Bart’s Books : An Interview with Matt Henriksen (General Manager)
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Bart’s Books : An Interview with Matt Henriksen (General Manager)
I had a wonderful & insightful conversation and Q&A session with Matt Henriksen about Bookselling Business Ecosystem.
I had a wonderful & insightful conversation and Q&A session with Matt Henriksen about Bookselling Business Ecosystem.
Bart’s Books in Ojai, California is a bookstore founded by Richard Bartindale in 1964. It is mostly an outdoor bookstore, and some books are available for sale at all hours. Shelves of books face the street, and shoppers are asked to drop coins into the door’s coin box to pay for any books they take whenever the store is closed.
Excerpts from the Interview :-
Q1) How did you get into the book selling business and acquire your own store?
Matt : I got into the book business by being curious about everything, and going to bookstores my whole life. There is no subject matter or style of literature that doesn’t bear some interest for me in one way or another. If I wasn’t working at one now, I’d still be going to bookstores every month. This wide curiosity allows me to be sympathetic to a wide range of customers, and cater to their needs and interests, regardless of my own biases.
Q2) Tell us more about your store, including its history and location. Also, what types of books does your store stock and specialize in?
Bart's History - Bart's Books - Ojai
Since that time Bart's Books has become host to nearly one million books ranging from the thirty-five cent specials…bartsbooksojai.com
Matt : We were founded by Richard Bartinsdale in 1964 after he was inspired by the carts along the Seine in Paris. Originally we sold only used books but about ten years ago Ojai’s new bookstore closed (a few years before that we actually had two new bookstores simultaneously) . We decided to start carrying new books after that, to better serve our customers and community. As far as used books go we sell everything from paperbacks for a dollar to rare and out of print titles costing thousands. We currently have first editions of “The Crying of Lot 49” by Thomas Pynchon , “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen, among many others.
Q3) What characteristics do you think a person needs to be a successful independent bookstore owner? What has been the key to your success?
Matt : A deep curiosity and love for all types of books. Some background in retail and retail business models is also helpful. Increasingly its beneficial to be conversant in online marketplaces beyond the expected i.e. amazon, ebay
Q4) What do you most enjoy about being a bookseller?
Matt : The best moments are facilitating a connection between a person and a book or author they hadn’t known before. You get to be a part of someone’s process of discovery, and very occasionally that can blossom into an ongoing relationship through literature that transcends the transactional.
“I’d quit school to steal books and read” — Matt.
Q5) Do you think it’s important for a bookseller to be actively involved in the community? If so, how are you involved in your local community?
Matt: It’s going to entirely depend on the bookstore, its business model and location. For good or ill Bart’s is dependent on tourism to survive. Over 70% of our sales are to people visiting from outside our county, so for us holding community events in store actually disrupts our regular business. We do however host off site sales, and participate in charity events. We also recently purchased the rights to publish a popular local hiking guide, and we are going to donate a portion of its sales to a local public space land conservancy non profit.
Q6) What’s your favorite section of the store?
Matt : It changes constantly depending on the sorts of collections we’ve recently purchased. I just got a large lot of Central and South American history and politics, so I’m excited about that. The sections I have the most ongoing interest in are poetry, art, and new books. New books are vitally important because they tell us the most about how we see ourselves.
Q7) If you had infinite space what would you add?
Matt : Everyone wants us to have a coffee service, which is unrealistic for us financially and space wise ( also there are three lovely local coffee shops within walking distance of us ). If space wasn’t an issue, I would seriously consider it. I’d also have even more plants and gardens interspersed between the various sections.
Q8) What’s the craziest situation you’ve ever had to deal with in the store?
Matt : Customer with a chicken on a leash.
Q9) Is there a novelist that you think deserves more attention/readership than he or she currently receives?
Matt : I am reading “Cars on Fire” by Monica Ramon Rios on the insistence of one of my employees, and its wonderful. My favorite new discovery in the last couple years has been Yuri Herrera.
Q10) What’s your earliest/best memory about visiting a bookstore as a child?
Matt : A Charles Shultz “Peanuts” collection in particular is the first thing I remember purchasing at a bookstore, I was probably four years old, and it resulted in a lifelong love of the comics medium.
Q11) What advice do you have to offer to an author who would like to conduct an event at your store?
Matt : If the store agrees to host an event, take care of as much of the logistics and promotion as you can yourself. Chances ar they’ll do a good job, but might not have the resources to promote it all on their own.
Q12) What do you think the future looks like for independent booksellers? What do you think you and your fellow independent booksellers need to do to survive?
Matt : Unfortunately books, like most of retail, is becoming an increasingly volume based business with smaller and smaller margins. As booksellers we’re tasked with preserving traditional bookstore values and relationship building, while attempting to increase overall volume. This pulls our attention in two competing directions, and i am not really sure how we’re going to fix it. Its not a business I’d recommend for anyone looking for economic stability, you have to do it for the pure passion of it.
Thank you all for reading and a big thanks to Matt Henriksen for collaborating in today’s post!
If any of my readers here , wish to know more about the bookstore and their work. Do open the links mentioned below . They have a wonderful informative , articulated and well-curated website.
Website : https://bartsbooksojai.com/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/BartsBooksOjai/
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/bartsbooksojai/
Twitter : https://twitter.com/BartsBooksOjai