New Used Book Store on Cleveland Ave.

By Gagandeep Ghuman
Published: Feb. 2, 2013

If you like the tang of acidity and a whiff of vanilla, if you still like to dog-ear your books, then head to Cleveland Ave.

A new used book store has opened in the shop left vacant by Nature’s Nest, next to the Hotspot Community Centre on the main drag in downtown Squamish.

The yet-to-be-named book store is an initiative of the Squamish Literacy Committee.  

Coordinator Pam Gliatis said the store hopes to attract book lovers who still like the feel of a book in their hand.

“It’s about the whole books store experience of being able to go and feel welcome in a place,” she said.

Still, she is not overly romantic about it, and knows books face stiff competition from kobos and kindles and e-readers.

That is one reason the books store will work as a social enterprise, much like the Pearl’s Second store.

“We know it’s really difficult to make a go as a purely for profit business,”Gliatis said.

She hopes the book store would generate enough revenue to fund literacy programs, and create a job or two.  

The used books store carries a varied selection, from classics and cookery to international politics and children’s literature.

The children’s books are for a $1, while all other books range from $2-3 each.

Laura Drewry is eager to support the used books store.

The local author ran a book store called The Squamish Bookshelf for several years before dwindling book sales forced her to shut it down two years ago.

“Second hand bookstores give readers the opportunity to try new authors they might not have done simply because of price,” Drewry said.

She said readers might find it difficult to spend $20 or $30 on an unknown author, but are more likely to buy at a lower price.

“When we had the store, the second hand section was a big part, and we had die-hard regulars who’d come in to see what was ‘new’ in used,” she said.

Still, it wasn’t enough to sustain the store.

Local resident Graham Fuller has several books to his credit, the most recent being Three Truths and a Lie.

Fuller said he strongly supports the opening of a new book store in Squamish.

“The closing of the last one was a major cultural blow,” he said.

“Squamish, with its new and more professionally oriented population desperately needs a book store, especially if it can include books on local BC themes.”

Pam Gliatis is calling upon residents to donate books, and patronise the books store.

“We would really appreciate the community’s support for this,” she said.