By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Why do we buy used books? We buy them because they are cheaper than buying new. We buy them because it’s an environmentally sustainable choice to recycle something instead of throwing it away. We buy them because, sometimes, we get to read the notes of the previous reader scribbled in the margins, or a tender inscription to a loved one added in by a gift-giver. And we buy them simply because, despite the growing shift to devices like Kindle and online content, we love books that we can hold in our hands. Books with pages we can turn. Books that fit snugly in our bags. Books that we can lend to the friend.
Local business owner Judith Patton runs Booked Experiences, a respected used book establishment on 575 Plains Road, just a five-minute stroll away from the Skyway Diner. Though she has been in the online book-selling business since 2004, it was in 2018 that she opened the physical location for her trade of choice.
It’s a cozy and easily navigable shop, an essential quality for the casual book browser. The shop is carefully organized by genre, in alphabetical order, by the authors’ last names. Some of the specialized sections include Native American, Canadiana, Science, Psychology, Self-Help, Philosophy, Travel Literature, Art, Writing, and Language. Patton, being an expert in her field, is keen to provide the highest quality of customer service that she can.
“I am highly motivated in helping the customer find what they are looking for in my store and other locations and welcome inquiries,” Patton says. “I will gladly order a book for them, if necessary.”
The Book Nook on Brant Street, another popular outlet, closed in the winter of 2024 after a decades-long run, but the people of Burlington have not given up on their literary inclinations. Quality paperback and hardcover used books at discounted prices are still very much in demand. Patton proudly runs her business as a book market and as an informal social hub. She welcomes the locals, and she also welcomes first-time visitors.
“Every month welcomes regular customers with an influx of new customers,” Patton remarks. “I like to ask where they live to find out where they come from. I get some customers from all across Canada and a few from the States. I even have a girl who visits every year from Ethiopia when she comes home to visit her family. Nunavut and Yellowknife visitors are far and few between.”
In response to an inquiry about the possibility of used book stories being in danger due to the rise of digital media, Patton responds, “Every individual has the choice of how to acquire literature and such. If a person likes the tactile experience away from the glare of technology, they choose books. Lots of people like to read a book in bed, in the bathtub, to their children, and sitting by the pool. I am experiencing that the younger generation is also getting more into buying books to read at the break of a job, on the train, or on holidays.”
“I am also noticing more how parents are keen to acquire books, from the past and the present, for their children,” Patton continues. “They are encouraging their children to read more. I love getting young people in my store to introduce books to them and frequently see a glow and smile on their faces when they leave the store.”
Booked Experiences gladly welcomes book donations of all genres. As compensation, Patton offers donors a 10% credit of what they originally paid for the book they’re donating (though it depends on the book’s overall condition). The credit cannot be used all at one time. The shop’s hours of operation can be found here. Shop local!
