Owning a used bookstore was not in my life plan. I had my life mapped out. I knew what I wanted to do. Was meant to do. But it didn’t work out that way. I believe I made the best I could with what I was given and worked within situations. The most important piece of information I will let known is, I always believed in myself. Even when others didn’t. I would think, “Of course I can do it. Why couldn’t I?” I didn’t believe in criticism nor non-believers. That just told me they didn’t know me. I don’t mean to be sassy or egoistic but simply I believed I could.

So here I am, on the cusp of owning a used bookstore for 20 years. The time did go fast. Very fast. My last job I stayed 15 years. I loved that job but with all the traveling around the state for meetings, functions, creating brochures/booklets, plus all the other Chamber of Commerce activities I did. With the leadership changing, I felt it was time for me to as well.

How did I stumble on this bookstore? It is in the town I grew up and worked in. I frequented it as well as the library and Vermont Bookshop. Particularly the library. I thought of myself as a library brat. I turned to its shelves for comfort and education. I went through a phase of only reading books in library binding. I’d start a topic thread and with my list in hand for Interlibrary Loan requests. During a particularly hard time I walked into the library looking for an author who wrote the thickest novels. I found three written by Arthur Hailey: Airport, Hospital, Hotel. Sat and read them in that order and when I closed the third book, I said, Done1 I knew I was going to be okay.

I have written numerous times about how I found the store was for sale. I was working on the Chamber’s website – coding, mind you! – it wasn’t coming out right, so I stood up and marched myself outside for fresh air and a good walk. That walk took me downtown and I noted the patio sign “Used Bookstore for Sale”. I went in asked how much, turned around and back to my desk to call my husband to tell him I was buying a used bookstore. The bank was cooperative, including telling me I didn’t have to write a business plan as they were that sure I knew what I was getting myself into. The Saturday after Thanksgiving I walked into Otter Creek Used & Rare Books, handed over the check and received the keys to the store. Never once have I regretted that move. I did drop “& Rare”.

Members of the Vermont Antiquarian Books Association (VABA) would stop in to introduce themselves to me and answer all questions I had and offered up practical advice. Even Chamber board members would stop by to check in on me making sure my business was on a positive track. I felt I was heading in a good direction and there was only way to go: succeed. It didn’t take time for the store to pay its own way. Its own bills. I will always remember a representative from the VT Tax Department calling me to tell me my business was now required to pay monthly Sale & Use Tax. Yippee! We were both laughing. Who else would be so excited? She told me she had to call because she knew how important it was to me and she wanted to be the one to tell me. Small state!

I worked six days a week up until COVID. Once that hit, I closed for three weeks then reopened shorter hours. Those closed days I still came into the store. Promoting books, making sales, and moving inventory around. Listening to music blasting in the aisles. A lot of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. When I reopened, I found I needed to be better to myself and closed Mondays to the Sundays.

And that brings me to here. a few weeks before the celebration weekend. More on that later!