used & Rare Books History.” TimeToast. 2016.

<http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/john-k-king-used-and-rare-books>

“John K. King Used & Rare Books.” ThingLink. 2016.

<http://www.thinglink.com>

“Literary Tourist: John K. King Used and Rare Books, Detroit.” YouTube.com. 2012.

<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS0oUuFHuMY>

“W Lafayette Blvd” GoogleMaps. 2016.

<https://www.google.com/maps/@42.3276798,-83.0571556,0a,75y,140.27h,88.67t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1s4sPzMkqbArS7Novd013pSA!2e0?source=apiv3>

Images
John K. King’s bookstore

http://media.afar.com/uploads/images/post_images/images/jGDWnvivwE/post_display_cropped_open-uri20130626-24184-6imw1o?1383817134

Ethel and Hilja Claes

http://corktownhistory.blogspot.com/2013/02/ethel-claes-and-west-side-industrial.html

Exterior of old glove factory

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?id=S-VMC-X-47335%5D47335

Michigan’s largest bookstore sign

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John K. King

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King’s bookstore skyward view

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Time Line: Advance Glove Manufacturing

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-h_X5liWHMKM/U5tVDCfJevI/AAAAAAAAIHE/zp7maCsL_us/s512/2014-05-24%252016.41.17.jpg

Time Line: Old Advance Glove Factory

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3918/14593048290_31ee12809f_o.jpg

Time Line: Dearborn, Michigan Sign

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Time Line: John K. King Used & Rare Bookstore

http://motorcitymuckraker.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/John-King-books_2489.jpg

 

Factory + Library + Personality = John K. King Used & Rare Books

 

john king books exterior

With four floors stuffed to the brim with books, John K. King Used & Rare Books is a book lover’s paradise.  This store is said to have over literally a million books in stock, and that wouldn’t be surprising given the size of the store.  John King Books occupies an old glove factory building, and utilizes all of the four floors, with each one packed with shelves and aisles of books upon books upon books.

John King Books is a general used bookstore, selling genres that range from “Alternative Medicine” to “Sewing & Textiles” to “Literary Criticism” to the usual fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.  The rare books mentioned in the store’s full name are housed in a separate building from the main store, and is only opened to customers by appointment.  But this store is more than just books, it’s also about collections. The store also sells antiques, art, collectibles, and prints.  James Clifford writes in “On Collecting Art and Culture” that “identity is a kind of wealth (of objects, knowledge, memories, experience)” (218), and John King Books has gathered together a multitude of identities in the forms of their possessions, ready to be passed on to a new owner and a new identity.

This video provides a simple look at what the shelves of one floor of John King Books looks like.

Before you even enter the store proper, in the lobby there are carts and boxes of books that are absolutely free for the taking if you’re willing to dig through them.  The front counter is just inside the entrance, ready to answer questions and help customers as soon as they enter the store.  The first floor boasts some of the more popular genres, including juvenile literature, Civil War history, poetry, and the classics, as well as some music and art stock.

Customers must venture up the stairs and to the higher floors to get the full experience that is John K. King Used & Rare Books, however.  The third floor, in particular, is a synecdochic embodiment of the bookstore’s literary offerings.  It features both fiction and nonfiction, standard and unusual genres.  Like the second and fourth floors, the third floor is organized simply in a modular manner, like a library.

Hover over the graphic below to see red markers – hover over those for a sneak peek at that spot on the floor.

The stairs dump customers out into shelves of fiction from authors with last names B-Z, on the other side of which are hardcover mysteries.  Those searching for authors A-B must go a little further into the floor.  Fiction sections, highlighted purple, dominate this half of the floor, while the other half and the walls are occupied by non-fiction literature, highlighted green.  All of the floors feature a mix of fiction and non-fiction, but none of them are so clearly divided as the third floor.

John King chooses to place a majority of his fiction stock not on the first floor, not even on the second floor, but here on the third floor.  As probably one of the most sought-out genres by customers, placing the fiction books on the third floor guarantees at least a small journey through the world of this bookstore.  But its position right next to the stairwell means customers still won’t have to go far for their fiction fix.

On the other side of the floor, an almost equally as large section of nonfiction awaits perusal.  While the non-fiction on the second floor may indicate the STEM focus of today’s society (e.g. architecture, engineering, math, biology), the non-fiction genres here on the third floor appeal to hobbies, featuring gardening and sewing as well as automotive and nautical.  Here is also where patrons will find the exclusive biographies sections, another genre that appeals to a wide range of people, although biographies may also be sprinkled throughout other sections like history and film.

Something interesting to see is the location of the science fiction and fantasy genres, definitely one of the most popular genres.  Like the general fiction, they’re placed up on the third floor, but their shelves are located over in the non-fiction side of the floor.  Hardcover sci-fi and fantasy is smack dab in the middle of it between gardening and automotive!  It’s a rather nonsensical placement and promotes the sense of organized chaos found in a store of John King Books’s size.

It’s a little amusing to see this tiny sliver of space reserved for westerns between the stairwell and the non-fiction paperbacks.  It’s a dying genre, but it’s still hanging on at John King Books.  To find westerns on the same floor as literary criticism and self-help and picture books testifies to the diversity at this bookstore, as well as our society.  Here you can find those books “on the pencil, the zipper, the toilet, the banana, the chair, the potato, the bowler hat,” or whatever else strikes your fancy (Brown 2).  As the culture of things has grown in the past decades, so has the quantity of literature on those things, and John King Books is happy to carry all of it.

John King-0786

Another defining characteristic of John King Books is the atmosphere created by the building and the shelving and other non-literary objects.  The sheer size of the space, exposed brick walls, fluorescent lighting, and old signage preserve the building’s history as a factory and create an industrial air that helps the store fit in at its West Side Industrial location.  The huge volume of inventory is reminiscent of a library, and the hodgepodge shelving and handmade section labels lend the space some personal charm.

Independent bookstores are usually characterized by “smallness (even though the independents count among their members some of the largest bookstores in the country), being locally based, and limited in geographic scope” and John King Books mostly fits the bill, although it falls into that parenthetical category (Miller 165).  The combination of factory, library, and personal touches creates a nostalgic mood that shows that even though it’s bigger than some chain booksellers, John K. King Used & Rare Books is a unique independent bookstore.

 

Sources

Images

Exterior of John King Books: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/john-k-king-books-detroit-2?select=QAGkOgfboYcoClGWggSW4g

“No Smoking” sign: https://flic.kr/p/vo7k8n

ThinkLink Photos

Crate: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/john-k-king-books-detroit-2?select=QltUMWeDRtzjcHUUJs69Ww

Customer: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/john-k-king-books-detroit-2?select=9UoRUKz3sTdph2IXo6ZzJA

Down the aisle: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/john-k-king-books-detroit-2?select=p1pO2SheDsnfmyVzA2gANQ

Phone: https://flic.kr/p/uHHo2g

Pile on the floor: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/john-k-king-books-detroit-2?select=PapOFKz_A4nwwN17lHwrkQ

Self-help: https://flic.kr/p/9Zkpze

Stairwell: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/john-k-king-books-detroit-2?select=crqvS9Plq3yB8keCg8a4xw

Text

Brown, Bill. Critical Inquiry, Vol. 28, No. 1, Things. (Autumn, 2001)

Clifford, James. The Predicament of Culture: Twentieth-century Ethnography, Literature, and Art. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press, 1988.

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