New Store, Old Books:
The Story of One Used Bookstore’s Survival
Anna Wang
Acknowledgement
Thank you Know Knew Books for putting up with my shenanigans while I made this book. Thank you Freestyle teachers for all of your help. Thank you mom, dad, and friends for your support.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS page 7.FOREWORD
13. INTRODUCTION 16. CHAPTERONET: he I ndie Bookshop 25.CHAPTERTWO: Survival Strategies 30 CHAPTER THREE : Downtown’s Makeover Project 35. CONCLUSION 5
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FOREWORD FOREWORD Last summer, my mother told me about the used bookshop Know Knew Books. I decided to ask the owner if he needed any help setting up shop. He did, and since August I have been an occasional volunteer. When I learned about this location-based documentary project, I realized that a perfect candidate was Know Knew Books. At first, I simply wanted to learn more about the store’s origins, but as I developed my angle, I began wondering how, while so many other bookstores had gone out of business, this particular store had survived. My greatest challenge was getting myself sufficiently organized to balance this project’s many components. Help from my teachers and the wonderful store employees was absolutely essential. In overcoming obstacles I ran into due to some poor planning, I learned that pulling off such an endeavor with minimal pain and struggle required prioritizing and managing my time. In the end, I learned a great deal about documentaries and just how much work goes into making them. Through my research I discovered how important community involvement is to a small local business such as Know Knew Books. My hope is that viewers of this documentary will realize that a community based used bookstore does not simply sell used books but offers so much more.
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“ Anybody that has any kind of event--club, book club,
band can come to our space and use our space. We actually designed the store so that we could hold events �.
-Bill Burress 11
INTRODUCTION.
When we imagine a used bookstore, we picture an old dusty shop with dim lighting tended by an ancient man sleeping at the cash register, who looks as though he could keel over at any moment. When you walk into Know Knew Books, you enter a light and airy other world. In this chic, sunny space everything is joyful. Any employee who notices you will smile; the smile is infectious, spreading around the store and brightening the day of every customer. Blonde wooden bookcases and bold geometric lights and displays creating an artistic and modern ambience. Creatively placed shelves brim with used books in immaculate condition. Almost everyone who enters finds something, and the prices of these books are unbeatable. Buying, selling and trading used books are far from the store’s only activities. Know Knew Books hosts book and poetry readings and the occasional art show and provides a wonderful venue for upcoming musicians in Los Altos. Works of art by local kids hang on the walls, and an easel and drawing utensils in the back of the store ready for members of the community, who are encouraged to express their artistery. Know Knew Books is all about the community, providing some a place to meet others and get involved in the community, while offering others sanctuary. Despite the serious decline in Silicon Valley bookshops with countless having gone out of business, including large chains such as Barnes & Nobles, Know Knew Books has persevered. What has kept it going? Attitude? An unbeatable sense of community? Pride in its trade? Exploring the untold story of what makes Know Knew Books resilient in today’s technology driven world, this documentary identifies the stereotypes and challenges indie bookstores face and reveals how this unique shop is dealing with them.
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Chapter One :
p Booksho ie nd I The the store
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major contributor to the decline of used and indie bookstores, particularly in the Silicon Valley has been the rise of technology. Often the surge in digital innovations provides countless benefits, however what does this mean for the book industry? Unfortunately, books are fast falling from favor and have been for at least the past couple decades. This decline in the use of physical books, due to their digital counterparts, has meant a decline in bookstores. As the tech boom began, owners of stores be-
gan to notice a significant decrease in their businesses. “As time went on, obviously the internet came along, and iPads came along, Kindles came along and that changed the scene quite a bit for us and everybody else” According to (Bill, Owner of Know Knew Books). Though people still read, many turn to digital books instead of to their physical predecessors. Today people are reading on their Kindles, iPads, and computers. Strangely enough, however, that there has actually been a rise in the success of small bookstores ac-
cording to Verne Kopytoff in his article, “The Indie Bookstore Resurgence”,“Despite the growth, bookstores still face stiff competition from Amazon. Trying to match the online retailing giant’s prices is futile. Amazon can afford to charge a dollar or two less for every book. Bookstore owners must convince shoppers that buying from them is worth the extra cost”, again leading back to the rise of technology. The struggling economy of our age has drastically hurt small businesses, especially small bookstores. Judith Rosen,
“Bookstore owners are
trying to create a sort of community center amid their shelves.�. - Kopytoff
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author of the article, “Used-Bookstores in the Digital Age”, interviewed the owner of a small bookstore, Gardner’s Used Books, who discusses the fate of store hit by the economic recession; “‘For us, sales are going down,’ says Gerry Mullenix. ‘It’s not that we have fewer customers. This economy is worse than [the one following] 9/11. People are downsizing to small houses or small apart-
ments’”. In agreement with this statement Bill tells me of the local bookstore crisis that his Palo Alto during the 1990s; “as you can see from the fact that fifteen years ago, Palo Alto had twentyfive bookstores and now they have two. So the internet and the economy. The economy’s screwed up too. In 1988 and that really put a kibosh on a lot. And during the big boom. And during the big boom a lot of the stores ended up going out of business because the landlords got greedy and started tripling the rent”. Also forced to close due to the crashing economy, large bookstores such as Barnes and Noble, and
Borders have become far more sparse. Unfortunately, a domino effect is often triggered when these massive stores go out of business; closing sales draw countless people to such stores in a fervent ‘need’ to purchase books before they are gone, however this causes a loss of business for indie bookshops in the area. Though often having a brief negative effect on used bookstores, the closing of these large chain stores eliminates much of the competition for smaller bookstores. This can make way for a fortunate turn of events for many of these struggling businesses. In Kopytoff’s article, “after years of steep decline, independent bookstores have turned the corner -- to a point. Sales grew 8% in 2012 and are on
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track for similar gains this year, according to the American Booksellers Association”. Though in general used bookstores are finding it significantly more difficult to stay afloat than larger bookstores, there are some that have managed to adapt to the rapidly shifting social and economic climate in this area. Despite the challenges stacked against them, indie and used bookstores have found practices that are helping them thrive. “Many bookstore owners are trying to create a sort of community center amid their shelves. They’ve filled their store calendars with events like author lectures, writing workshops, and children’s camps… while also diversifying revenue beyond just selling the latest best sellers”
(Kopytoff). Often modernizing and altering their appearance will do a great deal to attract fresh attention from the ever shifting community in areas such as the Silicon Valley. Additionally building up a community driven atmosphere and motive will push the popularity of a small bookshop. Know Knew Books utilizes all of these measures and for the most part have had a great deal of success given the trying era we live in.
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Chapter two:
Technology and Books
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argely through chance, and a habit of crawling into dumpsters outside of bookshops, the owner and founder of Know Knew Books came across an opportunity to open a used bookstore. Bill seized the chance to create a fun space where accessible and affordable reading and learning provided a good time for everyone. This one little used bookstore is in many ways more successful than many larger book stores such as Borders and Barnes & Noble. Why is this? Perhaps because the idea of a charming little store with recycled
books is more appealing than a vast department store with near callous employees. Obviously Know Knew Books and other small used book stores of that sort can not afford to have an incredibly extensive array of books simply due to little space and high costs. However there is enough of a selection that even if a person does not find the book they were originally searching for then they will almost certainly leave the store with at least one book anyway. Passionate about the sharing of knowledge and creativity, Bill does not see the bookstore as just another
business; he relayed to me that, “it’s an awesome business actually, because it has a lot of extensions. It has extensions in what we carry besides books. It has extensions in what else we do in the store. We have a monthly poetry reading. We have political people come in. On February 23, or 22, we’re going to have one of the major players with Karen Silkwood, and wounded knee and Iran-Contra in to give a talk and promote his new book. And we have bands come in… so there’s a variety of things that we do here that doesn’t just pin it into one, into one perspective.” These
extra activities and opportunities that Know Knew Books provides customers and all other willing members of society many unforgettable experiences, in turn bringing Bill and his employees an abundance of joy and a sense of purpose. Through the store and its presence in the community Bill and the staff of Know Knew Books try to correct some of the misconceptions about reading and the younger generation during the technological boom of this age. Many people in the community “say, first of all, kids don’t read. That’s not true. Our biggest seller is kids books, which is interesting. Because right down the street is a whole kid’s store, and yet one of our most popular sections are the kids sec-
tions... Young adult, small kids, all that section is the most popular in the store… They also say that books will lose their whole, their whole popularity and that’s not true. I think again a lot of the problem right now is the economy. Once that balances out I think people will start buying books more than they are now. And once the fad of a kindle or an ipod you know, kind of wains off then we’ll also do better with the bookstore.” The employees are extremely devoted to helping anyone who enters the store. It is a rare occasion when a customer will enter the building and leave empty handed. Even with its inevitably limited selection, Know Knew Books will more often than not yield a book well worth purchasing, especial-
ly as the store’s prices are incredibly low. I am constantly impressed when I help out in the store with the breadth of knowledge the staff has. Extending beyond an extensive and seemingly innate knowledge of the store’s contents everyone around has an incredible wealth of worldly awareness which provides compelling conversations and quite possibly debates. Anne, a successful writing tutor and avid book reader told me that, “the people who work in the store and their willingness to help is a huge thing that I look for when I am searching for a bookstore, or any store really”. A store where the staff is willing to put down whatever they are working on to help a customer with whatever they need is a store that will succeed.
Know Knew Books has an amazing staff that will not hesitate to help any person who comes through the door find a book worth their time. Entering the store, one feels the men and women working truly want to be there and enjoy each other’s company as well as the customers’. After speaking with a few of these employees directly I discovered the general consensus was a simple wish that more people knew that the store was there. One of the girls who works at Know Knew Books, Eleanor revealed to me that, “even though it’s been like six or seven months that we’ve been in this location, we still get a lot of people coming in being like, ‘Oh my God, I had no idea you guys were here.’ I go to Peet’s all the time which is right across the street,
and they didn’t know we were here”. It is an unfortunate truth that though this used bookstore is an amazing resource, which I am sure the majority of the Los Altos community would love to take advantage of, it is not living up to its full potential simply because it has too little a following.
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Chapter Three:
Downtown’s Makeover Project
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owntown Los Altos is rapidly changing in many ways, modernizing and moving towards a far more community-oriented space with emphasis on the young people of the area. Though, in general, used bookstores are finding it significantly more difficult to stay afloat than larger bookstores, some have managed to adapt to the rapidly shifting social and economic climate in this area. Know Knew Books has adopted a new look to fit into the ever-changing ‘new’ downtown Los Altos. Even though it is a used bookstore, “it fits in pretty well. It seems like
the sort of places that are fitting in best with the new Downtown are the places that are more community oriented and more intellectually oriented as well, such as like the projects in Los Altos, that Momo was doing and the exploratorium thing called Helix, which are both big community things, like that’s kind of their deal. But they’re more about bringing a sort of intellectual, I don’t know how to say this, but, more like trying to bring something to Los Altos that we didn’t have when it was just nail salons” (Eleanor). Both new and old Downtown Los Altos are
vastly different from Know Knew Books’ previous location of Know Knew Books. According to Burress, “on California Avenue [its previous location], the major sellers were science fiction, mystery, and fiction. Here, the science fiction is almost full, for some reason, and that was one of the most popular areas over there. So as far as demographics go, we’ve kind of had a switch to a more serious reader in Los Altos than we had in Palo Alto. And again, it was so different because of the time period and technological changes, the changes in demographics have definitely been influenced by
technology.” The business at the Palo Alto location was more ‘use the bookstore to find a book,’ while in Los Altos much of the store’s attraction is offering a pleasant communal space where people enjoy spending time. There is also an appeal to bring one’s business to Know Knew Books driven by the “buy local movement,” as Kopytoff puts it. “Bookstores are getting a helping hand from the buy local movement, an idea that is closely tied to the concept of community. People, particularly in more affluent neighborhoods, make it a point to shop at local businesses as a sort of civic duty. The concept sounds too warm and fuzzy to be true. But it makes a real impact, according to Oren Teicher, chief executive of the American Booksellers Association.” People in a town like Los Altos just
want to feel like a part of their community. Burress, his friends, family, and staff realize the incredible value of “trying to be very community oriented,” at the store, to “get known as a place that anybody that has any kind of event-club, book club, band--can come to our space and use our space. We actually designed the store so that we could hold events. We have a fairly large space for whoever’s performing or reading, se we’ve been able to bring in quite a few people. We’re actually bringing in a band that I think has probably has 10 to 12 members in it. Other than that, we have poetry readings, we have authors’ signings, we have just a ton of different things. We’ve had a local principal bring in 30 kids and read to ‘em, in the back here.” (Burress). Not only Burress’s willing-
ness to use his space as a resource for the people in the area but his mission to make as many opportunities possible for everyone who wants to utilize it makes Know Knew Books an invaluable addition to the growing community that is Downtown Los Altos.
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CONCLUSION..
When the average person imagines a used bookstore they picture an old dusty shop with dim lighting and an ancient man who looks as though he could keel over at any moment sleeping at the cash register. In reality however, this particular used book shop, Know Knew Books, is a modernesque store with bright lights and jewelry stands and an energetic but laid back atmosphere. More goes on a the store than simply the trade involving used books, children are encouraged to express their art on an easel in the back of the store and there are frequent art shows and book readings that the store hosts. This essay explores the stereotype covering book shops in todays technology run world and how exactly this unique shop deals with such issues. If there was an idea custom-made for a Jay Leno monologue, this was it: a new age used book store. Isn’t that like a mid fifties suburban mom picking up her kids from school with her Gucci shades and bright pink Juicy sweatpants? What ever happened to live and let die? I happen to sympathize with this bookstore, though, perhaps because I have changed my appearance and attitude before to keep up with the rest of my peers, and I know that this store has chosen to modernize to fit the growing times. And frankly, it has worked.
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S K R WO “Bob, Customer.” Personal interview. 27 Mar. 2014. “Burres, Bill Owner of Know Knew Books.” Personal interview. 2 Mar. 2014. “Eleanor, Employee.” Personal interview. 14 Mar. 2014. “Knight, Anne, Tutor.” Personal interview. 10 Mar. 2014. “Know Knew Books | Los Altos CA | 650 326-9355 | Our Neighbors.” Know Knew Books |
Los Altos CA | 650 326-9355 | Our Neighbors. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
Kopytoff, Verne. “The Indie Bookstore Resurgence.” FORTUNE Features RSS. CNN Money,
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20 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
CITED Levitt, Steven D., and Stephen J. Dubner. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores
the Hidden Side of Everything. New York: William Morrow, 2005. Print.
Noam, Eli. “Electronics and the Decline of Books.” Http://net.educause.edu/. N.p., n.d. Web.
28 Mar. 2014.
Rosen, Judith. “Used-Book Stores in the Digital Age.” PublishersWeekly.com. N.p., 4
May 2012. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
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Website: www.goporridge.com
New Store, Old Books: The Story of One Used Bookstore’s Survival
The author, Anna Wang, is a 17 year-old student who seriously enjoys creating art. She does not have a favorite medium but is an avid painter, scribbler, and an occasional sculptor. Despite her passion for all things creative, most of the time Anna is not really sure what is happening around here at Freestyle, but somehow her work turns out fairly well. During the winter she enjoys skiing, and during the summer she wishes she was still skiing while she crashes into a few trees on her mountain bike. Year round however, Anna likes to torture herself and compete in triathlons. When she has time she reads as much as she can, particularly autobiographies about all the insane adventures some people embark on. Also sitting around and doing absolutely nothing is something she finds necessary to do everyday.
Anna Wang
New Store, Old Books:
The Story of One Used Bookstore’s Survival
Anna Wang