Biblio-Trip
August
2018
I
often wonder about this disease I have. It is an almost uncontrollable desire
for books. It is a passion. It is a habit that I haven’t been able to break. It
is an addiction. I just need my reading material.
Books
about Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania. Books dealing with machinery and machining.
Maps, atlases, astronomy, writing and poetry to name just a few of my
interests. Then there are the fiction books…
I
am always on the lookout for another book to add to my collection. Older books,
ones signed by their authors, there are so many subjects that interest me!
Lately I have been going to estate sales which expose me to shelves full of
books. Usually they are “best sellers”, worn children’s books and lots of
religious material. But…every so often I find a book that strikes a chord.
Book sellers get to these sales
early and have pillaged the shelves before I get there. They aren’t collectors,
these books will be on-line the next day. This makes it even more fun when I
find a book I want!
The
fun of the hunt along with the low prices are a couple of the things which
drive me. There are so many books I’ve heard about, read the reviews on but
just haven’t gotten to read yet. Finding one of these can be breath taking!
Well, kind of.
Last
Saturday, Ann Marie and I took a road trip to the outskirts of Carlisle, PA. to
visit Canaday’s Book Barn. We have
visited it a few times before. Unfortunately, it will soon be closing. We were
both extremely sad to hear about its approaching demise. The store is truly
unique, it is located inside a barn. We had to visit it one more time before
it’s gone forever, plus, they were having a big sale!
You
would never know what is inside if you didn’t read the sign beside the door.
The barn is typical of the farm buildings in the eastern sections of
Pennsylvania. Constructed of yellow painted wood and stone, it is topped with a
red metal roof making it a very picturesque building. The front, facing the
main road, gives no hint to its purpose except for a small sandwich board
sitting in the yard. In the back is a gravel parking lot and the entrance.
The door is in an alcove in the
center of the building. Walking inside, you are greeted with shelves. In front
of you, an isleway continues into the distance. On the right a beautiful glass
covered set of shelves holds books on display along with artwork and maps. To
the left are more shelves, all filled with books. All are nice and clean, no
dust, no cobwebs. A balcony sits off to the right, the stairs are rough but
varnished and polished, like the rest of the woodwork in the building. Under
the balcony is an open office and the checkout counter. More shelves share this
low, dim area along with a couch. The wooden beams give it a comfortable look,
similar to a den. There are a couple sets of thin drawers beside the shelves
populating this area. In them are more maps and hand colored drawings and
illustrations. Some are already matted, ready to be framed and hung on your
walls.
At
one time, the shelves in this room were decorated with world globes and
bookends and the rear wall was covered with framed pictures. These have since
gone on to new homes. For the most part, the shelves are all fine quality,
looking as if they once graced a prestigious library. Nicer books are kept
behind glass, the rest sit on shelf after shelf.
Entering
the store for the first time can be a bit overwhelming. You have no idea which
way to turn, where to look first. It is best to just slowly walk around and
familiarize yourself. Let your fingers run along the shelves, read the titles,
absorb the ambiance, smell the old book smell. Enjoy yourself, soak in the
wonder of all these books. After you have walked around a bit, once you have an
idea of where things are located, go back and re-find the treasures you saw as
you were orientating yourself.
Ted, the owner is a very
personable man. If he isn’t overwhelmed with customers, he is happy to talk
books or local history. Since he is selling his stock at 70% off, his customers
have increased. Too bad they didn’t frequent the store before he decided to
close. Even though Ted was busy, we still had a nice discussion with him. Oh,
just thinking about this store closing makes me sad, this delightful store
should be visited by every bibliophile!
Wandering
around the store, I picked up a few books I had seen on previous visits. Yes, I
brought them home with me this time. I bought a few autographed books, some old
machining manuals, a couple travelogues and a random assortment of other books
which caught my eye.
I
had three topographical maps from the early 1900’s in my selections but when I
saw my final total, I reluctantly put them back. Naturally, not long after we
left, I started wishing that I would’ve bought them. “Oh, when will I ever
learn? Get when the getting is good!”
The
two of us returned with a nice collection of booty and we agreed that the trip
was both fun and successful. There is nothing like a road trip to a bookstore!
I
originally thought that we would be gone for only seven or eight hours but the
sun was setting behind the hills of Etna as we rolled back into town. I rarely
take a direct route to any place we are going to. Our journeys usually involve
“short” side trips, refreshment breaks and photo stops. On this trip, we also
ended up spending a couple hours inside the bookstore.
It
was about 11 hours and 380 miles after I left home that I pulled up in front of
my house. I was excited about looking through my new purchases and more than
ready to collapse into my bed!
Yes,
my addiction had gotten the best of me once again. I bought too many books, but
you know what? Other than the fact that I left the topo maps behind, I really
don’t regret it at all!
(I went back a couple weeks later
with a couple friends and purchased the maps among other things!)
Bibliophile- n. a
lover of books
A
book collector
`Biblio-trip v. a
journey or voyage to aquire books
1 comment:
Great story Phil. I wish it was still around also
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