Hope for the Holidays

At The Book House we believe in making a difference in our community. We are affiliated with several charities and assistance programs throughout the St. Louis area and our hope is that you will join us in our efforts to make some positive differences in others’ lives.

The Book House, in conjunction with The St. Louis Bookstore Alliance (http://www.stlindiebook.com) has begun its annual book drive this season. The book drive, called Hope for the Holidays, will provide books for the residents of Gateway 180 Homeless Shelter on 1000 North 19th Street in St. Louis. Gateway 180 (http://www.gatewayhomeless.org) is the largest 24-hour shelter for single women and families in the state of Missouri. We encourage our customers to purchase a book from a participating store and donate it. Members of the Alliance will gift wrap and deliver the books to the shelter just before Christmas. We believe that books will provide the residents of Gateway 180 with some much-needed joy this season. Books are sharable, inexpensive and allow us all to dream of something beyond our circumstances.

Also, The Book House accepts donations year round for Second Chapter Life Center (http://www.2ndchapter.org), a program founded  in 2006 which is based on a need in the community for youth and young adults requiring supervision and assistance to have meaningful, inclusive opportunities, sense of belonging, care, community and guidance.   A portion of all proceeds from these books goes to help fund these programs.   You may bring your used books to The Book House any time during regular business hours.  Please be sure your books are clean, and in very good condition, and  in boxes or bags. If you have more than ten boxes of books to donate, please call ahead and let us know at 314.968.4491.  We also accept cash donations for Second Cahpter and for the Hope for the Holidays program.

Additionally, The Book House  and your book donations benefits   the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition (http://www.foster-adopt.org),  a non-profit agency, founded in 1989 with the support of the United Way of Greater St. Louis that offers many supports to foster and adoptive parents, including support groups, training, advocacy, newsletters, two resale shops, crisis intervention services, and the Little Wishes program. The Book House recently made a donation to the Little Wishes campaign to help buy gifts this holiday for children in foster care.

The Book House is also collecting canned and non-perishable food items for Rock Hill Ministries and St. Louis Area Foodbank  http://www.stlfoodbank.org/GetHelp/ListofAgencies/WEBSTER-ROCKHILLMINISTRIES.aspx    and, in conjunction with Second Chapter Center, has adopted three local families to help pay utility bills, food, rent, clothes, and christmas gifts for the holiday season.  We  are accepting food donations through Dec. 20th  as well as cash donations.

By buying at The Book House, you are joining us in supporting our community and making St. Louis a better place to be.

Also be sure to stop by  for our Annual Holiday Open House and book sale on Friday, Saturday and Sunday December 9, 10, and 11 and book signings by   John S. McFarland, M.R. Sellers, Ray Sigler, Maxine Prochnow, Megan Barr and Marilynne Bradley! There will be free refreshments, raffle and entertainment, and all books will be on sale!                   

Why Buy Books From an Independant Bookstore?

With the holidays coming and not a lot of money to go around, there is one gift that never loses its appeal: a good old-fashioned book. While many products in this rapid-changing digital era will be outdated by the same time next year, books continue to charm us, inspire us, and entertain us. Whether we read for pleasure, education, or escapism, we love to read, and that’s why books still make perfect gifts for the holidays. But this year, before you bust out your wallet and start spending, take a moment to consider where you’d like your money to go.

While the majority of money spent at large chain bookstores goes straight into the pockets of the major chain business owners, buying from an independent bookstore offers a lot more to the community. Listed below are the top ten reasons why you should consider shopping at your local independent bookstores this season.

1. By shopping at an independent bookstore, you keep your dollars in our economy. For every $100 dollars you spend at local businesses, $68 will stay in the community. When spending at a national chain, only $43 dollars stay in the community.

2. You embrace what makes us unique. A large part of the joy of shopping at independent bookstores is that they each have their own personalities. You wouldn’t want your house to look like everyone else’s in the U.S. So why would you want your community to look that way?

3. You create local jobs. Local businesses are better at creating higher-paying jobs for our neighbors.

4. You help the environment. Buying from a local business conserves energy and resources by using less fuel for transportation, less packaging, and using products that you know are safe and well made, because we stand behind them.

5. You nurture your community. Studies show that local businesses donate to community causes at more than twice the rate of major chains.

6. You conserve tax dollars. Shopping at a local business means less infrastructure, less maintenance, and more money available to beautify your community. Also, spending locally instead of online ensures that your sales taxes are reinvested where they belong – in your community!

7. You create more choice. We pick the books and gifts we sell based on what we know you like and want. Local businesses carry a wider array of unique products because we buy for our own individual market.

8. You take advantage of our expertise. We are your friends and neighbors, and we have a vested interest in knowing how to serve you. We’re passionate about what we do. Why not take advantage of it?

9. You invest in entrepreneurship. Creativity and entrepreneurship is what the American economy is founded upon. Nurturing local businesses ensures a strong community and creates opportunity.

10. You made us a destination. The more interesting and unique we are a community, the more we will attract new neighbors, visitors and guests. This benefits everyone!

Keep these reasons in mind this season as you go about your holiday spending, and if you’re a St. Louis local, don’t forget about Hope for the Holidays. As part of the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance, we at The Book House encourage you to purchase a book to donate to Gateway 180 Homeless Shelter. For more information, go to: http://www.stlindiebook.com/node/76

Also, be sure to check out our website at: http://www.bookhousestl.com/ or stop by at 9719 Manchester Road, for great deals and more upcoming holiday events!

Mamma Mia!

 

Stop by the Book House on 9719 Manchester Road, St. Louis, Missouri to register for your chance to win two tickets to Mamma Mia! at the Fox Theater on Tuesday, November 22nd!

Drawings will be held Saturday, November 19th.

Also, be sure to check out our website: http://www.bookhousestl.com/

A day in the life . . .

 I got off the phone after what seemed like an hour  helping an elderly customer learn how to use her email and find her local library for computer classes  (also  ordered Windows 7 for Dummies – for Seniors  to have shipped to her house)  I grabbed the next phone line  – - a college freshman wanting to sell books  (which we don’t do anymore,  we take for donation for Second Chapter Center . . .  —  do we know anywhere else who buys books?  . . .  Sorry, I don’t know who’s buying but here’s a list . . .   )  Answering the same question the 15th time today . . .     I ran out to cover the bargain book tables (for the third time today)  as the drizzle started up again.   Helped explain the definition of Facism and what Gregg Shorthand was to another customer . . . .    Picked up the books in the children’s section again as a frazzled toddler’s mom was leaving apologetically.  Explained the meaning of “Banned Books Week” to three people who were stunned that books were ever banned in this country,  had an interesting discussion about  My Friend Flicka being banned from one school because the word “bitch” was used to descibe a female dog with a litter of puppies . . .    Looked up some books by Countess Aline Romanones, a cold war spy  published in the 1980′s  that a customer needs THIS WEEK  for a birthday present. . .     swept the dust from under the radiators,  restocked the bathrooms,   sorted through some old books dropped off by a Franciscan priest,  and some local history books delivered from Arcadia . . . argued with Baker and Taylor about an order that should have been here yesterday . . .    showed someone where books by Sue Grafton and Barbara Kinsolver were shelved and recommended a few authors she might like (she picked out one by Louis Erdrich and Janet Evanovich . . .   filmed Stephanie reading from the Lottery for Banned Books week . . .    tried to figure out how to get it posted on line . . .   sold  6 copies of Charlotte’s Web for teacher’s classroom . . .    “yes we do have Lord of the Flies in stock” . . .     “the cat’s name is Blake”,  “around the corner and down the stairs”,  “yes you can go upstairs”   . . . .   Sent a customer to the community college bookstore to get a FREE copy of the curriculum they were frantically trying to find.   Gave directions to the Book House about 8 times,   looked up titles on the San Francisco Earthquake . . .   discussed the relative merits of having a man pay for dinner , does that make it a date? . . .    filled out some more invoices . . .     got into a long conversation about recycling with a sales rep . . .    found books by Kate Chopin that were NOT titled The Awakening . . .    picked up some books that had fallen on the floor . . .   scheduled video with Scarlet Tanager who will be filming a music video here in a couple weeks . . .   updated Twitter feed . . .

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Oct 12th at 4:00 pm

Join us to celebrate our 25th anniversary!  Ribbon cutting ceremony  and free cake!

Celebrating 25 Years!

THE  BOOK HOUSE  CELEBRATING 25 YEARS!    Have we really been here that long?    What started in October 1986 as a “safe place to stay” and “something to do” for  a young mother recently divorced with two small children  has become a community landmark and a lifelong passion and professional career.   Selling BOOKS !!  REAL BOOKS -  all kinds,  new, old, used, reprinted, rare, hard to find.   Our lives have been enriched by sharing books and literature and ideas and politics and stories with so many of you in our community!   We’ve watched young  budding readers wide eyes full of wonder come in and explore and discover. Over the past 25 years many  of you (like my own children)  have grown  up, left  home  to go off to college, or the military, or work,  but you still come back on holidays, often with your own children,  continuing the tradition of reading and books to the next generation!  I hope we have played a small part in that journey.  We’ve nurtured beginning writers  who have become published authors and world travelers.  We’ve humbly helped to turn growing passions into book collections, helping to find hidden treasures and hard to find items.  And we sometimes see these  come back full circle as their owner moves, downsizes, or passes away and their  carefully curated  collections come back to us to be loved and tended by a new generation of readers and collectors.  We have always strived to “pay it forward” and give back to the local community.   In 2005 we founded Second Chapter Life Center serving young adults with developmental disabilities and a portion of all sales and book donations fund these programs.  We have also  partnered with the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition and Earth Circle Recycling and the Global Thousand Books Initiative  to make sure used book donations get to people who can use them and do not go into landfills.   

We want you to know that WE ARE STILL HERE!  We hope to be here another 25 years or more!  With all the changes in technology, the economy and this increasing fast-paced cynical world  we need Books and Stories and a quiet, local community “safe” place  more than ever.  Yes, we will probably find a way to carry ebooks and we will use all the latest tools at our disposal to help you find what you need.  We can get just about anything for you in a matter of days.  We carry the “newest,  latest thing” But computers and ebooks  will never replace real books.  We will still have them -  in abundance.  From bargain books to rare manuscripts over 100 years old.  We have them!  Come see them, touch them, smell them, collect them.  Hold history in your hands.  Come join us as we journey  to the future.  The possibilites are amazing!   We will continue to find exciting new authors and books for you to discover and foster the growth of literature and ideas throughout the community.  We have so many exciting ideas for upcoming events and community partnerships we would love to share with you.    We are here for YOU  -  to help you find what you need,  (even if you don’t know what that is), to share our love of books and reading and offer suggestions. And we welcome your ideas and suggestions.   Come join us!

About Us

9719 Manchester Rd. St. Louis, MO 63119 Store Hours Tuesday through Saturday: 10:30 – 7:00M Sunday and Monday: *CLOSED* http://www.bookhousestl.com/ (314) 968-4491 info@bookhousestl.com

The Book House was founded by Michelle Barron in 1986,  Family owned and operated for over 25 years, we are  located in an historic Victorian house built in 1863,  with a cozy friendly atmosphere patrolled by  Blake,  our store cat and official greeter,  and at least one documented ghost.  

We have over 350,000 books  (about 20% listed online) acquired from hundreds of collections, auctions, and suppliers  over the last 25 years.   Come browse our  extensive and  eclectic mix of quality rare, out-of-print, new, and used books tucked into nine rooms on three floors of winding staircases, nooks and crannies,  and a dungeon we call the “Bargain Basement”.

Expect the unexpected and come with plenty of time to explore.   We have books in all subject areas from rare first editions and early printed books to the latest children’s books and novels,  especially large history, literature, religion, philosophy, and science fiction sections,  and incredible clearance bargains.  Knowledgeable staff,  special orders, out of print booksearches, and professional appraisals.   We ship worldwide. 

Voted Best of St. Louis  and St. Louis A-List 2008, 2009 and 2010   Member of American Booksellers Association (ABA),  Midwest Antiquarian Booksellers Association (MWBA), Independent Online Booksellers Associaiton (IOBA)    

A portion of all proceeds support Second Chapter Life Center for young adults with Developmental Disabilities and the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition.  We take donations of quality used books anytime during regular business hours to help us fund non-profit programs through Second Chapter Center  and sponsor a  Used Book Fair and Fundraiser every year on Memorial Day weekend.

 

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Here you can read about store happenings, upcoming events and chat with us on a variety of topics!