In this age of Amazon, Kindle, big box bookstores, streaming services, and social media vying for more of our attention, everyday local, independent bookstores are in constant competition with these heavy hitters. And yet, the likes of Blue Ridge Books seem to put up with it all. So what’s the secret?
For Jo Gilley and Allison Lee, the secret lies in the community they serve, which in turn has sustained Blue Ridge Books in all cases for 15 years.
“The best thing we have is knowing our customers, loving our customers and loving our books,” Lee said.
Lee and Gilley are not your typical business partners. They had known and worked together for about six months when they decided to take over ownership and management of Blue Ridge Books from its previous owners, Robert and Betsy Baggett. But 12 and a half years later, they are enjoying the support of the community as they celebrate their 15th anniversary in business.
Perhaps the most valuable part of this business for co-owners is fostering togetherness. He showed himself with great power several times throughout the history of the bookstore.
In 2017, Gilley and Lee moved to a place in Hazelwood where they still live. In doing so, they were a big part of the area’s renaissance. The move was supposed to be a big undertaking, and the two women planned a whole month off to get everything done. However, manager Mary Skelton dismissed the idea. Whole month? She said they could do it in two days. Of course, Skelton enlisted the help of the Blue Ridge Books community and so many people showed up to help that many of the volunteers didn’t even have a job.
During the closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, people from across the region and across the country who visited the store at some point did what they could to help the bookstore stay in business. Some people pre-paid their account to help with cash flow and then took books as needed throughout the pandemic.
“Some of them are still buying things from what they paid then,” Gilley said. “During COVID, we really saw how much of a community we have.”
Domestic authors also played an important role in overcoming covid. David Joy posted on social media asking people to order his new book “When These Mountains Burn” from independent bookstores in the region.
“People were ordering from all over the country, it was amazing. It helped a lot,” Gilley said.
For Gilley and Lee, books and reading have always been a key part of life. However, this does not mean that you will find them reading the same books.
“For a long time ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ was the only book we had in common,” Lee said.
For two avid readers, that’s saying a lot. But they took it as a strength. Their knowledge and interest in literature was as wide as it could be for two people.
“There were so many times when books changed what I’d always thought or what I’d always known,” Lee said.
“I think everyone feels safe and comfortable in the bookstore,” Gilley said. “They come here and, I mean, I’m kidding, I tell everybody that we’re like a bar, you know, we listen to your problems while we clean the bar. It’s just a safe place. We don’t have to agree with everything they say, but they know they can say it.”
This kind of customer care is key to cultivating the community that sustains a local bookstore. There is a rule among booksellers, a universal one that will elicit significant nods and sly smiles from those engaged in this business. The rule is no showing. And while you might be pointed in the direction of the biography or mystery/thriller section at a wholesale store, you’ll probably never experience that at an independent bookstore. These booksellers know that you stay with the customer, guiding them to a shelf or section of the store and helping them find exactly what they’re looking for, or better yet, the answer to the question “what should I read next?”
“It’s all about connecting the book with the person, trying to help them, that relationship,” Lee said.
These relationships are not just about readers. Gilley and Lee have built some pretty impressive relationships with authors over their years in the business.
“We have a large number of these authors, who when we ask them to do something, when we collaborate with other organizations, they are always available,” said Lee.
Events and book signings help get people through the door, connect, move merchandise, and generally get people excited about the book. And while Gilley and Lee have done readings and events with a wide range of authors, they’ve made a special investment in local authors. They always take the opportunity to direct visitors to the local section, the large shelf near the front of the store.
Navigating the ever-changing landscape of the book world is a challenge Gilley and Lee are more than ready to face. They know that they will succeed in bringing people what they need if they keep up with their customers and the rhythm of literature.
Do these two booksellers have a favorite book? Barely. It changes as often as they consume new material and delve into exciting new worlds, preparing them for new propositions every day. But there are those titles that have remained in their memory since they closed the cover.
What are their hopes for the business in the next 15 years?
“I hope it survives and I get to see another generation come that we’ve watched grow up,” Gilley said. “I want to be relevant to the community.”
“Being able to support our schools is very important to us,” Lee said. “We’re always trying to figure out what to do, to support the schools and I’d really like to continue with that. Because I think there’s a population of kids in school who don’t read and don’t read books that reflect who they are, and those are important things. Whoever you are and whatever your situation, there is a book that can speak to you.”
