About twenty-five years ago, I did volunteer work in a struggling used bookshop in San Francisco.  Eventually, the store went out of business, but I was happy to keep paperback shelves stocked for customers who read everything from pop fiction to ancient history. I went through a meticulous process with each book.  First, I inspected the book carefully to look for damage or highlighter/underlining marks, and unfolded a few dog eared corners.  Then I wrote the price in large numerals with a #2 pencil that wasn’t too sharp.  Then each book was shelved exactly where it belonged. Whether the book was … Continue reading Secondhand Bookshops are Disappearing, and not Just in Your City