“The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.”
That famous quote, attributed to Mark Twain, kept flashing through my mind as I interviewed the owners of six independent bookstores throughout central Pennsylvania. After all, these bookshops were, by now, supposed to be gone, kaput, dumped into the ash heap of history, right?
That’s been the common wisdom as e-books increasingly have caught on with readers. But, today, a handful of indie booksellers in our area have not only survived, but thrived.
How did they do it? What’s their secret? I wanted to find out.
Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop
In the book world, Debbie Beamer is the definition of a survivor as, on Nov. 9, her Mystery Bookshop in Mechanicsburg will celebrate 25 years in business.
“Members of my core group of customers still want to hold a book,” said Beamer, citing one of the factors in her success.
Beamer is always thinking of ways to add value to her shop and, earlier this year, added a lecture series—talks on Native Americans, the Revolutionary War and John Wilkes Booth, among other topics. She even threw in a class on psychokinesis.
As a specialty bookseller, Beamer may have an advantage over more general stores, as mystery book readers tend to be loyal and exacting. They appreciate her selection and knowledge, as well as the environment she’s created.
“The indies provide a community for their customers,” said Beamer. “Bookstores are a gathering place where readers can meet authors, listen to lectures and so much more.”
Sam Marcus
The Bookworm Bookstore
As I sat across the table from Sam Marcus at the Bookworm Bookstore in Lemoyne, I saw the glint in his eye when he talked about books and found it easy to visualize the college professor he once was.
But it takes more than a love for the written word to survive these days in such a difficult business. Like Beamer, Marcus has a specialty. In his case, it’s classics, literature and history.
“So, the type of books I sell aren’t conducive to e-books,” he said.
Marcus doesn’t shy away from the Internet, as about half of his sales are online, supplementing his brick-and-mortar shop. But he offers things you just can’t get from Amazon or even the large chains—knowledge and quality.
“I couple this approach with individual services for my customers,” he said. “It’s paramount to learn their likes and dislikes and be able to offer suggestions of books they might enjoy reading.”
Marcus is so confident in his shop that he’s even setting the stage for his retirement.
“My children are playing a larger role in the store management,” he said.
Canaday’s Book Barn
Ted Canaday is another area bookseller who has thrived due to that special formula of knowledge, customer service and quality, as well as having a niche.
“I specialize in out-of-print books, as well as historic maps and charts, so my customers aren’t after the latest bestseller,” said Canaday, owner of the Book Barn in Carlisle. “The market for me is distant and diffuse, my customers coming from as far away as 100 miles.”
Canaday does much of his business on the Internet, so the e-book craze was not a problem, he said. He usually finds his books at estate sales or has customers bring the books to him.
For Canaday, the key is having what his customers want when they arrive, then turning them into repeat customers.With more than 70,000 books, maps and charts, the Book Barn is indeed a fascinating place to shop, attracting people who want a different kind of buying experience.
“I’m actually more like an antique shop than your average bookstore,” he said.
Aaron’s Books
Ten years ago, Todd Dickinson and his wife, Sam, opened Aaron’s Books, naming it for their son. They wanted to have a business together and do something that Aaron would learn to love.
Soon afterwards, e-books went from afterthought to mass market, but the Dickinsons rose to the challenge, leveraging their strength as an integral part of the community in Lititz.
“The rise of e-books was arguably harder on chain stores,” said Todd. “So, that created an opportunity for independent bookstores to grow because of our closeness to the community.”
The Dickinsons didn’t let e-books change the kind of store they wanted to be. As independents, they’re highly responsive to their customers and stock new and used books that you simply won’t find inside grocery or box stores.
“We enjoy helping people find that book they’re going to love,” said Todd. “We just celebrated our 10th anniversary and look forward to many more in downtown Lititz.”
Michelle Haring
Cupboard Maker Books
Michelle and Jason Haring opened a custom-built furniture and bookstore in February 1998. In the spring of 2002, Michelle left her teaching job and made the decision to sell books exclusively.
Over the years, the couple adapted to the market, selling books over the Internet, as well as inside their Enola shop. But what’s really kept them going has been their loyal customer base for genre fiction.
“We carry all types of books, including history, religion, science, military, cookbooks and children’s books,” said Michelle. “However, our main interest area is genre fiction, especially mystery, science fiction and romance.”
This past year, they have focused more on author- and book-centered events. They currently have several genre fiction book clubs,including mystery, romance, young adult and urban fantasy. This past fall, they started “Book Mingles,” which provides a place for book lovers to talkto other book lovers.
“We see continued growth,” said Michelle. “The personal touch is what our customers are looking for.”
Catherine Lawrence
Midtown Scholar Bookstore
When you walk into Midtown Scholar Bookstore in Harrisburg, you immediately see the ornate coffee bar and watch people gathered around tables drinking lattes and socializing.
You then realize that diversification and community are essential parts of the story at Midtown Scholar, owned by Catherine Lawrence and her husband Eric Papenfuse, who now doubles up as the city’s mayor.
“We are honored to be one of the leaders in our neighborhood’s resurgence,” said Lawrence.
In fact, the brick-and-mortar location is the physical manifestation of the store’s main business, selling academic books online.
“We’re the largest scholarly used bookstore in the country,” said Lawrence. “That continues to be our special niche.”
Looking at the shelves and shelves of books in the store, it’s hard to visualize the beginning.
“I can remember sitting in our walk-up book store in the old post office, a block from the Midtown Cinema, with my foot rocking my infant son in his carrier,” said Lawrence. “Below me, our Internet staff was logging the latest tractor-trailer load of books from scholastic publishers into our computers. At that time, we already had seven public storage units stacked floor to ceiling with books we were selling online, as well as an annex in Allison Hill.”
As the Internet division outgrew its first-floor space, the retail operation took over that area with books, as well. That gave them the ability to hold concerts, author talks and public forums. They needed an even larger space for literary activities when people came from as far as Baltimore and New York to participate, and that’s when they bought the larger building across from the Broad Street Market.
Today, Midtown Scholar is an important community asset, hosting a myriad of events each month, including author talks, book clubs, concerts and children’s activities, none of which can be replicated well in a virtual way.
The couple plans a further expansion into another annex to make way for more books. The main store then will be able to offer an even broader range of new, used and rare titles to customers, including more children and young adult offerings.
So, as you begin to do your Christmas shopping this year, stop in at one of these independent bookstores. Who knows—you may just make a life-long book friend. After all, community is the secret of what makes these stores go.
If You Go
Aaron’s Books, 35 E. Main St., Lititz, 717-627-1990, www.aaronsbooks.com
The Bookworm Bookstore, 900 Market St. (West Shore Farmer’s Market), Lemoyne, 717-657-8563, www.bookwormhbg.com
Canaday’s Book Barn, 2269 Newville Rd, Carlisle, PA, 717-574-0092, www.canadaysbookbarn.com
Cupboard Maker Books, 157 N. Enola Rd., Route 11/15, Enola, 717-732-7288, www.cupboardmaker.com
Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, 6 Clouser Rd., Mechanicsburg, 717-795-7470,
www.mysterybooksonline.com
Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, 717-236-1680, www.midtownscholar.com
Don Helin published his first thriller, “Thy Kingdom Come,” in 2009. His novel, “Devil’s Den,” was selected as a finalist in the 2013 Indie Book Awards. His latest thriller, “Secret Assault,” was selected as the best suspense/thriller at the 2015 Indie Book Awards. Contact Don on his website, www.donhelin.com.
