#used bookstores

[heedra]

a thing i think is good to keep in mind, and this does not invalidate or diminish concerns about the state of art under capitalism or storytelling in mass media, is that, if you go out and snuffle around in the places in the world where the art that is further from your immediate line of sight dwells you will find enough interesting art to eat well in your mind for your entire life

[bookaddict24-7]

"My husband claims I have an unhealthy obsession with secondhand bookshops. That I spend too much time daydreaming altogether. But either you intrinsically understand the attraction of searching for hidden treasure amongst rows of dusty shelves or you don't; it's a passion, bordering on a spiritual illness, which cannot be explained to the unaffected."

―Elegance by Kathleen Tessaro

[ltwharfy]

I love used bookstores. I love buying a book that has some indications that someone else has read it before. I love it that for $3 today I not only got a copy of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" but also a connection, however strange and removed, to another human being.

[victusinveritas]

Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones

How to become an “antischolar” in a culture that treats knowledge as “an ornament that allows us to rise in the pecking order.”

Some of my own scattered thoughts on library-building, antilibrarying, and book-collecting. Take this advice from an old bookselling hand (16 years in the book-mines of various cities), harken to mine advice if you want to. Remember, though, that the internet is free and it costs nothing to not call someone an idiot.

An varying-depth guide to going into the bookstore and what to do with your books once you're trying to organize them.

Step 1. Going to the most dangerous place on Earth for bibliophiles and bibliomanes (if you have a bit of OCD and maybe a hoarding problem, you might be a bibliomane (so much nicer than bibliomaniac), there's a line, you know when you've crossed it and go to the point where book collecting is damaging to your mental health and relationships): the bookstore.

First thing's first: Can you actually afford to buy more books? Public libraries are a great resource and thanks to interlibrary loans and services like Libby, you can get a lot of stuff, pretty much anything if you have patience, from your friendly neighborhood library.

First thing's first second part: Do you have the space for more books? Book piles are fine if you live alone--sure, great, build a shelf full of books made out of other books or just build cinderblock and board shelves...but do you have the space? You do not want to drown yourself, or a partner, especially not a partner, in books. Trust me on this. I've done this. It's...not good. Just avoid it by not getting into that habit. It's a slippery slope once you are on it.

Second thing: You sure about that? If you are absolutely sure that buying a book will not Cause Chaos with anyone or within yourself, go ahead and go to the bookstore. Do not go to the bookstore just to look with the internal promise of not buying anything. You will probably break that promise. Try to go there with something in mind. Looking for book X or Y or any works by author Z, or on a certain subject is a great way to start.

DO NOT GO TO A BOOKSTORE TO BROWSE IDLY. You will end up with weird stuff that, while fun, you'll look at two hours later and wonder who the hell put it in your bag or other thing for hauling other things around in (hands included). Go the library idly, bask in its books, bounce around there all you like. But do not go to a place where you will need to exchange cash for books in order to take books home unless you have an idea of what you are after. It can be a rough idea, that's fine, but...give yourself a target, and then maybe one secondary target. Make sure that once you get there you can afford those target books.

Third thing: Got the ideal book you are looking for in mind, written it down somewhere so you aren't wandering around the shelves trying to remember the author, what's his name, the guy with the mustache (Vonnegut? Orwell? Nietzsche?)? Cool. Walk into the bookstore. Smell's good, right? That's the mix of glue and leather and paper--bibliosmia, vellichor (for older books), or biblichor. Some bookstores will cultivate this smell with candles, but those of us that have worked in places where it is naturally in every bit of air due to years and years of books breathing on shelves scorn such masking of more modern glues and paper (usually that's the reason for the candles anyway). Stroll leisurely if you have the time (try to stop into a bookstore only when you have the time), be a deer and not a shark.

Does the owner or bookseller greet you like an old friend even if it is your first time in the store? Nice. You've picked a good place. Does the owner or bookseller give you a grunt and perhaps a nod? Yeah, that checks out (and is fine), a lot of booksellers would rather be left alone with their books and maybe, maybe sell you one or two but only if you look like the sort who will treat them nicely. Black's Books features one such bookseller, and yeah, that's fine, but as the person behind the counter, at least try to smile and nod and be a bit cheerful. If you're looking for something and not familiar with the store layout...ask. You might just get a grunt and a grave gesture towards the cobwebbed back of the store where you are pretty sure you saw a skeleton and maybe an arrow trap, or maybe someone will happily bop along in front of you to just what you are looking for.

Advice to fellow booksellers: You're a wage slave getting paid maybe partially in books (dangerous, but a nice side benefit if you can get it, even if only until you fill your house with books), and not getting paid that much, but it's one of the jobs where not being a sullen dick (better than a pretentious dick, sell people what they want to read and smile about it, even if it schlock) gets people to come back. Regulars are great, no matter how eccentric, as long as they aren't pervs (get the broom or crowbar, that's what they are there for)--they'll sometimes be your only sales on days when nobody else would dare be out. You might even make a friend or two.

[Put in bit about browsing and the Zen methods of it later on tonight or Friday and I'll probably repost this just to annoy some of you.]

Got the book you're after, or maybe one that someone reliable recommended? Cool. Go home. Do not go to a second bookstore if you can't find what you're looking for at the fist one. Unless, unless, the first bookseller says 'yeah they should carry that there.' Well, then go. If you don't find it at the second bookstore, order it from them, or from the first store. Bookshop.org is also a great place to order from if neither place offers to order things for you.

Let's say you are moving into a new place, have a few books you picked up from the new local bookstore and maybe that box or two you brought with you from Saint Wherever in the Forgotten Zone. Where does your bookshelf go? Where you want it to. Do you want to display it in a central living space so you can kinda show it off...or is it something you want next to your bed so that you can huff the scent of your library whenever you need it for intellectual stability? Maybe you've got a room dedicated to a study or office. Sure, the books look great there, just remember that if it is a home office you'll want to make sure the books visible by the camera are things your company or worksite would be cool with seeing. Maybe put the Mapplethorpe photo-print somewhere other than over your left shoulder, or don't, I don't know how cool your workplace is. You just don't want to be the person shitcanned for showing something a bit too kinky in your weekly Zoom meeting, especially if you didn't think about where you placing said photo or faced book. You probably want to keep your shelves (and books) out of direct sunlight, as it can damage your books.

Once you are home, looking over your shelves, inhale again. (This was a bit in the 'Third thing' section). There is a problem in used bookstores (I've never encountered it in a new bookstore that I can remember): If a book, no matter how cool, smells like a wet suitcase left in your garage or that one corner of the basement where the light never quite reaches, put it down and do not buy it, and maybe wash your hands and dry them thoroughly before touching any other books--book mildew will spread and ruin your entire collection. You can section off books that are mildewed and you want to keep in ziploc bags with baking soda and some silica bags, but take them outside when reading them, and then put them back in the bag when you are still outside--this method of storage is not foolproof, so don't say you had no warning. It's just not worth risking the rest of your library, even if it is your only book at the time. You can make an objection (sealed in ziplocs etc) for books you have a sentimental attachment to, but, be careful there.

Where does the book go on your shelf? Good question. What's your organization style (if you have one)? Do you shelve by genre, by author, by genre and then author, by size, godforbid but it's your collection so that's your call, by color alone.? No order at all? Again, your call, just slap it on the shelf. Order of purchase so your oldest purchased/gifted books go on the farthest, safest shelf on new things just kinda go wherever it is they go. This is different from a totally haphazard system, obviously, because it incorporates time, and a collection organized by collection makes sense to you, and if you're the only one who has to look at it, cool. Do that. It brings you joy, neat. I don't have to look at it so your inherent chaos can just exist wherever you are in the world.

I'm going to cover moving and possible downsizing in a future soapbox rant.

Quote ganked directly from here (found via Google search):

"How to maintain an antilibrary. The antilibrary is a counterintuitive idea which goes against many of our deeply held beliefs. As such, it may be hard to know where to start. How many books should it contain? What proportion of read versus unread books? Won’t it create anxiety? As often, there is no clear-cut answer to these questions, but some strategies may be helpful.

Make notes of all relevant references. When an author mentions another book, check the exact reference and make a note of it. By doing so, you will have a list of all the relevant sources for a book when you are done reading it. Then, research this constellation of books. It is unlikely all the sources on the list will seem interesting to you. Sometimes, only a short passage of the source was relevant to the book you just read. But other times, you will discover a book that genuinely piques your curiosity. Add this book to your antilibrary. Ask fellow readers for recommendations. If you read a book that you particularly enjoyed and would like to learn more about the topic, simply ask people if they know of any similar books. If you don’t have many readers in your circles, you can use Goodreads or Amazon to find similar books. Read the reviews to decide whether they would be a good addition to your antilibrary. Allow for serendipity. I have read quite a few interesting books that I randomly bought in a bookstore because the cover looked nice and the title was intriguing. While looking for sources and similar books are both effective ways to build an antilibrary, make sure you leave space for chance discoveries. Do not expect the proportion of unread books to decrease. While there is no perfect proportion, the more you read, the more you will expand your perimeter of knowledge, and the more unread books will be added to your antilibrary. It is not a bad thing, it means you are progressively turning unknown unknowns into known unknowns. Improve your relationship with knowledge. At first, building an antilibrary can feel strange and even a bit anxiety-inducing. So many books—am I ever going to be able to read them all? Isn’t that a waste of money? Remember that knowledge is a process, not a possession. In addition, building an antilibrary is an investment in yourself which should stay within your means. Even if you only have 3-5 books you haven’t read on your shelf, this is already a great step in expanding your intellectual horizon. Whatever its size—from a couple of books to thousands of them—an antilibrary creates a humble relationship with knowledge. It reminds us that our knowledge is finite and imperfect. Far from being negative, this awareness can drive our curiosity and encourage us to question our assumptions. In a world where nuanced thinking is needed more than ever, an antilibrary is a much needed tool for thought."

[lookingfts]

Returning to physical media: Pros and cons

It’s been a few months since I began the process of deleting all my subscriptions, and exploring the world of physical media. I wanted to talk about some of the pros and cons of the experience and what’s surprised me. 

(Note: This is mainly about CDs and DVDs…I do also read paper books, but I feel like the issues discussed don’t apply as much to e-reading.)

First, a quick recap of the reasons I did this experiment:

The prices of all streaming services were going up and I was getting served more ads on top of that

I was getting decision paralysis from the amount of options on each service and the inability to distinguish good content from the noise

Most of the services didn’t have anything that I genuinely wanted to watch most of the time

I wanted to feel more connected to the art and the experience of consuming it

Pros

Freedom to make decisions

Before I started this, I was really feeling the effect of algorithms in my life. I felt like everything was just being shoved at me, and most of it was stuff I didn’t really want or enjoy, but I was being told it was what I wanted. Or (especially in the case of music streaming) it was a limited number of things being delivered over and over and over again.

With physical media, everything I watch or listen to is what I choose. I’ve built a collection of my favorites - movies that I love and have seen multiple times. I get CDs from artists I like, with songs I’ve never really listened to before. It gave me back the feeling of making decisions for myself, rather than things being pushed onto me.

It’s also resolved my issues with decision paralysis. Especially with services like Netflix, I did the endless scroll because nothing was all that appealing to me. I was always waiting for that one title that would actually excite me, but it was rarely there. Now it’s a much simpler thing. I’ll usually be going about my day and think, “I’m in the mood for X tonight” and then I just watch that movie.

2. Focus and tangibility

Everything becomes background noise when everything is available to you, all of the time, in an abstract way. The work that I have to go through to choose and handle and play a movie or an album essentially forces me to notice it. I find myself much more aware while it’s playing, even if I’m doing other things, like cleaning or working on a puzzle.

Plus, DVDs are fun! I love the menus and the bonus extras. I love the work that went into making a physical representation of the movie and continuing its themes.

3. Time limits

In addition to my collection, I rent DVDs and CDs/Blu-rays from my local library. I like the “urgency” of knowing that I have to return something in a week or two weeks, and I have this limited window within which to enjoy it. Makes it feel more like an experience…and makes me more likely to actually watch it, rather than having it sit in my Netflix queue for several months or years.

4. Simplicity

Fewer subscriptions and fewer recurring expenses to manage. In my opinion, that’s never a bad thing.

5. Fun and community

This has become a really enjoyable hobby for me - keeping an eye out for my favorite media and thrifting old tech. I’ve had a lot of great conversations with friends who found the whole thing interesting. And I really enjoy the online community of people who have been rediscovering the value of physical media and enriching their lives with it.

It helped me reconnect with my local library, and I go there every Tuesday evening now to return things and get new items. I’ve also had great conversations at my local used bookstore. In a world where you could theoretically get everything without leaving your house…sometimes it’s nice to have a reason to.

Cons

Quality

Older DVDs don’t have great video quality. I don’t really mind this, personally. It gives me the feeling of watching certain movies at the time they came out. If you want really good video quality though, you can just stick to Blu-rays, which might be a bit more expensive but look great.

2. Space

Fortunately, I have space for all my DVDs and CDs, as well as my DVD and CD players, but they do, obviously, take up room. My collection is about 65 movies and 20 CDs currently, and they all fit onto one bookshelf with a bunch of books, so I haven’t outgrown it yet. Some people also take the discs out of their cases and put them into a CD binder.

3. Inconvenience

Physical media doesn’t autoplay. You have to get the disk, click all the buttons, put it in. It ends, you have to go switch it out. Again, this was part of the appeal for me, because I have a strong belief that we appreciate things more when we have to work for them. But, it’s a factor.

(Equipment is also a part of this, especially for a DVD player - I needed the right AV cords to connect it to my computer, and I bought a $5 preprogrammed remote off Amazon that works great. I’m not hugely tech savvy when it comes to electronics, so this might be more or a less of a pain for you.)

4. Cost (it depends)

Physical media may or may not cost more than streaming, depending on how many streaming services you subscribe to, and where you buy your physical media. I buy all of my secondhand, or rent it for free at the library. I broke down the costs below.

5. Ads

If you’re using the free version of some services, you’ll get ads. But you were probably getting them in the paid version anyway.

What I gave up, and what I replaced it with

To be clear, I am not against streaming. I think it’s just diminishing in value, and I wanted alternatives. Lots of services are bundled with other purchases now, so maybe you’re not paying all that much. That’s great. Use whatever combination of things works for you.

Movies

Gave up: Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+

Replaced with: DVD/Blu-ray player from Goodwill ($7 - they always have a TON of these at my local Goodwill); DVDs/Blu-rays from Goodwill ($3-4) or used bookstore ($1-2), or rented for free from my local library

I still have access to Amazon Prime and Disney+ through family accounts, but I don’t use them often; I do plan to resubscribe to Netflix when some of my favorite original shows are back, then probably cancel it again. I figure if I want to watch a movie bad enough, I can just rent it, which I already had to do sometimes even when I had multiple streaming services, because you never have the one that has what you want to watch.

Music

Gave up: YouTube Premium (including YouTube Music) & Sirius for my car

Replaced with: CD player from Goodwill ($7, but I bought three to find one that worked well); CDs from Goodwill ($3) or used bookstore ($1), or rented for free from the library; Freegal Music app through library; local radio stations

This is a bit of a patchwork - Freegal Music is totally free (and has no ads), but doesn’t have every song, and has listening limits of three hours a day. It does allow you to download five songs a week, so I’ve been building up a library. I don’t drive a ton, so the local radio stations work fine for me, or I can connect my phone for longer drives. I recently downloaded Pandora to use the free version (it seems like you can listen to the radio stations fairly easily, if not individual songs) and my favorite local radio station’s app.

If you’ve read to the end, thanks for reading! I’m always open to suggestions about how to expand this experiment and where to look for used media.

[unrighteousbooks]

Fran has been stopping by the shop, preparing her traditional Halloween displays. This one seems less terrifying than most.

[onlyherefortheshowmances]

I feel as though this tumblr will appreciate the hilarity in this situation. I bought two flat-pack bookshelves from walmart and am currently putting the first one together. Once again, my perception of height/length when read online vs. seen in front of me has failed and they are much larger than I was anticipating. I probably really only needed one, but now I have an excuse to go to the used bookstore(s) to buy more books to fill the empty shelves, right? Right.

[deadpresidents]

ANOTHER REASON WHY USED BOOKSTORES ARE AWESOME

I bought this book -- The Uncrowned King: The Sensational Rise of William Randolph Hearst by Kenneth Whyte -- a few years ago at the wonderful Iliad Bookshop in North Hollywood. However, I haven't gotten around to reading it yet, so it's just been sitting on one of my bookshelves pretty much ever since I bought it.

Today, I just happened to pick it up and start thumbing through it, and this fell out:

Now, I don't know what it is exactly, but it sure looks like a thank you note that would be sent in response to someone who had expressed condolences after someone's illness or death. Was it sent to someone from William Randolph Hearst's estranged wife after he died? That in itself is interesting because Hearst and his wife were estranged for the last 25+ years of his life because he had a very public affair with actress Marion Davies. Here's the thing, though: Hearst died in 1951, but the used book that the thank you card fell out of was published in 2009. The card definitely looks much older than the book, but that just brings up more questions. Did someone have the card from 1951 and just decide to use it as a bookmark since it's a biography of Hearst? Was the card a collectible item about Hearst and they figured that the book was as good a place as any for safekeeping? Is it even a card pertaining to the famous William Randolph Hearst who is the subject of the book, or maybe for his son, William Randolph Hearst Jr., who died in 1993?

I have no idea, but I bought a used copy of a book about William Randolph Hearst for like $7 in North Hollywood a few years ago and on top of the fascinating story of Hearst's crazy life printed within the book's pages, it's created a whole new set of stories and questions for me just because somebody left a unique memento tucked in those pages. All I can say for sure is that you don't get these types of experiences when you're reading e-books on a Kindle or an iPad.