Book Baby

The staff of Sam Wellers would like to welcome the newest addition to Weller World, Lily Aya Kali. She was born to Travis (Special Services and IT dept) and his wife Julie last night. Congratulations and wishes for a good night sleep to all!

New Day, New Sale

Last March we announced our intention to downsize and move from our Main Street location. Loyal customers and old time Salt Lakers flocked to our store to share their memories, give us their good wishes, and take advantage of our moving sale.

All of those actions helped us. The good wishes and the love were invaluable during a time when we felt beleaguered. The stories were heart warming and fascinating. We were so moved by your stories that we created the Moving Histories Project to document them. Many of the videos we shot are on our YouTube channel now.

And what about that sale? Well the sale was designed to begin to reduce stock and, most importantly, help us downsize in place while we put our building on the market and searched for a new one. And you, dear customers, have helped us achieve that goal. Thank you.

So now we move on to another phase of preparations for our relocation: reducing the Bargain Rooms. Those who frequent us physically (instead of virtually) have watched our Bargain Book area grow from one room to two rooms and now three rooms. The books in there aren't junk, they wouldn't be on any of our shelves if they were, but they're not the right stock for our regular shelves. As they've moved from their former sections, each of the books was marked to $1.00, $3.00 or $5.00. And now they're even cheaper. We need to move those books out so we can move on. So if you buy 10 or more books from the Bargain Room, you'll get 50% off the lot of them.

Of course you want to know about our move. There's only so much we can say at this point. We're in negotiations with a buyer for our property. We've identified 3 properties that we think look good. Tony and the management team are covering details about reading and stocking philosophies, aesthetics, businesses to potentially partner with, you name it. It's a lot of planning, and it's exhilarating.

In the mean time, we're still here for you. We're stocked with wonderful new and used books and we're dying to show them to you. This is one of the best new book publishing seasons we've seen in a long time. We'd love to share our books and their stories with you.

We Want to Shoot You

Perhaps the most enjoyable result of our announced relocation, aside from the community's outpouring of love, is the community's outpouring of stories. We've been treated to heartfelt tales of how much Sam Wellers has meant to people over the years, hilarious stories of the openly and exuberantly emotional Sam Weller, remembrances of the amazing authors and illustrators we've hosted. And then there are the staff reminiscences...... some of those must remain private. But what all of the stories have in common is the fondness and passion with which they are told. It's been a real privilege to have people share them with us.

In fact, we've loved it so much that we decided to formalize the process a bit. And The Moving History Project was born. We are making videorecordings of anyone who has a story, a memory, a wish for the future. And we decided that anyone who gives us 1 - 5 minutes of their time should get a coupon for 30% off used and most rare books purchased from now to the end of May.

We shot a few staff members on Thursday to get started. It was so entertaining! Each staff member had a different take on the very open ended assignment of "give us 1 - 5 minutes of memories or comments." There's a loop running in store now. Come see it. It's a scream if I do say so myself. We'll have it running on the web soon.

And of course give us your stories. We're shooting people from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturdays, Mondays and Tuesdays May 9th through 19th. It's helpful if you call ahead (801-328-2586) for a time slot, but not necessary. It won't be painful I promise.

First Blog Written as Old SLC Bookstore Announces Historic Move

This is my first blog post. I've been meaning to blog thing for months now. A coalition of younger booksellers convinced me i must. But who reads this stuff? Aren't we all too busy? So i drew myself an outline of all the fascinating things i want to write. But other tasks always pushed blogging aside and i have always striven to put a wall between my work and my home. It takes effort since Catherine, my wife, and i operate the bookstore together. But tonight i am writing at home, when i want to be in bed. This night is second in surreality only to the evening of February 27th, when the scale of my judgment tipped and Cat and decided that we would be moving our old giant bookstore.

And since i know no better, i am writing in a word doc until someone shows me again how to post. That's also the reason why what was largely written last month, is only being posted today.

For my first blog, i had wanted to describe my strenuous relationship with language to you, as way of explanation, or excuse. But considering what other stuff has been happening, that will have to wait.

I am writing this only hours after delivering the press release announcing the immanent relocation of our 80 year old family-owned bookstore, Sam Weller's Books, also known as Zion Bookstore.

Late this afternoon after about two weeks of intensive planning, we announced that we have begun a search for a new location. Our store occupies 37,000 square feet. The public accesses 20,000. The other 17,000 is used for work space and storage, much storage. Some of it is well used. Since 1961 we have grown within the bounds of the David Keith Building, built on Salt Lake City's Main Street in 1902. Since my parents, Sam and Lila Weller, moved in here i think we have tripled in size with small expansions being nabbed when opportunity and necessity coincided. Our last expansion was in about 1996. When i think of what that cost and the last 13 years i wish i had invested in computers.

Catherine's and my decision to relocate this giant old bookstore did not come easily nor as quickly as it may seem. We have lived bookselling for many years. Like most booksellers, we love books. We are people shaped by books and certain of their importance to sane and civil society, and their relevance to the mind and one's sense of being. I have worked in books since i was 10 but when asked i start the ticker at the age of sixteen, so let's say i have been a mostly cognizant member of the trade since the late 1970's. Before computers altered our lives, i read Alvin Toffler's Future Shock and understood that change's pace continues to increase and that things are going to get faster and more fractured. I read Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media and knew that changes in technologies had unpredictable but definite effects on not only society but the workings of our minds and the physiology of our bodies. We see differently than our ancestors. We taste differently. We think differently.

So i am not really surprised to now be facing the prospect of moving the best of this giant old bookstore into a yet unknown location, in a manner derived to no small degree from my dreams. I am excited by the mere idea of putting our substantial experience to the task of creating a new kind of bookstore. I am overflowing with ideas and the grounding knowledge that only some can work. Oh but a lot of work precedes. I have moved from despondency to idiot glee.

Our press release went out at about 5:45 last night. Between then and 8:00, i gave four interviews and have two more coming. I saw it covered on television tonight and the sentiments caused me to briefly question our decision despite the years of analysis and consideration. But though i feel a certain affinity for Don Quixote, i cannot tilt further against the windmills of time. I have gone from dread to excitement.

We recognize that the market for books is shrinking. We are also certain that there are parts of the book trade that will endure. I'll write more about that some other time. Right now i am spinning darkness into light.

I am too tired to go on. The date is 12 March 2009. It is the day we announced the movement of an icon and one of the last remnants of an era i will miss.

I will awaken tomorrow, face more inquires and bargain hunters. Face the giant task of steering a massive boat into a tight harbor. Resist making too many plans until our new home is determined. Brace myself to greet my friends.

Bone