Shelf Life
Remember what it was like to enter your favorite independent bookstore: strolling the shelves of local authors, breathing in the scent of new and used paperbacks, filling your tote bag with hours of printed fun? Shelf Life is a monthly column where Rachel A.G. Gilman tries to recreate this feeling, chatting with owners about the history of their bookstores, how the pandemic has reshaped the bookselling business, and some of their favorite titles.
Book Barn
“It’s a big place and there’s a lot of stuff, so sometimes people are really thrown by it,” says bookseller and writer of Glenn’s Book Notes Glenn Shea, describing how he often sees folks on the phone with each other trying to meet up after wandering off at the Barn. “We do have a guide on our website, but sometimes people will just come in to the front lobby and stop, letting their eyes sort of glaze over.”