Working in a bookstore always seemed like a magical job to me. And it was. I still remember being amazed that someone was going to pay the 15-year-old me to spend time in the place I was already spending all my time. Of course, like all jobs, it wasn’t perfect, but it came pretty close.
For all of you who’ve wondered what it’s like to work in a bookstore, I’ve got a couple of things for you to check out:
Rebecca at The Book Lady’s Blog is a community relations manager for a major national bookseller. She has an ongoing column called Adventures in Bookselling in which she chronicles some of the more, shall we say, quirky customers and requests she and her colleagues have encountered.
IllLiterati is a relatively new site, and they are collecting fun and unusual stories from librarians and booksellers, The first four are all great!
If you’re looking for funny bookselling stories with a fair bit of snark, then sign543 is your guy. He’s posted six videos filled with tips for shopping in a bookstore. Here’s the first one:
Okay, so all of those focus on the outrageous customer interactions and there’s obviously a lot more to working in a bookstore. I just picked up a book called Shelf Life by Suzanne Strempek Shea in which she chronicles working at Edward’s Books in Springfield, MA. (Sadly, the store no longer exists). This book first came out in 2004 and I can’t figure out how I missed it. I grew up in the Springfield area and knew Edward’s. In any case, I’ve got the book now and hope to start it soon. I’m guessing it’s filled with more than just insane customer stories!
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Hey! Thanks for the shout-out!
Loved this post, and esp the video. I think I was in line behind the cell phone guy the last time I went to Starbucks.
I loved, loved, LOVED the book store tips videos. I’ve encountered these folks when I’ve visited book stores, and they always make me cringe with embarrassment (we’re not all like that, sign543, I promise).
I deplore the degeneration of courteous public behavior in general, but using mobiles at the counter and expecting shop staff to take care of one’s kids are special annoyances.
For another great take on the life and times of a bookstore (and bookie employees), I’d suggest Betsy Burton’s “The King’s English”, which covers the SLC indie standby from concept to today.
This guy is absolutely hilarious! I would be lying if I said that I didn’t just go look at all six of his videos.
Loved the video!
I’m a librarian and we get some of the same types of people. We get the same where’s the nonfiction section all the time.
And the cell phones! We have signs saying there is no cell phone use in the library but it really doesn’t help. We’re constantly telling people to take their calls in the lobby.
Awesome post. I love stuff like this
Thanks for the links I loved these
So glad you all loved this post… The idea for the post was Ann’s, I just put all the links together. It’s why we’re a team!
When I win the lottery (???) I am going to go work in a bookstore and just take my salary in books.
I wish I could remember the name, but I read a book a few months ago written by a Los Angeles-area public librarian. It was interesting to hear his stories.
Suzanne, I heard an interview with the author of that book on NPR a few months ago. It was fascinating. I just spent the last 5 minutes Googling and came up blank, but it’s a recent book that came out in the last year, I believe.
I’m off to a meeting now, but maybe one of our intrepid bookseller/sleuths can figure it out … after all, it’s what you do, right? At least I didn’t tell you the book was blue
Found it! I just love that my local library has an online catalog!
The title is: Free for All:Oddballs,Geeks, and Gangstas in the public library; the author is Don Borchert.
(I snuck a peek at the video on this post too — very funny and unfortunately so true. I feel for retail employees)
My first bookstore gig was in a half-dead mall just like Suzanne describes so well in Shelf Life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book; her descriptions of the routines of bookselling have a nostalgic golden glow, like the memory of a slow-paced summer Sunday afternoon. Her insights into having a foot in both camps, bookseller and author, are so funny and true. All authors who go on book tours should read this!
Thanks, Michelle. Definitely on my TBR list. I’ve been in many of those bookstores housed in a “half-dead mall.” I look forward to reading Suzanne’s story.