Polaroid Pictures

While cleaning the office here at Sam Weller's Books in preparation for our move to Trolley Square we found a Polaroid camera and some film (best used by March 2004).

I love Polaroids. Birthday money supplemented with chore money bought my first camera, a Polaroid. It looked almost exactly like this one, except that it was a sporty red color. So I was immediately excited to start snapping photos.

Of course with film that expired seven years and nine months ago, there was no telling how they would turn out. They turned out interesting.

 Catherine is channeling the moving stress of all the staff.

 Tony and Joan are preparing the Rare Book Room.

 Getting things done.

 Frank staffing the side counter.

Hollis is holding down the fort in the office.

 Jason is organizing the volunteer schedule.

If you would like to volunteer, contact him at the store. 

801-328-2586 or jasonrabb@samwellers.com

Elizabeth is the returns queen.

 Our friends in the Coffee Garden on Main.

 Debra staffing the main floor info desk.

Stephanie is packing the office.

I don't know what caused portions not to develop. Perhaps the developing fluid had dried out. I have one cartridge (10 photos!) left. I'll use them in the move and post them in a future blog.

New name for a new space

Catherine and I are the third generation of Wellers to serve the community's interests by selling books. My grandfather, Gustav, opened the original store at the onset of the Great Depression. It was then called Zion Bookstore. My father, Sam, took over in 1946. Sam and my mother, Lila, moved the bookstore to 254 S. Main Street in 1961. In the 1970s the name became Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore. By the 1980s we simply went by Sam Wellers.

I have worked in the family bookstore since childhood. Main Street was a vibrant place throughout my youth but beginning in the 1980's it began to decline as a shopping district due to the proliferation of new suburban malls, increasing parking costs and some poor development decisions. Sales weakened for independent booksellers in the late 1980s and the 1990s as stock funded corporate booksellers fought for dominance. A bit later the internet and ebooks gave users new ways to get information once found only in books. Today all the foregoing is exacerbated by our troubled economy.

We value the long heritage of our bookstore. Sam Weller was a gregarious, energetic bookman whose reputation was known across the country. He was a powerful man and a dedicated father who had a giant influence in my life. But his energy hasn't been strongly felt in the bookstore since he lost his eyesight in 1997. Sam passed away in 2009. For all our love and respect for the bookstore we have been on Main Street, we felt that our new store -- designed and built by Catherine, our team and me -- wouldn't be, and simply couldn't be called Sam's anymore.

When we open our store in Trolley Square on January 6th, it will be known as Weller Book Works. For months we pondered how to preserve the family name while embracing a new identity that reflects our new location, our new style of bookselling, and our changed culture. We settled on "Works" because it is an active term and we're active booksellers. I've often said we're the proletariats of the book world. Works has good connotations. This works. Books work (without batteries and for hundreds of years). It works for me. We work for you. We like the industrial association and think it fits nicely into the old trolley garages into which Trolley Square has been built.

We're excited about our new name and logo. We're also excited about the new web site that will follow shortly. We hope you'll enjoy the bookstore that makes them meaningful.

Be $ensible Again

The Be $ensible legislative wrap up is tomorrow, Saturday March 26th from 4 - 6 p.m. Join us as we host Ross Romero, Kraig Powell and perhaps some friends from the media to sensibly discuss the outcomes of the 2011 legislative session. There's so so much to talk about. Please join us.

Staff Holiday Picks

The staff of Sam Wellers have all weighed in with their picks for holiday giving. Take a look:

• Lane Richins - Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Donald Stokes
• Debra Evans - Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett and Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book by Andrew Williamson
• Zach Sampinos - Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz
• Frank Pester - King James Bible Quartercentenerary Edition with essay by Gordon Campbell
• Bruce Christensen - Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
• Jason Rabb - Listen to This by Alex Ross
• Tony Weller - Red Book by C. G. Jung, 75 Years of DC Comics by Paul Levitz, World of Ornament by A. Racinet, Frank Lloyd Wright: 1917 - 1942 by Bruce B Pfeiffer, Dressing a Galaxy by Trisha Biggar
• Todd Bailey - Twas the Night Before Christmas illustrated by Matt Tavares
• Joan Nay - King James Bible Quartercentenerary Edition with essay by Gordon Campbell, Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad by Derek Hayes, Bible: The Story of the King James Version by Gordon Campbell
  
• Jan - Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris
• Catherine Weller - Instructions by Adam Levin
• Liz Shattler - Just Kids by Patti Smith
• Stephanie Leitch - Trespass: A History of Uncommissioned Urban Art by Ethel Seno and Andy Goldsworthy Project by Molly Donovan
• Travis Nelson - Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook
• Elizabeth Evaschuck - Spiderwick Chronicles (all of them!) by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
• Neal Jensen - Lego - Atlantis BrickMaster and Lego Star Wars BrickMaster
• Jennifer Nielsen - Photographic Card Deck of The Elements by Theodore Gray

As you can see, the interests of the Weller booksellers are a diverse and wide ranging bunch. We love to read. We love to talk about books. In fact, we STILL think books are among the best gifts to give and receive.

Employees' Holiday Picks

The front of our store holds a growing display, our Employee's Holiday Picks table. Instead of throwing them all out at once, we in WellerWorld prefer a more gradual approach. Each day a new employee pick shows up on the table. It's rather like an advent calendar. Here's what has been selected so far:

• Lane Richins - Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America by Donald Stokes
• Debra Evans - Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett and Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book by Andrew Williamson
• Zach Sampinos - Four Agreements by Miguel Ruiz
• Frank Pester - King James Bible Quartercentenerary Edition with essay by Gordon Campbell
• Bruce Christensen - Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine
• Jason Rabb - Listen to This by Alex Ross
• Tony Weller - Red Book by C. G. Jung, 75 Years of DC Comics by Paul Levitz, World of Ornament by A. Racinet, Frank Lloyd Wright: 1917 - 1942 by Bruce B Pfeiffer, Dressing a Galaxy by Trisha Biggar
• Todd Bailey - Twas the Night Before Christmas illustrated by Matt Tavares
• Joan Nay - King James Bible Quartercentenerary Edition with essay by Gordon Campbell, Historical Atlas of the North American Railroad by Derek Hayes, Bible: The Story of the King James Version by Gordon Campbell
  
• Jan - Simple Times: Crafts for Poor People by Amy Sedaris
• Travis Nelson - Gilded Latten Bones by Glen Cook
  

Stay tuned! There's more to come.

Catherine's Summer Reading Recommendations

I made my semi-annual appearance on KUER's Radio West this morning with Betsy Burton and Ken Sanders. Given the time of year, this is the show in which we each recommend books for reading during the summer. It's always a fun show to do. And it's a good one too. The three of us have different styles and tastes that make for a diverse selection of books. Here is a link to the Summer Book Show page. There should be a link posted Thursday that will allow you to listen to the show or download it for podcast.

But alas, there are always more books on our lists than the three of us can discuss in an hour. Below is my list of recommendations. The books indicated with an asterisk are the books I discussed on air.

ADULT NON-FICTION
*All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew
*Complete Idiots Guide to Raising Chickens by Jerome D. Balanger
*Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes
Everything is Going to Kill Everybody by Robert Brockaway
Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King Jr.... by Hampton Sides
Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States.... by Michael Trinklein
*Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick
*Little Book of Language by David Crystal
*Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow
Thames: A Biography by Peter Ackroyd
*Value of Nothing by Raj Patel

ADULT FICTION
Anthill by E. O. Wilson
*Lightboxes by Shane Jones
Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
*Outside Boy by Jeanine Cummins
*Passage by Justin Cronin

CHILDREN'S BOOKS
*Adventure Stories
Boom by Mark Haddon
Clarice Bean: Guess Who's Babysitting by Lauren Child
*Clock Without a Face by Scott Teplin
Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects.... by Ken Denmead
*Popville by Anouck Boisrobert
Over the Rainbow performed by Judy Collins, illustrated by Eric Puybaret
Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Red Umbrella by Christine Diaz Gonzalez
You are My Wish by Maryann Cusimano

I Heart Books Sale! Feb. 4-6!

25% off new books! 50% off used books! 30% off rare books!

Some exceptions apply. Sale does not include special orders, staff recommends, best sellers, and bargain room books. Does not combine with any other sales or discounts.

Still shopping? We're still here! With Parking!

Just a reminder to all you Sam Wellers customers that we're still here at 254 S. Main Street. We're stocked from basement to mezzanine (and beyond!) with great books, and eager to sell them to you. This has been one of the strongest publishing seasons in memory. There's something here for you or the lucky recipients on your giving list whether you're looking for fiction that's literary or egdy, non-fiction that's serious or humorous, funky sidelines, or exquisite rare books. Oh there are so many wonderful books!

We're also very happy to announce there is once again parking behind Sam Wellers Bookstore. The parking structure for the 222 S. Main building is now open for hourly parking. It can be accessed by via either 200 S. or 300 S., just west of Main Street. Simply enter the structure, choose a ticket for "Metered Parking" and then follow the signage to the "Metered Parking" areas. Then walk out the 300 S. entrance and into the back door of Sam Wellers.

The 100 stalls in the "Metered Parking" part of the structure will charge Salt Lake City parking meter rates for the first hour. After that market rates apply. The system is entirely automated so there is no attendant on duty. Payment is made in at an exit kiosk. Be forewarned, they do not take cash: you must pay with a debit or credit card. Also, we do not have validations at this point. But we are delighted to see an additional parking option for our customers. While the City parking meters are free for the holiday season, that doesn't apply to the metered stalls inside the parking structure.

Remember, books are some of the finest gifts you can give a person. Through them a reader can travel to other times and other worlds, learn from some of the greatest minds humanity has to offer, and dream of larger horizons and better times.

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.

Judy Shepard Speaks at the Salt Lake City Library on Saturday

We are honored to be hosting Judy Shepard at the Salt Lake City Public Library Auditorium this Saturday, September 26th, at 7:00 PM with co-sponsorship from the Utah Pride Center and the Salt Lake City Public Library.

Mrs. Shepard will be talking about her new book The Meaning of Matthew: My Son's Murder in Laramie, and a World Transformed. The issues brought up in her story and Matthew's story are issues we feel strongly about. Their story is a poignant reminder of the aftermath of hatred and intolerance, showing us clearly that hate and intolerance are not American values, nor are they family values. The Meaning of Matthew lays bare the heart of a bereaved mother -- in situation that no mother should ever have to face. She is an amazing catalyst for change, for progress, and for the common good.

And a Good Time Was Had by All

We in WellerWorld set out to have a lower-key but still enjoyable time commemorating our 80th anniversary last Saturday. I'm happy to report that we succeeded.


We wanted a celebratory atmosphere: fun to be in and fun to look at without being the same old anniversary stuff. So while we did engage in crepe paper and balloons, we refrained from grilling weenies or giving away popcorn. We also highlighted our store history and the numerous books recommended by our wonderful staff. To enhance the festive feel, Tony created a play list of his most socially acceptable music for the day.


Our greatest atmospheric feat (pun not intended, but enjoyed nevertheless) was to float books from ballons, using a minimum of balloons. Anyone can float a book with a bunch of balloons. We wanted a focus on the books rather than the balloons. So we used books from the old Ten Cent Pocket Series published by Haldeman-Julius Company back in the 1920's. The diminutive gems were works published to provide the working class access to great writers and great thoughts. They're also small enough and light enough that they'll float with only a few balloons attached.


While the promised 29 Questions game was played by our customers, it was enjoyed by customers and staff alike. I mentioned in a previous entry that I'd had a truly enjoyable time parsing the questions our staff submitted for the game. It was a walk through memory lane and an education to boot. I was reminded of the lingerie store called Betty's Bra Bar that was located in the southern part of our main floor. We shared our favorite bookstore ghost stories with one another. And who knew that Edgar Rice Burroughs was once a member of the Salt Lake City Police Department?! Tony did and now others do, too. We'll be posting all 50 questions that went into the three versions of 29 Questions and the answers in this blog space shortly. In the meantime, I'm happy to convey our congratulations to the winners: Clotilde Cannon, $80 gift certificate; J.M. Stuart, $48 gift certificate; and Bill Barnhard, $29 gift certificate.

And, as promised, there was cake. We ordered two sheet cakes from the fabulous bakery, Pastry Arts Barrani. The first had your standard slogan on the front; the second said, "Get on your ass and read." The slogan is derived from something Sam used to say when talking about our logo, "Man does his best reading on his ass."


Mostly there were plenty of customers enjoying good books—both in the stacks and the discounted titles on our Staff Recommendation shelves—good music, good cake, and decent enough wine. Tony and I were touched by the well wishers who visited the store that day. We thank you. And we thank all of you who've graced us with your custom over the years. I've often said that bookselling is a labor of love and a vow of poverty. But the poverty is only financial; the riches Tony and I have gained from our customers, our coworkers, and the books are inestimable.

29 Questions

I had the most fun at work I've had in a good long while last Tuesday when Stephanie and I selected the questions for the 29 Questions game to be played this Saturday the 15th. Last week the marketing team brainstormed questions about store history, literary history, the quirky personalities and authors who've been connected with the store. Then we threw the idea out to the staff and they came up with more great history. Stephanie and I parsed through the lists to collect the best of the best to entertain, enlighten and maybe even momentarily stump players.

"What are the questions?" you ask. Well I can't tell you that, sillies. But I'll share a few questions that didn't make the cut to whet your appetite:

1. What publications used to call Sam Wellers Book Store on a weekly basis to get our rankings of bestsellers (we use computers now)?
2. Which of the following three factors is most likely to cause a first edition to become valuable? Age. Influence. Rarity.
3. What five other businesses share the David Keith Building with Wellers?
4. What is the name of the revolutionary national program for restoring local economies that was created by booksellers?
5. What is kept in the vault at Wellers?

"Why should I come play 29 Questions at your store this Saturday the 15th?" you ask. Because there will be cake. But also because when you answer our 29 Questions, you are entered into a drawing to win a store gift certificate for $80, $48, or $29. And what can be better than that? Especially if there's cake.

Planning our anniversary celebration this year has been a strange and delicate process indeed. Between the state of the economy, our intention to move from this location, and Sam's death, putting on an outrageous party, as we have in previous years, seemed a bit - well, unseemly. However, 80 years of bookselling is a notable feat and worthy of commemoration.

So there will be no grand party this year. But there will be festivities. On Saturday, August 15th, we will be celebrating all day long. There will be treats in store throughout the day. There will be balloons. There will be a fun contest, and there will be a sale.

Play 29 Questions with us - we added nine questions since the store was founded in 1929 - and you'll be entered into a drawing with a chance to win one of three gift certificates worth $80, $48, or $29. Our game of 29 Questions doesn't involve standing around and asking the staff whether Ernest Hemmingway was animal, vegetable or mineral. Instead, you'll be answering printed questions on a sheet of paper utilizing your knowledge of books, the store, and our cast of characters. Additionally, you'll probably be exploring the store to find those answers. Think of it as an intellectual treasure hunt, perhaps an archeological one too.

And of course it wouldn't be an anniversary celebration without that sale. We'll be selling all used books for 29% off on August 15th. Most Rare books will also be discounted 29 percent. Selected new books will also be discounted 29%, most notably, picks from our Staff Recommendation shelves. On those shelves lie the books that our knowledgeable and quirky booksellers treasure. They're the titles that have entertained us, enriched us, even changed our lives. Perhaps one of them will change your life, too.

Finally, the videos from our Moving History Project (http://www.samwellers.com/pdf/the_moving_history.pdf) will launch on Youtube on August 15. There are some fine memories from excellent customers and friends. Be sure to check it out.

So come in and say hello. Explore the store and eat some cake. Talk to the staffers you know and love; meet the ones you don't. An 80-year anniversary only comes around once.

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.

Only in WellerWorld

On Monday mornings I work the Main Floor Information Desk. One of the opening info desk tasks is to pull internet orders that came in the previous night. I was dutifully retrieving book after book until I hit an order for The One That Cannot Be Found. The title of The One That Cannot Be Found (TOTCBF) changes from time to time. But it seems that every other week or so, I simply cannot find a book on our shelves no matter hard I try. If you've been in our store, you know there's a lot of footage to search for a missing book. If you haven't, this is a glimpse of the Main Floor.

In dogged pursuit of TOTCBF, I began to pull every spiral bound book from a row of cases, since the one I was looking for had a spiral binding. I encountered some titles on Utah law, Financing Government in Utah, and a copy of Minuteman for a Day. All interesting in their own way, but not TOTCBF. The next spiral I pulled off the shelf made me gasp. No, it wasn't TOTCBF. It was a 1973 - 1974 year book from Webster Elementary School. That school, located here in Salt Lake City was torn down sometime in the 1990's and replaced by Bennion Elementary. Many years before it was torn down, I went there. In fact, I attended fourth grade at Webster from 1973 - 1974.

All of a sudden, I felt the magic customers sometimes discover in our store. They come to the Info Desks, faces glowing and show us treasures they've found in our stacks. "I had this book when I was a little boy and I've never seen a copy since!" "My mother read me stories from this book!" "I borrowed this book from a library in 1965 and lost it." "My boyfriend read passages to me from this book." You get the idea. We get the stories and it's always a treat to share those moments.

Well, I was gaga the same way. I tore through the pages looking for my class. When I found the photos for Mrs. Folias's room, I was simultaneously relieved and disappointed to see that my picture wasn't in there. I had missed picture day. But I saw a picture of my very first boyfriend, Steve O'Reilly who became a Massacre Guy when he grew up, then a Descendent, and changed his name to Stefan or something. There was a photo of my second boyfriend, or his twin, I can't remember which one I "went with" in fourth grade. They were all there: my best friend Catherine J., the boy who threw up on the first day of 7th grade and was forever known as "the boy who threw up," the girl who was picked on, the tough boy that stomped on my foot and made me cry, and my teacher, the indominatable Mrs. Folias who now helps teach my daughter at a different school. I made my way through the book store, pointing pictures out to my coworkers, sharing stories and laughing at the clothes people wore then. It was great. I'm sure my face was glowing.

Of course I bought the book. And that TOTCBF? I admitted failure and passed the record on to the A-team, those who search harder, better and faster for missing items. I hate doing that. But they usually find the books. And I felt good anyway because I'd found a little piece of my past right here on the shelves of my very own bookstore.

Thea's Tree and Storybook Hour at Red Butte Gardens

Sam Weller's Bookstore and Red Butte Garden's have teamed up for a couple of seasons to present the always delightful Em's Sprouthouse Storybook Hour. This month we will be reading Thea's Tree by Alison Jackson. This is a great book for the future naturalist, scientist, and scholar!

Thea Teawinkle, is the star of our story, and tries desperately, through a series of letter's to identify the budding vine in her backyard. Each day it grows, she writes a letter to yet another scholar to make an identity. She receives letters from a full range of specialists including a botanist, arborist, museum curator, zoologist, and tree remover. There is a familiar fairy tale underlying Thea's Tree, and the author does a pretty good job of masking it until the end of the story, when things like say...a singing harp start falling out of the sky!

Join Sam Weller's this Saturday, November 8th from 1-2 in Em's Sprouthouse at Red Butte Garden for a reading of Thea's Tree followed by storybook-themed activities. Appropriate for children ages 3-6. Must be accompanied by a caregiver.

Red Butte Gardens is located on 300 Wakara Way, SLC, UT 84108.

Regular Garden Admission - Members Free.