It's about time I focused on another independent bookstore, don't you think? And this independent bookstore, The Book Mark, is a very, very special one indeed.
You can find The Book Mark at 2964 Bloor St. West in Toronto, in the delightful Kingsway Village, which is just a hop, skip and a jump away from, yes The Bloor West Village.
There are many things that make this bookstore stand out, one of them being the fact that The Book Mark is the oldest surviving independent books tore in Toronto! In September 2005, The Book Mark celebrated its 40th birthday. That is no small feat, considering the overwhelming competition from monsters like Chapters/Indigo.
The original name of the store was The Boom Mark, founded in 1965 by Nan Chapin, at a different Bloor Street location. A year later the store moved to another address, Jackson Avenue, and then in 1995 The Book Mark was bought by its present owner, Sue Houghting, and the store moved to its present location. Ms. Houghting used to shop in the original store from the age of three and onwards, and began working there in 1988 before she finally became store manager and owner. Now that is what I call a passionate bibliophile!
The store itself is small and cosey, and beautifully decorated. Attractive yellow, burgundy and brown bookshelves stand out against the warm green walls, creating a very welcoming atmosphere. Charming knick-knacks can be found all throughout the store, and I even noticed what looked like an old medieval sword in the History section. The original owner, Nan Chapin, travelled to England and created the most exquisite brass rubbings from old medieval gravestones, and these one-of-a-kind works of art can be found on various walls of the store. Because space is limited in the bookstore, Ms. Houghting is very careful in her book selection. The first day I entered this stores years ago, I was overwhelmed with the quality of books before me. Every book I encountered was something I wanted to buy. There were absolutely no duds to be found. I was particularly impressed with the History, Literature and Literary Criticism section. For a small place, this store packs a strong literary and non-fiction punch. And the Children's section is just stellar.
The staff have always been very helpful and knowledgable, and it was because of these many delightful qualities about this store that I decided I must get an interview with Ms. Houghting herself, to find out a little bit more about this amazing woman, and this amazing store. As you can imagine, as the owner of The Book Mark Sue Houghting is a very busy lady, and so I am very, very grateful that she took the time out of her hectic schedule to answer my questions. Thanks so much, Sue!
I read in a magazine article about you which stated that you used to go to this bookstore as a child. Are there any special memories you have of the store back then that really stand out?
My mother started taking me into The Book Mark when I was about three or so. (That was when the store was on Jackson.) I remember always looking forward to going in, particularly before we'd head up north for the summer because I'd be allowed to get a huge stack of books. Enid Blyton was a huge favourite so I was always looking for new ones. I always loved the fact that the children's books were in their very own room - it made me feel special. I also remember sitting on the horse which I'm very glad we still have in the Kids' section!
I also read that you began working there after graduating from University. Was this a gradual thing, the desire to run a bookstore, or something you knew early on that you always wanted to do?
I fantasized about either working in a bookstore or a library from the time I was pretty young. As I got older my love of dance (watching not performing) surpassed my desire to be in a bookstore so I was heading in the direction of Arts Administration - I actually worked for a modern dance school for a few years while in University. But I became unhappy with that pretty quickly and one of my friends asked me what I really wanted to do and I said "own The Book Mark". So he encouraged me to look into working there; I was hired in 1988 and everything seemed to, more or less, fall into place!
Congratulations on being the oldest surviving independent bookstore in Toronto! What would you say is the secret to The Book Mark's continued success?
Excellent Customer Service - you can't beat it. We know many of our customers by name as well as by their tastes in reading. We do everything we can to help them - find the books they're looking for, suggest new books or order in hard-to-find books. My staff are all wonderful people who love to read, and love to talk about their favourite books. Certain customers "attach themselves" to certain booksellers and will only buy what they suggest. I also like to think that we keep a very good selection of books on hand - not only the bestsellers, but some unique titles that others might not bother to stock. I've been told that we have one of the best History sections in the city. And we started the tradition of welcoming dogs and giving out "treats" a long time ago!
What are your concerns for the future of independent bookstores, and the nature of publishing and reading in general?
It's a frightening time for independent bookstores. We've just witnessed the sad closing of Mabel's Fables [an independent children's bookstore] across the street. Publishers are constantly looking for new markets and the result of that is that their oldest customers, the independents, lose business. We cannot treat books as "loss leaders" as others do. We have to continue to hope that certain sectors of the public value old-fashioned cust omer service and buying books from people who actually read. Luckily for us, and many other strong independents, that is still the case. As for the general nature of publishing and reading, I think the future outlook is good. Most publishers are still willing to pick up new authors and promote their works which is very promising. And people are always looking for the next great book to read, I don't see that ever stopping.
How many people do you employ?
I usually have eight people on staff.
So... I urge you to visit this store if you are in Toronto! It is a rare gem not to be missed in one's lifetime. And when you step into the store, you will notice a lovely old needle-point on the wall above the cash register, which reads:
When I get a little money I buy books;
And if any is left I buy food and clothes.
– Erasmus
