>> LOOK AT ALL THE SIZES AND

SHAPES.

JUST KIND OF CELEBRATING SHARING

OF IDEAS.

>> I DEFINITELY THINK IT IS A

VALUABLE EXPERIENCE TO BE IN A

PLACE SURROUNDED BY BOOKS.

>> IN THIS DIGITAL AGE OF eBOOKS

AND ONLINE SHOPPING, A BELOVED

AND ALMOST CENTURY-OLD STORY

CONTINUES TO THRIVE.

JOIN US TODAY AS WE VISIT THE

NEW DOMINION BOOKSHOP.

COME ON.

>> WE WERE KIND OF JUST

EXPLORING CHARLOTTESVILLE, AND

WE LOVE BOOKSTORES.

ANYTIME WE SEE ONE, WE LIKE TO

GO IN, AND THIS JUST LOOKED LIKE

A REALLY CUTE SPACE.

>> IT KINDA HAS A VINTAGE VIBE

OUR GENERATION JUST REALLY

APPRECIATES THAT.

>>WE THINK IT WAS STARTED AROUND

1924 BY A UVA GRADUATE

IT WAS BOUGHT BY CHRISTOPHER

COLUMBUS WELLS IN 1926.

HE OWNED IT FOR ALMOST 60 YEARS

IT BECAME FAMOUS AS THE LOCAL

BOOKSHOP

YOU COULD SEE ALL OF

CHARLOTTESVILLE PASSING THROUGH

YOU COULD GET THE DAYS NEWS, THE

GOSSIP, THE NEWEST TITLES.

ONE OF HIS EMPLOYEES BOUGHT THE

SHOP FROM HIM AND MOVED IT

ACROSS THE STREET TO THIS

LOCATION, WHICH WAS A SHOE

STORE.

HER HUSBAND REDID IT.

AND MADE IT INTO THIS BEAUTIFUL

SPACE IT IS TODAY

>> AND SHE PASSED AWAY

UNEXPECTEDLY.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER

AND THE ROLE SHE PLAYED IN THE

COMMUNITY THROUGH THE STORE.

>> I THINK EVERYONE KNEW CAROL

AND EVERYONE TRUSTED HER

RECOMMENDATIONS.

SHE WAS ABLE TO GIVE SO MANY

PERSONAL RECK MINUTEDATIONS TO

PEOPLE.

SHE HAD IMPECCABLE TASTE.

THE COLLECTIONS IN GARDENING AND

ARCHITECTURE WERE PARTICULARLY

STRONG, BUT THE SHOP WAS SO MUCH

ABOUT HER TASTE AND HER LEGACY.

>> WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO COME AND

TAKE OVER THE STORE?

>> WELL, I THINK LIKE ANY LIFE

DECISION THERE WERE MANY THINGS

THAT BROUGHT ME HERE.

I HAD BEEN WORKING FOR CAROL

SELLING BOOKS AT A READING

SERIES I STARTED OVER IN BELMONT

CALLED THE CHARLOTTESVILLE

READING SERIES.

I STARTED SELLING FOR CAROL

THERE AND THEN DOING SOME SOCIAL

MEDIA, SO I WAS CONNECTED WITH

IT WHEN SHE PASSED AWAY.

AND I CONTACTED HER HUSBAND.

I SAID, I KNOW THIS IS A VERY

DIFFICULT TIME FOR THE SHOP, AND

I ASKED IF HE WOULD HIRE ME AS

THE MANAGER, UNDERSTANDING

SOMEDAY I WOULD BUY THE SHOP.

>> THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT

TRADITIONS HERE THAT YOU'RE

CARRYING ON IN THE SHOP, BUT YOU

ALSO HAVE SOME NEW IDEAS AND NEW

GOALS.

TALK ABOUT BOTH.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'M DOING,

I'M CERTAINLY NOT TRYING TO

REINVENT THE WHEEL.

THIS IS SUCH AN AMAZING SHOP,

AND WE HAVE SUCH A LOYAL

CLIENTELE.

WE'RE TRYING TO REACH OUT AND DO

THINGS LIKE STORY TIME.

WE'RE STARTING A NEW OPEN MIC

NIGHT TO GET YOUNG WRITERS AND

READERS INTO THE SHOP.

>> SO FRIDAY NIGHT WRITES IS

REALLY TRYING TO SERVE AS AN

OUTLET TO HIGH SCHOOL AND

COLLEGE STUDENTS IN A WAY THAT I

THINK THERE'S NOT MANY OTHER

PLACES IN CHARLOTTESVILLE THAT

PRESENT THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY,

BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF OPEN

MICS, BUT I DON'T THINK LITERARY

FOCUSED ONES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

ARE A COMMON THING.

>> A DAY WILL COME WHEN MY

POETRY IS NOT A SLAVE FOR YOU

LIKE TO SMILE WHEN YOU LIE, HERE

MY MOTHER CROONED.

>> I THINK IT IS GREAT.

I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE

JUST BECAUSE I WANTED TO SHARE

MY WORK SO BAD.

>> YOU HEAR A LITTLE BIT OF

THEIR LIFE AND WHERE SOMEONE'S

COME FROM, A BACKGROUND THAT'S

DIFFERENT THAN YOURS OR

EXPERIENCES THAT ARE DIFFERENT

FROM YOURS, AND YOU LEARN FROM

THAT.

>> YOU TELL HIM ABOUT YOUR

TENDENCY TO BURST INTO FLOWERS.

YOU TELL HIM YOU WISH YOU COULD

STOP.

HE HAS A PENCIL AND A CLIPBOARD

AND A LITTLE PENLIGHT TO HELP

YOU SEE HIS PAPERS.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE TRIED

TO DO, WHICH IS THE THING

CONSISTENT WITH A NATIONAL

INDEPENDENT BUSINESS MODEL, IS

TO HAVE A LOT OF COMMUNITY

EVENTS IN THE SHOP TO USE THE

SHOP AS LIKE THIRD SPACE.

>> AND AUTHORS WHO CHOOSE THIS

BOOKSHOP TO SIGN THEIR BOOKS AND

RELEASE THEIR BOOKS AND TALK

ABOUT THEIR BOOKS, TALK ABOUT

SOME OF THESE WRITERS WHO COME

THROUGH.

>> WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE LINEUP

YEAR ROUND.

WE TRY TO HAVE THE FALL AND THE

SPRING SEASON KICKED OFF WITH A

BOOK FESTIVAL OF COURSE SINCE

THOSE ARE MAIN EVENT SEASONS,

BUT WE HAVE THREE LOCAL AUTHORS

WHO ARE INTERNATIONALLY KNOWN

WHO SUPPORT THE SHOP.

THEY HAVE CHOSEN THIS PLACE AS

THE PLACE THEY SIGN.

JOHN GRISHAM AND JAN CARON AND

MARGO LEE SHETTERLY, WHO WROTE

"HIDDEN FIGURES."

THOSE THREE ARE VERY HELPFUL TO

THE SHOP.

IT IS WONDERFUL TO GET CALLS

FROM PEOPLE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY

WHO WANT THEIR BOOKS SIGNED.

WE HAVE A CONTINUOUS SCHEDULE OF

PEOPLE COMING TO THE POETRY

FICTION, SOME NONFICTION.

>> ON FIRST FRIDAYS, YOU HAVE

ART EXHIBITS.

>> YEAH, WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE

IN HERE FOR ALL KINDS OF

REASONS.

IF THEY COME AND LOOK AT ART,

MAYBE THEY'LL ALSO BUY A BOOK OR

FIND SOMETHING THAT THEY

WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN OTHERWISE,

BUT WE HAVE A LOVELY GALLERY

SPACE.

>> ONE OF YOUR GOALS IS TO

REALLY SERVE THE WHOLE

COMMUNITY, AND THE BOOKS YOU

CHOOSE, YOUR COLLECTION, IS

BASED ON THIS GOAL.

TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S

VERY IMPORTANT TO YOU.

>> WELL, I THINK THAT'S ONE OF

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF MY JOB

IS THAT I AM -- I'M THE MANAGER,

BUT I'M ALSO THE BOOK BUYER.

I'M THE PRIMARY BUYER.

READING "THE NEW YORK TIMES"

REVIEWS AND "THE WASHINGTON

POST" REVIEWS AND SEEING WHAT'S

IN THE ZEITGEIST FOR THE WEEK

AND KEEPING UP IS REALLY

IMPORTANT AS A BOOKSHOP BECAUSE

I CAN'T HAVE ALL THE BOOKS, BUT

WE TRY TO HAVE GOOD BOOKS.

>> I LIKE TO INTERACT WITH THE

PAPER, THE COVER, SEE THE

ARTWORK.

SEEMS MORE ALIVE TO ME.

>> JUST LIKE HOLDING A BOOK IS

SEEING PROGRESS.

YOU CAN FEEL IT.

THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY I

LOVE PHYSICAL HARD COPY BOOKS.

>> YOU CAN HAVE THEM WITH YOU IN

A LOT MORE SITUATIONS.

>> I AM A CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN

ARTIST, SO I PAINT MYSELF IN THE

CONTEMPORARY STYLE.

I PUBLISHED A BOOK ON WOMEN FROM

ALL OVER THE WORLD, AND IT

FOCUSES ON WOMEN OF COLOR.

>> HOW DO YOU SURVIVE?

HOW DOES AN INDEPENDENT

BOOKSTORE SURVIVE IN THIS DAY

AND AGE, THE DIGITAL AGE,

eBOOKS, CHAIN STORES?

AND PEOPLE LOVE TO SHOP.

>> IT IS.

IT'S BELOVED.

THERE'S A LOT OF WORK YOU HAVE

TO DO IN GETTING NAME

RECOGNITION, HAVING PEOPLE FIND

YOU.

AND WE ARE CONTINUING THIS

TRADITION AND TRYING TO BRING IT

TO NEW PEOPLE, BUT WE HAVE THAT

INCREDIBLE BASE.

THE WAY WE SURVIVE, YOU KNOW,

PEOPLE WILL SOMETIMES SAY, WOW,

WHAT A LABOR OF LOVE.

I SAY, YES, IT IS, BUT IT IS

ALSO MY JOB.

I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT A

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS.

I HAVE A STAFF OF NINE

EMPLOYEES.

IT'S THEIR WORK, AND IT'S THEIR

JOB.

THEY LOVE IT, AND THEY TAKE IT

REALLY SERIOUSLY, SO I THINK IT

IS A REALLY GOOD TIME FOR

INDEPENDENT BOOK SELLERS.

IT WAS A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME

IN THE 90s WHEN AMAZON AND THE

BIG BOX STORES CAME IN.

OUR MODEL IS NOT TO HAVE EVERY

SINGLE BOOK, BUT THAT WE CAN

ORDER IT AND HAVE IT IN TWO OR

THREE DAYS.

WE HAVE GOOD BOOKS.

WE HAVE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE

WHO LOVE BOOKS AND LOVE

LEARNING.

WE'RE NEAR THE DOWNTOWN MALL, SO

WE HAVE AMAZING PEDESTRIAN

TRAFFIC.

>> RIGHT.

>> PART OF THE REASON PEOPLE

COME HERE AND LOOK AROUND.

THEY'RE LIKE, WOW.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL SPACE.

IT'S LIKE BOOK CHURCH FOR SOME

PEOPLE.

>> SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO MOVE

BACK TO GO FORWARD.

>> YOU'VE HAD BIG EVENTS.

YOU'VE HAD BIG EVENTS WHERE

YOU'VE RENTED OUT THE PARAMOUNT

THEATER AND YOU'RE ALSO

DELIVERING BOOKS.

>> BACK IN THE GOOD OLE DAYS,

PEOPLE WOULD CALL THE BOOKSHOP,

AND WE WOULD HAND DELIVER THEIR

ORDERS TO THEIR HOUSE.

IT WAS A VERY OLD-FASHIONED

SYSTEM.

THAT CONTINUES TODAY THROUGH

TIMBERLAKES DRUGSTORE, WHICH IS

RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

THEY DELIVER BOOKS TO

WESTMINSTER CANTERBURYS, TO THE

COLONNADES, TO THE COUNTRYSIDE.

WHEN PEOPLE GET THEIR

PRESCRIPTIONS, THEY CAN ALSO GET

THEIR BOOKS.

>> I LOVE THAT.

WHERE DO YOU SEE THIS WONDERFUL

BOOKSHOP DOWN THE ROAD?

HOW DO YOU ENVISION IT IN A

HANDFUL OF YEARS?

>> IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT

WHENEVER PEOPLE IMAGINE THE

FUTURE THEY ALWAYS IMAGINE,

WELL, THERE'S GOING TO BE

HOVERCRAFTS.

WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE WEARING

PLASTIC PANTS.

WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE LIVING ON

THE MOON.

WHEN WE MAKE PREDICTIONS, IT

SHOWS HOW COMPLETELY TRAPPED IN

THE PRESENT MOMENT WE ARE, SO

I'M NOT SURE WHAT THIS IS GOING

TO LOOK LIKE.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE

THIS SAME MODEL FOREVER OR HOW

THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE WITH

BOOKS AND BOOK CULTURE, READING

CULTURE.

I HOPE THAT IT WILL ALWAYS BE A

PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND

READ AND SHARE STORIES AND FIND

THINGS THAT WILL CHANGE THEM,

MAKE THEM HAPPY.

BUT YEAH, I'M NOT GOING TO SAY

THERE'S GOING TO BE LIKE ROBOTS.

BOOKS ON ROBOTS.

>> WHAT DO YOU READ?

>> I TRY TO READ A LITTLE BIT OF

EVERYTHING.

AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE, I LIKE

BIOGRAPHY.

AS I GET OLDER, I FIND LIFE IS

SOMETIMES MORE INTERESTING THAN

EVEN FICTION, SO I TRY TO READ

AS BROADLY AS I CAN.

EVEN THE GENRES THAT DON'T

INTEREST ME.

>> I THINK INDEPENDENT

BOOKSTORES ARE IMPORTANT BECAUSE

THEY MORE RESPOND TO WHAT PEOPLE

WANT TO READ VERSUS MAYBE

SETTING AN AGENDA FOR WHAT

PEOPLE SHOULD READ.

>> "THE SOUND AND THE FURY" BY

WILLIAM FAULKNER IS THE MOST

CHALLENGING BOOK I'VE EVER READ.

>> FICTION AND FANTASY.

I DON'T LIKE TO SAY IN THE REAL

WORLD.

IT IS TOO SERIOUS AND TOO MUCH

FOR ME SOMETIMES.

>> I LIKE READING BOOKS ON

ROMANCE ODDLY ENOUGH.

>> CULTURE AND LITERATURE AND

ARCHITECTURE AND COOKING.

THERE'S SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE,

YEAH.

[ APPLAUSE ]

>> WHOEVER GETS PICKED WILL GET

A FREE BOOK FROM A DIFFERENT

BASKET.