2 Quotes by Wendy Welch

When the occasional customer tells us his or her dream of running a bookstore someday, we recognize our own naivete in that enthusiasm. They may have some inkling about long hours and low pay, but rarely do they know about the fires, the guerrilla bargainers, the bereavements, or the prisons. Neither did we – then. But we sure do now. In all honesty, the scariest, hardest, saddest, and most important stories found in a bookshop aren’t in the books, they’re in the customers.

Books, be they physical objects or electronic pulses, are way cool. They are idea houses. So let those who want to read from machines. Those who love the feel, the smell, the gilt edging and the pretty covers and the soft paper, and the kinetic memories will enjoy the physical objects. Either form can be artifact. So long as we’re all reading, and gaining joy from it, does it really matter so much?