Within 10 miles of our campus are nearly 20 used bookstores, some of which even give extra discounts to students. Ask yourself how many of these you have ever visited, or how many you can just name. Your answer was probably not seven. These bookstores are treasure chests, filled to the brim with volumes just waiting to find their way back into a reader’s hands.
For some members of the student body, visiting these havens is a routine event, religious for some. You can ask those students and they’ll not only be surprised that you haven’t been, but may try to include you in their next trip. For these students, these shops are the holding places for the soon-to-be members of their loved and cherished collections.
“Used bookstores provide a level of intrigue commercial bookstores don’t have because used bookstores already have history,” said Peace student, Hannah Murphy. “These books have been enjoyed and notes have been written in, interesting words circled, these books have had a type of life put into them.”
For the members of the student body who are not enthralled by the idea of opening a novel or children’s book and finding some ancient script dedicating the book to a loved one and don’t fantasize about who owned that book before they did, these stores are cluttered buildings that barely get a second glance on the drive by.
Why would they event enter one of these musty stores? Because, books are expensive; each semester we complain and whine about campus bookstore prices and find thousands of ways to get around having to purchase books there. We will rent books and search online for countless hours. Who really wants a book that you can’t take notes or highlight in, or one that you have to nearly lock-up at night because any damage may cause you to pay jacket price for that book? These used stores are your new super heroes!
Reader’s Corner, for one, has a policy that every book is priced at least 50 percent off the cover price. “They are pretty cheap for a used bookstore,” said Peace senior, Jessica Lytle. They also have an entire store front covered in books never priced higher than 50 cents which is left open 24 hours a day.
Edward McKay’s stock includes even video game consoles, iPads, and digital cameras. Nice Price Books, located across from North Carolina State University, is conveniently filled with gently used textbooks, so kindly highlighted in by previous students.
Stevens Bookshop even has an online gallery where you can shop, or reserve books in store.
